Fallen Hero Repost

This is thought-provoking, especially in B&W where the absence of color helps to focus the mind upon the forms and pure dynamic range.

What is immediately apparent in the composition is the counterpoint between the weathered rock and the dead tree. This is then mediated by the water in which the form of the rock is reflected in a constantly changing image due to the waves on the water's surface.

Just visually, I like the overall diagonal on this going from the lower right corner upwards towards the upper left, a line picked up by both the branches of the tree and the horizon line of the rock against the brightest portion which is in the sky about centered; this is where the eye goes first and then interprets the rest from there.

But getting back to the counterpoint, if we imagine a movie that goes back in time to when the tree was just a seed, and then fast forward that until the present moment, we would see a lot happening in the water, of course, but probably very little happening with the rock.

Yet if we look carefully at the rock, it's clear that its countenance is carved over time by the elements; wind and water, namely; probably mostly water as it freezes and thaws and also how it probably washed over the rock in the past.

So in terms of impermanence, then, we have three levels shown in the order of water > tree > rock. (And I many have forgotten the clouds but they are not really one of the three subjects here). And so everything, even the rock, has a beginning and an end, or so it seems to our minds: It is our minds which divide experience into discrete things and events and then using those attributions, which can be regarded as somewhat arbitrary ultimaly, the mind sees birth and death.

That is my take-away from this image.

Two very nice images, I prefer this one. It really shows the jagged edges of the trees with the calm water in the background. A very serene image.

Ray

Since your original color image was somewhat lacking in much color contrast, I think this works work well with B&W procesing. The interesting shapes and textures become more what is noticed instead of being distracted by the colors. I don't do much B&W processing but I think this could also have more contrast--maybe more black to white in the spectrum rather than shades of gray. Even so, I do think I like this version better.

Did you know you can add a repost of an image to your original image comment stream? Go to the choose file box under the comment box and post your repost. Can't add larger version though.