4 Seasons of the Tidal Basin

[MB1]

Obviously this is a project I have had in mind for some time.....Do you think these 4 photos say Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter? Do they work together?

Of course right now the only one I could reshoot is Summer but given time I could redo them all.

[Yoyo Szeto]

Hi MB,
A very good series! They do depict the seasonal changes. You must have spent a long time in this series. I especially like the colourful elements in the shot. I especially like photo 3. The birds add a lot to the shot; they also give an indication of the seaon. Well done!
yoyo

[reverberation]

Generally I avoid mirroring because I feel it distracts from the shot by drawing the eye back and forth between the image and mirrored image. Shot #3 partially avoids this because not all the birds are mirrored and the coloring of the monument and viewers right of the monument is strong enough to draw the eye. I still feel the mirrored image of the tree branch distracts and does not add to the shot. I would try rippling the water or diffusing the lower half of the shot with a gradient filter to break up the distraction. I love the idea and feel these work well together. I added this bit after looking at the shots. Summer is especially nice in the softness of the reflected image. I would go just past this amount of diffusion.

[Frog]

I think #3 could be winter or fall as there are no fall leaves. However, I do like the shot except for the monument color just seems out of place even though it is probably true to life. I like #1 except for the jet contrail....call up and cancel all the flights when you're going to shoot...ha ha.

[Greg McCary]

I think I have seen a couple of these before. #2 really stands out to me. Did you flash fill the tree? It really is a great shot. Well framed and exposed.

[MB1]

I think I have seen a couple of these before. #2 really stands out to me. Did you flash fill the tree? It really is a great shot. Well framed and exposed.

That is the one that concerns me the most since the Washington Monument is so much larger than it is in the other images so I was thinking that this one might not fit with the others very well.

Yes BTW I have posted at least the fall here before. As I noted I have been working and thinking about this set for quite some time now.

[MB1]

..... I like #1 except for the jet contrail....call up and cancel all the flights when you're going to shoot...ha ha.

I'll try to remember that next spring. :thumbsup:

[Greg McCary]

I see what you mean. Now would be the right time to get another summer time picture. But what a great shot. Could you get one of the basin curve going to the left and not the right?

[readingr]

MB,

I like all of these - as a set they seem incomplete - I can't explain why perhaps its #2 throwing me off because of the size of the monument - perhaps if you had some with small and some with large or all the same size.

Roger

[JFischer]

Lovely series. I especially like the first and last images.. The range of colours in both is beautiful and I feel they contrast each other well - i.e. The fullness of the blossoms on the trees in spring, compared to the bare-branched trees in winter.

I can tell you've put a lot of time into this series . Personally, I'd like to see the other two shots from the same place as number one and four were taken.. I realise this might make the series more 'boring' (given it'd be four shots from the same place!).. But I feel it'd draw the viewer's attention to the subtle (or not so subtle!) differences between each season's image - in particular, the way the trees / treeline differs in each.

Overall, though, a beautiful and thoughtful set .

J

[gahspidy]

These are lovely shots and the colors are a treat. I think the fact that the monument is in different parts of the frame in every shots allows the larger monument in #2 to be allowed.
I agree with your assesment of #3 as exactly mirrored reflections can be distracting but in this the birds definetly break that up.

[Coastal Flyer]

MB,

First, congrats on the wonderful series. This obvioulsy was something you gave considerable time and thought. Second, what I like about the series is the different size/perspective of the Washington Monument. You have shown the Tidal Basin throughout the year but varied the scene at the same time. I think each image fits both the series and stands alone if necessary.

Well done and again, congratulations on a fine project.

CF

[mtbbrian]

I think that the composition of photograph #2 is the least strong.
With the others you have a strong line, and I think if you are going to do something like this, you need to have some continuity.
Plus the fill flash on the leaves is too much.
Great series otherwise!
Way to hang in there on sucha long term project!
:thumbsup:
Brian