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Author Topic: A tree along the path  (Read 4790 times)

giorussello

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A tree along the path
« on: October 03, 2006, 11:54:54 am »

Hi All,
I would be glad if some of you could spend
some time on commenting this picture of mine.

I took it during an excursion on the Dolomites, in Italy.

thank you.
gio

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wolfnowl

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A tree along the path
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2006, 01:42:07 pm »

Well, it's certainly 'in your face', but that's not necessarily a bad thing... I found my eye wandering around the picture looking for something to settle on because of the many differences in contrast, colour and texture... again, I believe that adds to the uniqueness of this shot.

My $0.02.


Mike.
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Sheldon N

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A tree along the path
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2006, 04:37:14 pm »

I like it as well. It's a little too rectangular for me, with a little bit of dead space at the bottom. I also think you could crop out the tree to the right.

I messed around with it in PS for a little bit, not sure if this is any better but might be an interesting alternate rendition.
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giorussello

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A tree along the path
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2006, 07:42:47 am »

Thanks to both of you for taking your time in criticizing this picture.

The comments are both relevant. My idea was to isolate the tree from the surrounding trees and having the bare rocks as background. However, I could not back up because I was already on the edge of a canyon and there were too many trees around it to take thepciture at a wider angle.

When I think about it now, I have the feeling that maybe I was too much in a rush. I don't know if it happens to you, but when I'm hiking I found more difficult to concentrate on the picture. In this particular trip, we were hiking for 5 hours, going from 800 meters up to 2400. I was tired of carring my backpack with the equipment. Plus, I have always the pressure to reach my destination on time.

I remember reading an essay by Alain Briot, about a friend of him who was photographing the Grand Canyon.  Alain said that his friend's pictures taken on the rim were always better than the ones taken when he was hiking inside the it. And this because on the rim he was more concentrated on the subject than on the trail.

But maybe this could be the topic of another post... Which is your approach to photography while hiking!

gio

wolfnowl

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A tree along the path
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2006, 02:48:16 pm »

Quote
But maybe this could be the topic of another post... Which is your approach to photography while hiking!

If find that I can only do one or the other.  I can bring a camera and take a few pictures while hiking, or I can go out to make photographs, but I can't really do photography while hiking.  There's too much difference in inention, in mindset, from before I leave the house.

Mike.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2006, 02:48:34 pm by wolfnowl »
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benInMA

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A tree along the path
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2006, 03:11:55 pm »

I think it all depends on how much time you have for hiking and photography.

If you don't have to be back home for work the next day you can do both at the same time quite well.   Just camp out for a month!

I like this image, I think the background/foreground is a bit busy for my taste though, and detracts from the tree as the main source of interest.  I know if it was my photo, I'd probably have picked it out as a good shot, but after more consideration I'm not sure I'd personally pick it as a top photo.

A shorter focal length to make the tree pop out a bit more might have made it work better for me.  (Though it may have been tougher to frame)
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giorussello

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A tree along the path
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2006, 04:12:20 pm »

Unfortunately, at the moment I live in London and not so close to the dolomites.
Last month I had the opportunity to spend for the first time a week wondering around the dolomites with my gilrfriend that was also my guide since she has been there for 4 years now. So my intention was to make the best out of that trip.

I have other pictures by which I tried to capture the beauty and wilderness of this range of alps. I'll post them very soon.

Thanks for your takes on this subject.

gio

NLund

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A tree along the path
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2006, 02:46:26 am »

Maybe it is the saturation of the rocks in the background that I find slightly distracting, though I do like the grasses around the tree in the foreground.

Q - Have you tried the photo as a BW conversion yet? I think it may have some potential.
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Ben Rubinstein

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A tree along the path
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2006, 05:17:45 am »

The compostion needs work I think, the tree is too central, the direction of the tree leans into the picture but then leads nowhere. How about cropping to the rule of thirds and maybe as an 8X10"? As it stands there are two pictures here, the rock and the flowing grass, a horizontal composition could have made use of both in a complimetary way, in portrait they clash.

I've made a crop and posted two versions, a colour with the rock slightly desaturated and a B&W with heavy red filtration to make the leaves stand out. No doubt someone more proficient at B&W conversions could do better.


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« Last Edit: October 11, 2006, 05:28:36 am by pom »
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