Coils of Bark

[Bob_B]

I have been working to improve my B/W processing, with mixed results. Is this a keeper? Any suggestions for improvement? Thanks for taking a look.

[pcgpcg]

Is this a keeper? Any suggestions for improvement?

Yes, Bob, a keeper!  I suggest cropping out the top 1/4 of the image and see if that simplifies things a bit. I like things simpler and less cluttered and that would clean up the composition quite a bit I think, but others may disagree.

[Paulo Bizarro]

I like the textures, but to my eyes the highlights are a bit "aggressive". Perhaps it was shot with somewhat direct sunlight?

[Bob_B]

@Paul, re: cropping - I struggled with the composition for quite some time. Maybe cropping a bit off the top will help. Thanks.

@Paulo, highlights: The photo was taken about 2 hours before sunset, with a hazy sun (to the left) shining on the bark coils that had an almost metallic shine. Indeed, I made several efforts to bring the highlights down on the coils, but the result was a rather muddy image imho. So, instead, I dodged and burned to emphasize them. Too much? Probably. I'll take a fresh look at this photo later tonight and see if I can come up with something better.

Thanks to both of you for your time and thoughtful insights. I appreciate them.

[thierrylegros396]

I like the textures, but to my eyes the highlights are a bit "aggressive". Perhaps it was shot with somewhat direct sunlight?

I would tame the upper coil.

Have a Nice Day.

Thierry

[Walt Roycraft]

Just a quick crop and highlight adjustment. I felt there was to much non essential information surrounding the more interesting center of the image.

[Bob_B]

Thanks Walt. Nicely simplified and improved. I greatly appreciate your help.