Sea of Green

Gallery: LandscapePosted July 12, 2012612 views37 comments

Thank you very much for the feedback on the previous image. Very much appreciated.

This is a birch forest in south-central Alaska (about 50 miles north of the previous image location) that each summer had an amazing maze of devil's club. One summer morning a number of years ago, I was able to finally make an image of these huge leaves. Compared to the previous image, these leaves were of deeper, darker green and had veins that were much lighter in color, likely from these devil's club leaves being in the early summer while the previous were closer to autumn. Would appreciate your thoughts on this image.
4x5, 75mm, warm polarizer, Velvia. M1 scan, Tony Kuyper's masks and other techniques.

Large version attached as well.

Thanks.

Comments

37 comments

Comment posted by Edward Scott on July 12, 2012 at 7:53 PM

Fantastic image! I like everything about this one.

Registered on February 8, 2012, 22 Posts, 70 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on July 12, 2012 at 8:15 PM

I like the composition and perspective here, Vance. Those vibrant greens are nice too.

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on July 12, 2012 at 8:18 PM

Just wonderful! The large version of this is such a treat to enjoy. Great comp, beautiful light and such a wonderful feel. I love the detail this has, and that very foreground grass looks amazing. I love it...it makes me feel like I'm standing right there.

Nick bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Cross on July 12, 2012 at 8:25 PM

If you like green, this is the place to be. Green is said to be very calming and I can't disagree looking at this. Very nice color rendition, comp, and exposure. The only change I might make to to crop a bit off the top. A quick screen crop looked good to me. Got rid of a few bright spots which pulled my eyes away.

Registered on April 3, 2010, 271 Posts, 1342 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on July 12, 2012 at 9:22 PM

Amazing forest scene Vance. Gorgeously lush with a fantastic comp.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Yiming Hu on July 12, 2012 at 9:34 PM

Really gorgeous green! The colors are radiant. Love the details, and the contrast between the huge leaves and the fine grasses on the front. No nit.

Registered on April 28, 2011, 38 Posts, 733 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Hyman on July 12, 2012 at 10:05 PM

Vance, the greens are beautiful (this coming from green-starved eyes since I live in the desert ;^)
I like the symmetry; the image has a fine sense of dimensionality, and that lone flower adds a nice touch. I like the triangular element on which the image is based.
Best wishes,

Carol

Registered on January 18, 2007, 597 Posts, 8062 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Campisi on July 12, 2012 at 11:00 PM

Gorgeous greens Vance! Great perspective as well, my eye is led from front to back.

Registered on November 24, 2008, 304 Posts, 3211 Comments

Comment posted by Navin Sarma on July 13, 2012 at 12:28 AM

A calculated and masterful composition. I also really enjoy the sharpness from front to back, and the varied shapes from circles to triangles, to lines. This is a definite favorite from you!

Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Miller on July 13, 2012 at 1:05 AM

love the comp, this is just great.

Registered on May 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 322 Comments

Comment posted by Oleg Kuchorenko on July 13, 2012 at 3:53 AM

interesting comp ! I really love it ! Look very nice ! A specially this touch of yellow color in the meddle of foreground !

Registered on July 2, 2012, 9 Posts, 111 Comments

Comment posted by Serban Simboteleca on July 13, 2012 at 5:52 AM

I love the details and the deep green colors, Vance. It would work very well a detail (crop) where to keep only the big leaves and the first smaller leaves above them. The trees and leaves at the top are adding a bit of distraction.

Registered on March 17, 2011, 8 Posts, 67 Comments

Comment posted by Natalie Mikaels on July 13, 2012 at 7:43 AM

Very cool! I love the symmetry, and the balance between highlights and shadows is spot on. Well done!

Registered on November 3, 2011, 45 Posts, 181 Comments

Comment posted by Chad Merrell on July 13, 2012 at 8:34 AM

Beautiful greens and comp. I like it is great without a crop. For me I think that I might prefer it just a bit lighter.

Registered on July 8, 2010, 91 Posts, 304 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Roberts on July 13, 2012 at 9:23 AM

Very effective composition and technicals well handled. I've failed many times to effectively capture similar scenes when I've been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of greenery in the forest and simply can't convey it through photography. You did it here. Nicely done.

Registered on March 9, 2011, 69 Posts, 501 Comments

Comment posted by Jeremy Calow on July 13, 2012 at 9:25 AM

Really love this Vance! Great from front to back!!

Registered on November 8, 2007, 39 Posts, 363 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on July 13, 2012 at 10:42 AM

Allright, the book is still a good idea, but now I think a one man show at a fine art gallery is in order.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on July 13, 2012 at 10:48 AM

Subject and composition are perfect here, Vance. Another well captured image with the LF and Velvia.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on July 13, 2012 at 1:09 PM

Vance, the details in the foreground are stunning and keep my attention, while the background makes for a nice framing to my eye. Your image must be impressive as a large print.

