Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: John R on June 30, 2009, 08:29:16 pm

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: John R on June 30, 2009, 08:29:16 pm

A BW conversion of an ornamental tree whose name I have yet to discover. Taken in High Park, Toronto.

JMR

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: Bill Caulfeild-Browne on June 30, 2009, 10:11:50 pm

Quote from: John R

A BW conversion of an ornamental tree whose name I have yet to discover. Taken in High Park, Toronto.

JMR

Very nice!
Bill

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on June 30, 2009, 11:07:52 pm

Yes, very!

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: wolfnowl on July 01, 2009, 02:00:54 am

Hard to tell from the image - looks like a cut leaf weeping birch.

Great work!

Mike.

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: francois on July 01, 2009, 05:42:58 am

I like the ethereal look of your tree, like something out of a dream, like a painting…

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: cmi on July 01, 2009, 05:48:42 am

For me its too mushy to appeal. Wants to be a glow but appears dull. Just my taste.

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: cmi on July 01, 2009, 05:49:49 am

But I like the idea.

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: JeffKohn on July 01, 2009, 12:40:00 pm

Beautiful shot. It has a very painterly quality to it; typically we see this sort of image in soft pastel colors, but your choice of monochrome here makes a very compelling image.

I wonder if Christian's "mushy" comment is a limitation of viewing small images on the web. I can't help but thinking a large print of this image would be even more striking.

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: jasonrandolph on July 01, 2009, 01:15:15 pm

It has a very Impressionistic feel to it.  To add intensity to that, instead of B&W, I would like to see a version with just the slightest amount of color.  But the image is effective as-is.

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: cmi on July 01, 2009, 02:13:50 pm

Quote from: JeffKohn

I wonder if Christian's "mushy" comment is a limitation of viewing small images on the web. I can't help but thinking a large print of this image would be even more striking.

Jeff, that might be possible! Especially with all these small details. In fact Im wondering what I am missing because of all these positive comments  Maybe Im not so trained in translating a screen view mentally to a print. ...anyway.

I like the view, and the idea of it shining, glowing, but this particular reincarnation is just a bit too flat for me wich makes me uncomfortable. I might feel different when printed, can't know.

Christian

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: John R on July 01, 2009, 11:53:13 pm

Wolfnowl, it may be a Willow, I would say an ornamental variety given that it is in a park near a garden. It certainly is not the Willow species we usually see. It's small, about 10 ft, that's it.

This shot is really an in-camera double exposure, according to my notes. As I said before, regarding such images, the purpose is to create and convey an impression and not be literal. I created a larger copy, if anyone is interested. Thanks for all the comments.

JMR

Edit- **Yep, Wolf nowl was right a weeping birch it is**

Title: Soft and wispy like a Willow
Post by: peteh on July 02, 2009, 12:27:40 am

Quote from: wolfnowl

Hard to tell from the image - looks like a cut leaf weeping birch.

Great work!

Mike.

Looks like a birch to me also.