This is an image I made recently on a somewhat rare foggy summer morning in my area (SW Missouri). This is a grove of trees down the road from our house; I’m pretty sure the owner keeps the underbrush down to use for hunting in the fall. The aspect that caught my eye here was how the clearing in the middle of this grove leads back to the tree that leans opposite way to most of the rest of the trees. The trees are all relatively young, hence the name. The conditions and summer growth lent to a pretty minimal color palette. I tried to dial back the color cast from all the greenery; hopefully that comes through.
Specific Feedback Requested:
Any and all are appreciated.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites)
No
If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.
Wow! I really love this image, Adam! The fog gives it a soft, magical look. It almost looks like a painting. And I agree the leaning tree in the clearing does add some more dimension and interest to the whole scene. Beautifully captured!
I agree with Vanessa about the image having a painterly look. It’s very appealing. The variety of different grasses and herbage also adds a lot to the appeal. And, you’ve really nailed the composition. My eyes search around the vine-covered trees and then settle on the leaning tree in the background. I may have walked right past this scene without a second look. I’m sure glad you took the time.
Absolutely love this image. At first I thought this might be one of @Ed_McGuirk’s because he does so much with fog. There are a lot of subtle parts to this image which help make it. At the very bottom the row of flower act as a frame and welcome you into the scene. Further on come very distinct plants that are almost a platform to the stage. And finally we reach our destination with that friendly meadow. Meanwhile the trees rise like sentinels around this paradise. It’s a very romantic image where nature is treated as one would feel in a cathedral of worship. The only mark on this heavenly scene is the dark upper left corner, but I wouldn’t do anything about it.
Really beautiful work Adam. A lot of viewers like fog for the atmosphere and mood it creates. But I also like using fog to create a sense of depth, and contrast between near/far and sharp/soft. And you have done an excellent job of using fog for that purpose here. The arrangement of the trees places emphasis on that distant tree in the center, and the fog enhances that near/far look even more. The distant view down the center of the image is just wonderful.
The only minor nitpick I have is the ULC as raised by @Igor_Doncov. I would consider a crop from the top to lessen the ULC’s visual weight. A scroll crop of the top seems to work well for me.
This is excellent, Adam! I love the atmosphere, and the comp is excellent. You have placed the trees so well, almost none of them overlap. I wonder if it is possible to lighten up the ULC to remedy what others have called attention to. The other thing I noticed is the couple white flowers in the LRC that look like they were blowing in the breeze. It might help to clone those two out. Any suggested edits to this are minor, because this is excellent.
This is flat out gorgeous, Adam. The fog is magical and softens this woodland scene imparting a lovely sense of depth. I agree with @Ed_McGuirk about a small crop from the top to reduce the weight of the ULC just a bit. My only other suggestion would be to clone out a few of the blurred white flowers in the LRC as they catch my eye a little. I am really enjoying this wonderful scene.
I cropped out some of the canopy in the ULC and agree it draws the eye much less. I liked Craig’s idea to lighten the area. I reduced the vignette in that area and like how that reduces the draw to that area. After I let this one marinate for a bit, I might stick with the lightening strategy rather than the bit of cropping I also applied.
As for the flowers in the foreground, I go back and forth. It was dead still that morning; the flowers were in an OOF area of the image. The clearing I was standing in was at the side of the road and probably extends 100-150 ft/30-50 m to the first trees. This image was made at 100 mm at f/9, and it was impossible to get all of it into focus without stacking it. I like the OOF area to draw the eye in, but I do agree that some of the larger Queen Ann’s Lace are eye catching and benefit from being cloned out.
Here’s where I’ve settled for now. Thanks again all!