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on July 13, 2012 at 2:56 PM

Awesome Vance! Wow, this really reveals the perspective on scale here of these plants. Love the strong composition which showcases these beautifully.

Just my own view as this is more of the personal choice side of things, but I think the shadows are a bit too bright, giving this almost a muddy look. You might think about a "shadow darks" or "dark darks" adjustment. Heck, even the Darks TP could work here. It's not a matter of trying to put the shadows back to black, but maybe I'm just saying dropping the darkest values for a tad more contrast in the vegetation. Just my .02.

A beautiful image worth perfecting!

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on July 13, 2012 at 3:59 PM

The comp here is very strong with the forest taking just a small role at the top. The green and all it's texture if fantastic. I remember those wispy green things at the bottom when I lived in Washington. Don know what they are, but they add a very nice and even frame around the bottom. Solid image as always.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Nathan Apodaca on July 13, 2012 at 5:30 PM

Stunning image! One to stare at for a day or two... I'd say the comp is what grabs my attention most (although the subject matter is already incredibly beautiful). I'd agree with Lon's suggestion on adding a bit more contrast to the shadows. Very cool find!

Registered on November 16, 2011, 67 Posts, 1127 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on July 13, 2012 at 6:36 PM

Looks like a huge green tongue that's about to lick me. Love the green monotone and all of the details in that first flower. Great shot!

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on July 13, 2012 at 6:59 PM

Way to cool, I really like how my eyes move through the image checking out the foliage. Excellent composition and the central yellow bloom with the tree line background really balance out the image, well seen and well done, the larger image was a pleasure to view.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on July 13, 2012 at 7:59 PM

Wonderful arrangement of the leaves here Vance. I love the way the light is centered on the fg leaves and how you've shown a little bit of the forest in the bg. Looks like a fabulous place to explore.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Gordon on July 13, 2012 at 8:05 PM

Beautiful comp and strong colour. Like this one a lot..

Registered on May 31, 2007, 224 Posts, 1490 Comments

Comment posted by Kent Mearig on July 14, 2012 at 2:08 AM

I don't think it's just me...but then again, nobody else has mentioned it. This is too green on my monitor. I'm ready to jump on board with very saturated greens in a forest like this, but I need something to balance them against, an "anchor" I've heard it called. Everything in this picture is getting pulled toward green, even the parts where you would hope to find a little break from it (from the scan?).

Besides that...I think the composition is wonderful just as it stands! And the vibrancy suits the subject.

Registered on September 4, 2006, 237 Posts, 4748 Comments

Comment posted by Karsten Wrobel on July 15, 2012 at 7:19 AM

agree with Kent about this being VERY green... the comp is outstanding and I really like those plants on the bottom which nicely complement the main subject...

Registered on November 1, 2008, 117 Posts, 851 Comments

Comment posted by Bruce King on July 15, 2012 at 12:30 PM

Nice shot Vance. The comp is stellar except for that lone branch sticking up out of the greenery in the ULC. But what'ya gonna do.

Registered on January 14, 2010, 276 Posts, 2212 Comments

Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on July 15, 2012 at 1:15 PM

Fantastic composition of all this greenery! I love how clean the foreground is.

Registered on December 19, 2008, 306 Posts, 4840 Comments

Comment posted by Pramod Viswanath on July 16, 2012 at 12:21 AM

Vance's signature! Foreground complements so well with the background trees! Almost feels like the same rich greens that we see here in the Western Ghats of India.. Beautiful image as usual.

Registered on December 4, 2008, 60 Posts, 697 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on July 16, 2012 at 1:22 AM

vance - this is an outstanding composition - virtually flawless. i have come back to the image time and again. the greens, however, disturb me and it would seem that there's a green cast?? I'd be inclined to experiment with the colours a little. nonetheless, i like this image immensely.

Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments

Comment posted by Anil Rao on July 17, 2012 at 1:21 AM

Outstanding!

Registered on November 15, 2003, 234 Posts, 4923 Comments

Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on July 17, 2012 at 1:57 PM

Wonderful composition Vance and I just love the sharp detail.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 474 Posts, 5555 Comments

Comment posted by Alex Noriega on July 17, 2012 at 7:09 PM

I love the composition here - you're really great with intimate scenes like this. I love the way the foreground spider-like plants and the background trees frame the main subject. Really interesting, perfect.

Registered on May 19, 2012, 80 Posts, 195 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on July 28, 2012 at 10:10 PM

One of the best shots of Devil's Club I've seen Vance.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Andrew Morrill on August 1, 2012 at 11:54 PM

I missed this one Vance - simply incredible composition. Love everything about it.

Registered on June 10, 2010, 51 Posts, 216 Comments