Just Trees

[Loupey]

I generally haven't shot trees as the main subject. This shot is one my most recent ones. I have an opinion about it but would love to hear yours first.

Thanks

[julsoph]

Loupey, I think I would like this better if this were just a shot of that tree with the yellow leaves and the dark tree trunk right there in the middle. The contrast between the two is GREAT, but the extra trees all around them seem to distract a bit. I don't know...maybe that's just a preference on my part!

Emily

[Photo-John]

Great, great color and a very interesting composition. I'm kind of torn with this one. I'm not sure how I feel. And maybe that's a good thing. There's a tension between the yellow foliage and the silhouetted trees on then right. It's very powerful and makes me feel uncomfortable. That might be making me feel like the photo isn't working. But the more I think about it, I think that tension and feeling of discomfort mean that your photo is successful. I think maybe if it was larger than I can see on the Web, that would help, too.

I'm curious about what your own opinion of the photo is.

I believe most photos need three elements to work. And at first glance it seems like there are only two, here - the yellow tree and the silhouetted trees. But there is a third - the sky. The sky really is an important part of the composition in this photo. It is an active member of the party. An overcast sky would not work here, I think. But the primary blue against the primary yellow works very well. And the way the black trees lean in toward the yellow tree, as if they're taunting or threatening it. Do you know the song, "Trees," by Rush?

I have a feeling other people weren't sure how to evaluate or what to say about this photo. Maybe my post will help. I'd like to get some conversation going about this image. I think it's a good one and an especially good one for discussion.

[zrfraser]

I agree with photo-john about the sky, it really adds o the contrast of the yellow leaves and the black trunk, however, I think a different vantage point is a must. I was trying to find a good crop, but the other trees were making this difficult. I like the pic and the vivid colors that are in it, just maybe shoot at a different angle.

[readingr]

I have been back to this so many times and I have finally decided that its a photo of 2 halves - and the fact that the silohouette trees are almost in the middle therefore cutting the photo in half is the bit that makes me uncomfortable.

If the other trees were cropped out and just the one main trunk left in then it is much easier on the eye and my tiny brain, but then the ratios are thrown into an almost sqaure format which could work.

As for the colours - splendid job. Did you use a polarizer for this?

Roger

[srobb]

Now, PJ, you are showing your age a little there. I will be the strange one and say that I see both possibilities and like them both. I like the description that PJ gave in his and can easily see that with my demented imagination churning.

I can also see it with a very heavy vertical crop taking out most of the bare trees on that side. This would result in a very nice image of contrasts; between the blues and yellows and then between the tree with leaves and the one that is bare.

So, I guess for me, you either way with this image loupey.

[Photo-John]

Now, PJ, you are showing your age a little there.

Do you mean the Rush reference? I so, I know what you mean

It's kind of a cheesy song, too.

[Loupey]

Ok, people. So my take on it is this - it's OK. Pretty, but it does not make a strong enough of a statement.

I started out with the nice clean autumn blue sky. Drove around a bit to find some trees that still had a full crop of leaves. Found this one on a ridge above a small but very steep valley. I shot it from many different angles getting mostly "just pretty" shots. But when I stood here looking at some of the already bare foreground trees, I saw an opportunity to try to get a split image contrast shot. Kind of like a "before/after", "light/dark", "good/bad", "alive/dead", "autumn/winter" ... you get the idea.

I used the diagonal dark tree to act as the separator. I positioned myself so that this separator just kissed the side of the leaves. I shot as low as possible (practically sitting) to try to eliminate the green leaves in the bottom right corner and to get the trees to lean into each other. Yes, I did use a polarizer. But other than that, there has been no dodging/burning and no cloning.

When I first brought it up on my computer monitor, I was disappointed that the scene was not more powerful. Pretty but not powerful. As you have probably noticed by now, I like my images to be more on the simple side and this shot is a little too cluttered (especially on the right side).

And yes, I moved all around looking for other "angles". Imagine a steep wall of rock to my left front and a small stream already at my heels. There wasn't much else I could go....

...although there was one more place. I'll show it if I can get a few more comments Now how's that for baiting for a response!

[Loupey]

No games, here it is straight out of the camera.

Again, pretty but not powerful. You see that I still tried to incorporate the bare trees idea in the bare sky area.

Compositionally, it might work as a square image but I think it would lose too much of its vertical-ness. What do you all think now?

[Loupey]

Same day but different location.

Here is the same concept but instead of split side by side, it is split end to end.

Which of the three choices is the most interesting to you? I'd really like to know. Please comment.

[julsoph]

The last one you posted. That's my favorite...I love the yellow against the sky, and the dark dark trunk and branches against the yellow. To me, that one is the most striking.

Emily