This is a detail of a most characterful tree along a back road in Mendocino County (northern California). It’s difficult to get a good angle on the entire tree and rock, so I went for the small scene (I will keep trying on the whole tree - one of these days I’ll make a decent picture of it).
This really seems deserving of a haiku, so I’ll try:
Ephemeral limbs,
Solid body of the earth -
Together complete.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any comments welcome.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
a7r3, 82mm, f/11, 1/320s, ISO 400
Bonnie, this photo is gorgeous, I really enjoy the abstract nature of the image. The tree branches really pull your eye into the photo and the post-processing is very well done. The image feels like a well-crafted painting.
I like the way you’ve put the shapes of the two very different things together. The curve of the branches follows the rock and the two couldn’t be more different. The blank sky makes a great background for the subjects to stand out. Terrific little scene!
Your work never ceases to amaze me. I’m trying so hard to find and make the upper half of the image a reflection in water… it is, right?
Really though, wonderful vision to put this one together. Wondering what is to the right that you either cropped out, or excluded? Don’t get me wrong, really enjoying what you’ve presented here; just think there’s more to that rock - which is fascinating by itself with I’m assuming lichens and such.
Just a great juxtaposition of elements and everything fitting together so well. Beautifully seen and presented.
A really nice image Bonnie, the composition is so nicely balanced, and obviously well thought out. I’m a big fan of lichen covered rocks, and this one is wonderful. I think you included just the right amount of limbs so as not to overwhelm the rock. The other thin that I like about this image is the contrast between a sense of upward movement (rock) and downward movement (tree). That just works so well together.
Wonderful shot, Bonnie. I agree with most everything already mentioned, but one thing I really enjoy is how the downward branches/vines mimic the rock in shape (shorts branches where the rock is tall, long branches where the rock is short or non-existent. Superb composition.
Too funny! I too was sure when I first looked that the upper part was a reflection. Wonderful the way it messes with my brain, which I find is true for many of your images.
It’s been a few days and this image has grown on me. Ying and Yang is an appropriate title. Soft vs hard. Graceful vs Blunt. Gentle vs Severe. There are numerous possible comparisons. But these all work on an intellectual level. The branches themselves have an emotional appeal though for me. The image itself has a graphic quality without a sense of 3 dimensionality. I’ve tried to improve the composition but cannot. Does it look as thought the rock is looking upwards with a big smile on it face?
Bonnie,
This image knocked the wind out of me. I’m not good at describing emotions, but I have a crush on this photo. The simplicity, balance, mystery, delicacy. Perfectly composed. Poetry? Yes! I could go on and on, but my heart aches so.
