Island, Loch Assynt.
Normally I wouldn't care for that much haze in the background but it does what bokeh does, and weather does what weather does....
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R.G. wrote:
Normally I wouldn't care for that much haze in the background but it does what bokeh does, and weather does what weather does....
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I like the mood and subject.
Great capture of the mood!
John N
Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK
I think you've captured the solitude of North West Scotland quiet well. Whether I would have thought it at the time I won't know but I think I'd like to see it shot lower down so that the dead tree broke the mountains to the rear - or slightly higher so there was more mountain above the tree. And maybe a stopper to take the edge of the little ripples.
Just my twopenarth!
John N wrote:
I think you've captured the solitude of North West Scotland quiet well. Whether I would have thought it at the time I won't know but I think I'd like to see it shot lower down so that the dead tree broke the mountains to the rear - or slightly higher so there was more mountain above the tree. And maybe a stopper to take the edge of the little ripples.
Just my twopenarth!
Thank you for sharing your tuppenceworth, John. One of the compositions I looked at was exactly what you suggested. The trouble is, even when I got right down to the water's edge there was only a small portion of the branches breaking the horizon above the mountains and I didn't care for the look. I would have loved it if I could have gotten most of the tree against the sky or against bright water but that wasn't an option. At least the composition as shown has a tidiness to it and I spent some time getting into exactly the right position for it.
I believe I would bring up the lightness so that the brightest areas are making it to the end of the histogram for the additional contrast to the trees silhouette and the general appearance. Again I would try to gain a little more contrast between the tree and its background. Its almost black and white as it is but I would not push it in that direction. At least in my experience, a black and white with a condensed histogram just looks dull. Just a bit of contrast in the clouds would also help. I know you are very faithful to presenting as it actually was, but I think you have to do some enhancement.
fergmark wrote:
I believe I would bring up the lightness so that the brightest areas are making it to the end of the histogram for the additional contrast to the trees silhouette and the general appearance. Again I would try to gain a little more contrast between the tree and its background. Its almost black and white as it is but I would not push it in that direction. At least in my experience, a black and white with a condensed histogram just looks dull. Just a bit of contrast in the clouds would also help. I know you are very faithful to presenting as it actually was, but I think you have to do some enhancement.
I believe I would bring up the lightness so that t... (
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I would have to say I wasn't looking for the starkness that can make a B&W look good. It's a possibility with this shot but not what I had in mind. The mountains aren't ideal brightness-wise as far as the background goes but as I said earlier, the sky and bright water weren't available as options.
I could try to achieve a pure white, but the original scene probably didn't have a pure white since the lighting was flat. One of the things I liked about the scene as I saw it was the soft glow of the water. If I brightened it it would lose that softness.
I like the feel of these two pics. I just wish that the tree was not bulls-eyed right in the center.
Barry
I like the feel of these two pics. I just wish that the tree was not bulls-eyed right in the center.
Barry
bbrowner wrote:
I like the feel of these two pics. I just wish that the tree was not bulls-eyed right in the center.
Barry
Thanks for commenting, Barry. To my eye the young trees to the left of the main one add visual interest to the shot so I didn't want to lose any of them. I tried having less and more room to the right but didn't like either of those options. The large tree may be close to centre but the smaller trees on the left create a small amount of dynamic imbalance.
I hear you... and you're the boss! I would feel that the little low trees/bushes are definitely important. But the 4 little sticks popping out of the water are expendable.
Either way... I'd love to be there to see it all myself.
Thanks
Barry
Now that I have fooled around with it more, I arrived at another version which essentially lightened the shade of the mountain just a bit, which is what you have done in the almost B/W version except that I slightly increased the saturation. I do believe this one is an improvement just for the tree silhouette, which is kind of important. I enjoy the subtle approach. Most appropriate with your photos.
bbrowner wrote:
....Either way... I'd love to be there to see it all myself.....
If that's how it left you feeling then it's "mission accomplished".
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