Apparitions II

The mood here is just awesome. I love the conditions oyu've had here. Beautiful color contrast and I like hoew you composed this scene. Well done

Morris,

Wow, that fog sure did create some great opportunities for you - this is another killer aspen-in-the-fog image. I really like the spacious arrangement of trunks and fall color. And the bend in the trunks is quite unusual and I think very effective in this capture.

I really enjoy this image as presented, but how can I leave a comment without suggesting a crop? I'm not sure if this would be a better alternative actually, but something about the long, narrow format seems to tall for me - despite being very appropriate for such a tall subject. But what about an alternate where you crop down from the top to eliminate the open space of fog in both corners. Oh wait, that leaves a very nice 4:5 ratio.... no wonder I like it! If anything, if you wanted a standard say 16x20 print, I think the crop would work and you would still have a great image. Otherwise, keep it just the way you've got it.

Lon

This looks great, Morris. I like how the foreground aspen leaves stand out against the dark forrest floor and evergreen trees. I think with the ability that we have to recover shadow detail sometimes we try to pull too much detail out of scenes and lose some of the expressive nature that contrast can bring. I like how you have presented this as it adds to the emotional impact of the scene. I also like the way that the trees seem to be leaning as if in unison.

Great transition from shadow to light for me, and interestingly supported by the incline of the trees. A very impressive capture for me.

Peter

Too sweet Morris, love the curve of the Aspen, the beautiful fall colors and the misty bg, a real beauty for sure.
John

I thought the thumbnail was stunning but the large version is heartstopping! this is so nice in so many ways....the sweep of the aspen trunks, the mood of the fog, the rich, vibrant foliage...taken together it's one amazing image. Kudos

Love that bend in the trunks Morris, very unusual. I might like this one even better than your last!

I like everything in this, except the bow in the trees. Was this optical, or did they occur that way?

Beautiful. This looks better for me like other first from last week.Fog and colors are great

A very good find and well composed, Morris. I like the mystical mood and the golden color.

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Philip, this is natural, not distortion. The bowing boles is what drew me to this comp. Strange to see them growing this way, and I'm not sure whether it is wind or soil causing the curves. There were leaning trees in this same area, and that shot might be my next post. Thanks.

Loving the colors here Morris, and their interplay with the trunks in the fog. I tend to agree with Lon. I see a tighter comp with the brighter sky cropped, focusing on the lower 2/3 of this image. Nontheless, this is a great capture!

I like it. Just curious as to the focal length; if it's ultra-wide, could be a bit of barrel distortion, but that can work; I showed my wife this and she loves it; the colors, the mist

To me, it does have a slightly left-leaning feel in that the trees on the left side are straight, but the ones on the right are not, an appearence that increases with increasing altitude.

Beautifully composed; like the graceful curve fading into the fog.

Another beautiful image, Morris. The mood of this is wonderful and I think the curve of the aspens even adds more to it. Excellent just as you have it here, but I also like Lon's crop idea with this while doing a scroll crop. Beautiful Work!!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Don't tell me there's a #3 to this series?!! This image stands out to me, especially seeing that there is a dramatic bend in these trees. Something I've never seen before. It must be exciting that you were able to capture it in very unique atmospheric conditions, or not so common at least. I can see how different crops are options, but don't think any are necessary, IMO. One other thing that makes this image what it is, is that it is not, at all, cluttered in any way. From the fg to the bg, there is nothing but beautiful subjects to look at. The large version made this fully possible to enjoy...

Morris: There was a time when I thought aspen shots would have to be easy. How wrong I was! This is excellent, especially the disappearing tops. Most excellent. >=))>

Fantastic sense of movement and balance.

This is wicked(good)! I like Lon's suggestion, and think that would be very nice as a completely different image. This comp here works because it's so unusual to see the sky included in a foggy tree trunk image. The bowing aspen then work to perfection adding yet another unusual aspect to the whole.

Chris

I am definitely digging the fog shots with my favorite subject :) The curves of the trees are sublime, almost as much as the fog. I think a crop off the top, as I see Lon suggested, is where this one really takes off. Love the atmosphere, Morris!

Very nice as presented. Great fog and as noted the bend in the trees puts this over-the-top! Love the tones as well.

Great image. I like the title as well, as it makes me feel the ghostly sense of autumn.

Fog has a way of producing a more artistic image and pares the image down to its simplest form. These last two images you have posted are very exceptional Morris. I love how the white trees are so subtle against a foggy background. Nicely done!

Real cool, Morris! I prefer the first one, but they're all super...

Sorry I am a little late, but I wasn't near a computer all weekend. This fantastic, Morris. Even better than the last one, IMO. I like it as is, but I also like cropping this from the top as others have suggested. That was my initial thought before I read any comments.

What really stands out for me is the way you have handled the subtle color and soft light to create a natural feel throughout the scene. The unusual lean to the trunks keeps pulling me back to search for visual clues. SWEET!!!

The arcing aspens feel like they're taking off. What great conditions with the glowing foliage down low and the clouds obscuring the tree tops. Great shots, all.

Like this even better than the first in the series. And that's saying something... it is very special, especially the curved aspens.

Beautiful image Morris, love the effect the fog had on the color and perspective. I've never seen aspens bent like this, fascinating!

Absolutely Ethereal. The bending of the trees adds so much drama