Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: 2x Tree  (Read 3162 times)

32BT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3095
    • Pictures
2x Tree
« on: May 11, 2012, 04:18:16 am »

Okay, given that we are in our infantile drawing period at these forums, and you are entitled to your graffiti on my pictures, I submit these images for your viewing and/or drawing pleasure.



Logged
Regards,
~ O ~
If you can stomach it: pictures

Chris Calohan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3509
  • Editing Allowed
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2012, 06:32:39 am »

I like the compostion of the second better than the first, though I'd be tempted to crop the sky a bit tighter and the right side a bit more to confine the tree as the predominate focal point.
Logged
If it Ain't Broke, Leave it Alone; if it is Broke, Fix it; if it's a Maybe, Play With it - Who Knows

francois

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13769
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2012, 08:03:55 am »

My favorite is #2. My eyes go directly to the tree, there's no distraction, background and sky have a low contrast that doesn't compete with the tree. The tree seems to be leaning to counter the gentle slope.
Logged
Francois

amolitor

  • Guest
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2012, 08:40:33 am »

The first is a has a very western feel to it, with the more dramatic clouds and only moderate negative space. The crop of the tree on the left almost works, but I find my eye wandering off left and wishing there was more tree there.

The second looks very asian, with the nearly flat sky, with just a few wispy lines, and the lone tree. Very simple and open, it feels about right to me. The image has space to breathe without descending to dullness. I prefer it.
Logged

32BT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3095
    • Pictures
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2012, 12:05:41 pm »

The second image had my preference as well. I ended up printing that one. I remember spending a lot of time struggling with that horizon. It is funny how easy it is to judge the horizon as "incorrect". Much like the perspective corrections we had in recent images here.

I vaguely recall cropping the tree in the first image because the branches on the far left weren't interesting or somehow blended with the horizon or something to that effect. I did like the opposition between the form of the tree and the form of the light area in the sky, and in addition, it does depict context for the tree and how it was formed.

 
Logged
Regards,
~ O ~
If you can stomach it: pictures

Slobodan Blagojevic

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 18090
  • When everyone thinks the same, nobody thinks
    • My website
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2012, 02:10:23 pm »

I do not see them as an either/or choice. Both are reasonably ok-ish in their own right. Having said that, my personal preference would be #1.

wolfnowl

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5824
    • M&M's Musings
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2012, 02:52:49 am »

I prefer the counterbalance between the darkness of the tree and the clouds in image #1, but am put off by the fact that the tree's been chopped off on the left side.

Mike.
Logged
If your mind is attuned t

RSL

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 16046
    • http://www.russ-lewis.com
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #7 on: May 12, 2012, 11:10:58 am »

I'm not especially taken with either one, but I agree with Mike that chopping off the left side of the tree killed what could have been a very good photograph in #1.
Logged
Russ Lewis  www.russ-lewis.com.

Timprov

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 19
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2012, 01:04:11 am »

I think there might be a crop closer to the trunk that would improve #1.  To me it's not chopping off the tree that's the problem, but that it's hard to see it as done on purpose, as that side of the tree is kind of messy.

I like the trees, skies, and horizons, but dislike the foregrounds as being neither interesting nor clean enough to ignore.
Logged

Dave (Isle of Skye)

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2514
  • I've even written a book about it
    • SkyePhotoGuide.com
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2012, 06:48:28 am »

I'm not especially taken with either one, but I agree with Mike that chopping off the left side of the tree killed what could have been a very good photograph in #1.

+1

I think cutting through the left of the tree in #1 totally kills the image. I have found from much experience that first you need to frame the shot to include (on a third if possible) the thing that made you want to shoot the scene in the first place, then having found your framing, spend a moment doing a visual 360 of the edges of the frame and if something crosses the edge, then make sure it is either all the way in or all the way out of the shot by zooming or changing your position, unless you have no choice of course and in which case, try to make it look like it is cropped half in/out intentionally.

Dave
Logged

32BT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3095
    • Pictures
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2012, 11:12:25 am »

...try to make it look like it is cropped half in/out intentionally.

Dave

It is cropped intentionally because otherwise it wouldn't juxtapose the bright area in the sky ldo. Plus specifically opting for a square format also limits the possibilities. Having said that, I am a fervent post-process-cropper, but unfortunately I don't have the original present, as it is backed up in storage. Would be interesting to know what was there to work with. I am fairly certain that the entire crown of the tree was available in the original shot.
Logged
Regards,
~ O ~
If you can stomach it: pictures

RSL

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 16046
    • http://www.russ-lewis.com
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2012, 12:53:17 pm »

Ah ha! You came a cropper because you cropped.
Logged
Russ Lewis  www.russ-lewis.com.

Riaan van Wyk

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 812
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2012, 01:17:12 pm »

I'm not taken by either of the two Oscar, sorry. The tree being, I assume, the focal point in this, does not have enough character to make the photos work for me.

32BT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3095
    • Pictures
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2012, 02:29:01 pm »

Ah ha! You came a cropper because you cropped.

Okay, okay, I admit it… guilty as charged. But I haven't reached that nirvana state yet where I promote getting it right in-camera because I simply have become either too old or too lazy or most likely a combination of both to pay adequate attention to post-processing.  ;)
Logged
Regards,
~ O ~
If you can stomach it: pictures

32BT

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3095
    • Pictures
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2012, 02:32:06 pm »

I'm not taken by either of the two Oscar, sorry. The tree being, I assume, the focal point in this, does not have enough character to make the photos work for me.

Or the tree does have character but I simply failed to properly capture it. Either way, never there is a reason to apologize in these threads. At least not in mine. You're entitled to your opinion, and you won't hurt my feelings as I am protected by the great wall of ignorance...
Logged
Regards,
~ O ~
If you can stomach it: pictures

RSL

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 16046
    • http://www.russ-lewis.com
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2012, 03:21:18 pm »

Okay, okay, I admit it… guilty as charged. But I haven't reached that nirvana state yet where I promote getting it right in-camera because I simply have become either too old or too lazy or most likely a combination of both to pay adequate attention to post-processing.  ;)

All cropping is post-processing, but not all post-processing is cropping. If you get it right in the first place post-processing almost never will involve cropping.
Logged
Russ Lewis  www.russ-lewis.com.

Jeremy Roussak

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8961
    • site
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2012, 06:39:08 pm »

All cropping is post-processing, but not all post-processing is cropping. If you get it right in the first place post-processing almost never will involve cropping.

"almost", Russ? Are you getting soft?

Jeremy
« Last Edit: May 16, 2012, 12:14:00 pm by kikashi »
Logged

RSL

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 16046
    • http://www.russ-lewis.com
Re: 2x Tree
« Reply #17 on: May 16, 2012, 03:15:34 pm »

Well, Jeremy, even HCB can't say "never" given "Behind the Gare st. Lazare" and "Cardinal Pacelli in Montmarte." But "never" always should be the objective.
Logged
Russ Lewis  www.russ-lewis.com.
Pages: [1]   Go Up