Yesterday decided to get into the woods after some heavy rain. This little unnamed brook was running as high and fast as I’ve ever seen it and since I’ve never shot it at this time of year, decided to give it a go. Recent thunderstorms have brought many more trees down along its course, but some little sections are still clear.
Despite the intense humidity, I felt at peace here. Overhead in the eagle tree I could hear this year’s fledgling yelling its head off. I encountered lots of frogs along my walk and a couple chipmunks. Birdsong never ceased. It might not be the world’s most exciting landscape, but I love it for its ability to bring me a nature fix without driving a long way from the house. As a matter of fact right from my backyard, I could paddle to the point that this brook meets the Wisconsin which is just a couple hundred feet further to the right. I can’t imaging leaving the North Woods.
Specific Feedback Requested
I don’t know…is it too boring? Too unspecial? Is that even a word?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Tripod set quite low, CPL on lens.
Lr for a 2:3 crop eliminating some of the open woods at the back. A little lens correction, sharpening, texture & reduced the greens a bit. They were overwhelming. Lots of brush work and a radial filter to keep eyes where I want them. Photoshop to remove some distractions by cloning and healing brush.
I like the thought that went into constructing this image. You start with the rock and wind your way through the image. I also like how we go from dark to light in the process. I feel the rock is an important part of the image. Therefore I would dodge the rock slightly and saturate it some.
This is quite a lovely forest scene, Kris. The image is definitely not boring to me as I find it serene and relaxing. I like the graceful curve of the stream as it draws me into this lush green woodland scene and your chosen SS has created that bit of whitewater and the implied motion. My only suggestion would be to clone out that one bright fallen limb hanging on the stream bank toward the right side. I am really enjoying this and the good thing is that it is close to home.
Thanks so much @Igor_Doncov, @Ed_Lowe & @Ben_van_der_Sande - I haven’t done any serious landscape work since June and felt a little rusty. It all comes back though and I did spend time figuring the way into this scene. It feels so nice to have it recognized.
What I didn’t recognize is how important that rock is, Igor so I’ve put a new image up with some additional exposure there. I also cleaned the banks up some. Maybe I got a little carried away, but it doesn’t look too “groomed” to me.
Kris, the repost is awesome. As others have said, it’s clear that a lot of thought and eye went into this composition. I’m reminded of the nice lush streams here in the Pacific Northwest. Peace is the key word here.
Lately I think we’ve been getting more rain up this way than anywhere else in the country. Today more showers on the way and so our little waterways are flowing beautifully. The big ones never really slow down.
In Massachusetts we had set an all time rainfall record for the entire month of July by about July 20. And then it rained some more. It has been stream and waterfall heaven for me this summer, I’ve shot so many of them I haven’t been able to keep up with the processing.
This image has a beautiful S-curve, it’s not often that you get such a nice one in real life that has such a clean, open view. I also like how you chose to minimize the trees to instead emphasize the stream and the ferns, good call. Dodging the rock definitely takes this up a notch. My only incremental nitpick would be to clone away or burn down the stick near the midpoint of the right edge. It’s a real nitpick I know, but edges are a fixation of mine.
A gorgeous scene, Kris. I like your composition very much and the color is very vivid but not overdone. I like your cloning of the branch on the right side of the stream, but the other smaller branches aren’t bothersome before the cloning, but cloning doesn’t hurt either.
Thanks, @Bill_Chambers - once you start cloning it’s hard to stop sometimes. I may go back & remove @Ed_McGuirk’s nit, but I don’t want it to look too clean. It is the woods after all and we have had ripping thunderstorms and a tornado this season so…it’s messy.
Kristen, This is just a wonderful image for me. I love the quiet and peaceful feel it has. The composition is very well thought out and you did nice work processing it. I also like the bit of clean up work. it’s a place I would quite enjoy.
