Seen in a backwater of a small pond on a hike in Lassen Park yesterday (12 miles, 'purt near killed me ). A branch reflection over dead branches under the water.
What technical feedback would you like if any? ### What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Any comments welcome, especially regarding contrast. I want a sense of mystery and detail in the underwater branches, but not so much detail that they are overwhelming in the frame.
Twelve mile hike! Good for you Bonnie . . . .and you still had enough energy to “hand hold” your camera and get this photo?? Personally, I like the composition, the fact that I can see just a bit of the tree in the water. The contrast works for me quite nicely. Great photo.
I really like this very much Bonnie. To me it looks like someone leaping over or across. There is heavy vignetting and I think that adds to the imagination of the scene. It helps you to try to not look for realism, if that makes any sense. I would actually experiment with the vignette to see if my theory holds. Very creative work, as always.
Oooh, now you’re going all Keith Carter on me! I love it. Great contrast and yet very dreamy- an almost nostalgic feel. This might do very well with a bit of sepia toning.
Bonnie! You are creating some very fine imagery. Most of what I’ve seen of yours is on Mr. Gordon’s site so I’m glad you’re sharing here as well. I love this! As someone else said the dream-like quality should be preserved. I love your treatment. A little bit of me wants to see a deeper black in the submerged logs, especially those in the lighter areas around the branch shadow. It was worth the 12 miles!!!
This is wonderful – a dancing tree!! It would be interesting to compare a version with the underwater darks a little darker in the lighter central area, and maybe a little darker vignette on the left and top.
Super well seen and rendered gorgeously, Bonnie. It looks like a triple exposure and boy how marvelous the layering is, different average tonality on every layer.
There were suggestions to bring out more darks in the lighter areas, so I gave that a go by adjusting my b&w conversion. That darkened it a bit overall, which I think works well.
Kerry - I wasn’t thinking of Carter, but you’re right - this has that vibe. I also adjusted the toning. There was a bit of warm toning in the darks of the OP; I undid that, and added a bit of sepia. Perhaps not as much as you would do, but it’s definitely warmer now.
Bruce - yes, I’m here, too! Took your suggestion to bring out more darks. And I have to say, this was early on in the hike (maybe 3 miles ); would not have happened at 9 miles - ha ha.
I do like the toning in the rework but, honestly, Bonnie, I much prefer the less clear more faded feel of the background in the first version. I feel that people often get too hung up on having everything nice and clear. I just don’t think everything always needs to be seen with perfect clarity. I loved your first version for its dreamy mystery, which, I believe, is less so in the rework.
Marylynne, I don’t have relatives from MD or WV (parents from NE and TN). I’m not sure where I picked up that expression; it’s one of those things that seems common to me, but it’s probably not these days.
Great image, Bonnie. I particularly like the composition and monochromatic presentation. The branch cuts a very interesting line through the frame and partitions the frame into 3 interesting proportions. I also like the layering of the subsurface elements. Your rework has great light values.
Bonnie, I’m loving the artistic power that you’ve got here. I like the details and depth in the original, while the extra drama in the rework gives more of a sense of foreboding. Either of these would make a great cover for a sci-fi book and I’m sure that rotating so the reflection is vertical would work well also.
This is simply incredible. It’s oozing with creativity, originality and mystery. For me, I like the original as well because of that mystery - there’s just enough emphasis missing on the underneath to give it great mystery. Where as the rework, more emphasis is on what lies beneath and I think takes away the mystery.
). A branch reflection over dead branches under the water.