Deep Shadow Road

[Todd Suttles]

Still practicing my PP. Any comments, suggestions would be apprecaited

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

I think the highlights should be more... how shall i say... highlight-y? Otherwise, nice image and processing.

[luxborealis]

Dramatic lighting, but as Slobodan said - highlights need to be raised. As well, try cropping in from th left taking off left-hand two trees. The trees aren't the problem, but with cropping in there appears to be better balance.

[Todd Suttles]

Good suggestions guys, Thanks!  Better?

[Bruce Cox]

Good suggestions guys, Thanks!  Better?

They seemed like good suggestions to me too.  The second version is not better, however. 

The first version is more about the light revealing the lay of the land than it is about the trees.  The horizontal contures held it together.
 
When you flatten out the bright light the biggest tree and its shadow take over and do not play well with others.
If you are going to brighten the highlights I think you need to brighten the shadows as well.
Maybe restart with the raw file.  It is worth working on.  I like the lay of the land.

Bruce

[Bruce Cox]

And crop down the middle of the first little tree to the left rather than the second.  Croping at the second crops the big tree on its side and brings it forward to the picture plane and separates it from the other trees.

[Todd Suttles]

They seemed like good suggestions to me too.  The second version is not better, however. 

The first version is more about the light revealing the lay of the land than it is about the trees.  The horizontal contures held it together.
 
When you flatten out the bright light the biggest tree and its shadow take over and do not play well with others.
If you are going to brighten the highlights I think you need to brighten the shadows as well.
Maybe restart with the raw file.  It is worth working on.  I like the lay of the land.

Bruce

another:

[Todd Suttles]

And crop down the middle of the first little tree to the left rather than the second.  Croping at the second crops the big tree on its side and brings it forward to the picture plane and separates it from the other trees.

another:
(I think I like this one best of all)?

[Bruce Cox]

another:
(I think I like this one best of all)?

Nice

[brandtb]

Todd - I think your third is the best of them all...will pm some additional  /Brandt

[muntanela]

I'm  perplexed about the brightness of the trunks, it looks unnatural with the light coming from back and with the upper half of the trunks of a deep black.

[sdwilsonsct]

I'm  perplexed about the brightness of the trunks, it looks unnatural with the light coming from back and with the upper half of the trunks of a deep black.

Me too. Easy to address.

[William Walker]

I'm  perplexed about the brightness of the trunks, it looks unnatural with the light coming from back and with the upper half of the trunks of a deep black.

My first thought...

[Todd Suttles]

Thanks guys!! I will start over. I see exactly what you mean and know what I did to create it. Will work on it tonight...
-t

[Todd Suttles]

Getting closer I think? Thanks to everyone who is helping me, waiting to hear back....
-t

[Colorwave]

Ding, ding, ding.  We have a winner.  Nice job, Todd.

[sdwilsonsct]

Better trunks.
But I would not have darkened the side edges of the image. The top and bottom have a reason to be dark, the sides don't. I like the treatment in the earlier versions better.
Nits aside, I like this a lot.

[Todd Suttles]

Better trunks.
But I would not have darkened the side edges of the image. The top and bottom have a reason to be dark, the sides don't. I like the treatment in the earlier versions better.
Nits aside, I like this a lot.

Very good point! I know I will like it better too. will change and re-post

[Todd Suttles]

Thanks everyone. Haven't been able to get to photography last couple days.... Life! will continue and post soon

[muntanela]

I think that the background should remain bright.

Something like this (perhaps with darker trunks)