Original:
Rework:
At the lower melting edge of a snowbank at 11,000 feet in the Snowy Range of Wyoming, the vegetation was only beginning to revive in July following winter’s dormancy. Low against the ground was this tangle of stringy vegetation that mesmerized me.
Is this a composite: No
Nikon D610
70-300mm @ 70mm
ISO 100
f/13
0.4 sec
Matt, I commend you for being able to see a scene like this and have the vision of turning it into an image that works well like this. I would just walk past through the vegetation. B&W treatment works really well here, not only because it accentuates the shape and texture, but it makes the strong vignette work. I think we are less attached to “what/how it looks like in real life” in B&W.
Only as a matter of nitpicking, I would burn just ever so slightly the brighter lines at the very bottom edge of the image. Otherwise, this is a very very pleasant image to look at: Order in chaos.
Thank you, @Adhika_Lie. I agree that B&W removes the need for representation in landscape photography, or perhaps any photography, because a B&W world is not real and is therefore an abstraction.
With this on my mind in the field I am able to focus my vision on more fundamental artistic elements of shape, line, texture, form, etc.
The last piece is to interpret the scene by processing the image to fulfill my vision to communicate my genuine sense of wonder for the phenomena and processes of the natural world.
Your observation of Order in Chaos is indeed true of the natural world and is a running theme of my photography, for sure. Thanks for expressing that.
That one circular hole does hold the image together well. It really is a suggestive image. There is a bright area next to the ‘hole’ where I would darken the space because it does draw the eye.
Matt, great eye to see this. Perfect subject for B&W. The shapes here sort of remind me of curls of smoke. My only suggested tweak would be to darken the dark tone in the URC to make it more similar in contrast to the other three corners. Nicely seen and executed.
This is a wonderfully intriguing abstract Matt. Reminds me of smoke as well.
@Igor_Doncov, @Ed_McGuirk, @Eva_McDermott, Thank you for your compliments and critiques. I enjoy hearing how others interpret my images for themselves, and your interpretation as smoke was new to me.
Rework is posted to balance values and crop.
I like that analogy.
The crop works well for me.
@Matt_Lancaster, Wow, what a cool image! And like someone said, the fact that you saw this when I would have just walked by. I think this is the very definition of “contemplative photography”! I was reminded of some kind of tangled neural network…nerves going every which way.
Fantastic image!
What a compelling image. Very mysterious. I kept looking at it trying to figure out what I was seeing. BW is very effective for this photo. I do like the rework better.
@Mark_Muller, @Chris_Baird, Thank you. I’m pleased that you also had your own interpretation. Success!!
Matt, I think your repost is a very good image. The wriggling branches make up an intriguing pattern, and the improvements suggested by others increase the impression. It is also a very good choice to render the image in B&W. Zooming in, it looks like there are still ice and snow on the ground?
Like the rework Matt, it’s a nice improvement.
@Ola_Jovall, Thanks - yes, you see correctly that there is ice binding much of this vegetation together. The snow at this spot had only recently melted away and the ground was still very wet each day since this spot was downhill from the remaining snow several feet thick that was still to melt. The ice you see formed under freezing temperatures overnight and was probably different each morning.
To me, these are the details of natural processes that are great subjects and tell the story of how landscapes form at all scales of time.
Late to the party here, but this is quite well seen. I like the tighter crop on the rework.
