Tree vs plant textures + additions

Gallery: FloraPosted December 14, 201358 views17 comments

I was intrigued by this particular plant growing from this tree. I happen to look out of my kitchen window and most everything was in the shade with the exception of this small portion of the tree and the plant. As I examined the scene, I was intrigued by the juxtaposition of the smooth textures and coloration of the plant versus the rough textures and dark color of the tree's trunk. I took various versions including the inclusion of a purple flower in the lower right of the scene, made a black and white copy which I liked, but then decided on this one. This is probably one of those shots of which only the photographer will see any value, but I am still learning and experimenting.

Canon 70D, Canon 100-400 L lens at 120mm, f5.0, 1/640, ISO 100

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on December 14, 2013 at 2:57 PM

Sandy: Well seen and captured. If you have a polarizer this is the kind of lighting where it can really make a difference by cutting the sheen on the leaves and saturating their color even more. I would also crop this from the left to make all of the fencing go away and fill the frame with the trunk. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 14, 2013 at 3:06 PM

Thanks so much for the input Bill. I'm curious as to your take on this one which is the same shot that I cropped more the way you suggested, but included a flower at the bottom which I thought perhaps added another element of contrast to the scene.

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 14, 2013 at 3:08 PM

And Bill, let me take more advantage of your expertise. I just cropped the original to get the fence out and wanted to see what you think overall. Thanks for your time!!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on December 14, 2013 at 6:50 PM

Sandy: The second repost is right on the money. As for the first repost it really doesn't work all that well for a couple of reasons. Putting elements in the corners is usually a poor choice as it pulls the eye out of the frame and in this particular instance there's not enough of the flower to really recognize it as such. The leaves in the ULC are also kind of tight and need a bit more room. Hope this helps. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 14, 2013 at 6:59 PM

Thanks Bill, that was my instinct and my reason for going without the flower. When I first shot it, I thought the different color added to it, but your points are dead on and help me to continue my quest to think like a real photographer! I appreciate your time!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on December 14, 2013 at 7:06 PM

Nice use of spotlighting and I like the contrasts in textures and colors.

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

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 14, 2013 at 7:11 PM

Thank you Morris, I appreciate you looking!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Miro Susta on December 15, 2013 at 5:31 AM

Hi Sandy, before I've seen the other comments and variations my intention to suggest cropping as you did in third photo. This one is as I would like to see it. Perfect, well done.

Registered on August 18, 2006, 719 Posts, 3736 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 15, 2013 at 7:54 AM

Thanks Miro - this is a great place to get a good photographic education!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by James Avore on December 16, 2013 at 4:35 PM

I love the tree and the textures. Would like to do similar.

Registered on November 25, 2013, 6 Posts, 1 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 16, 2013 at 4:40 PM

Thanks James - the juxtaposition of the different textures is what drew me to the shot.

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Ramamohan Pai on December 16, 2013 at 5:22 PM

Sandy - I like what you have captured here and the crop in the last repost. I am really drawn to the texture in the tree trunk.

If I were to be shooting this, I'd first look for my diffuser to manage the strong light. Using a diffuser makes the shadows go away and make the dynamic range more manageable without bringing in detail-less black patches in the frame. I feel a diffuser and a reflector should be in the bag of all Flora photographers.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 550 Posts, 9037 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 16, 2013 at 6:04 PM

Thanks Ram, I really do need to gear up and I am still feeling my way around equipment-wise in that I now have just over 5 months of doing this. I put everything into cameras lenses some lighting, but I will get there!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on December 17, 2013 at 9:13 PM

Hi Sandy

listen to Ram.... Rule #1 in photography , never shoot in a strong light. without using a difuser.. early morning light is the best. nobody mentioned the chewed up leaf. try to find pristine subjects if possible

Albert Darmo
Canada

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 17, 2013 at 9:46 PM

Thanks Albert - funny, I didn't even notice the chewed up leave. The eye sees what it wants to see. If me the URL to the diffuser that you allude to. I am aware of diffusers for lights and for flash - I have them, but what type of diffuser are you alluding to when shooting with natural light? Like I said, I am a newbie!

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on December 18, 2013 at 8:44 PM

Sandy: This is what Ram is talking about. I own this particular diffuser and call it my instant cloudy day. It collapses into about a 12-14 inch round pouch and is relatively easy to handle. They come in different sizes. The upside to the large sizes is you can cover a large area but the downside is it can be a bear to handle in a breeze.>=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Sandy Scott on December 18, 2013 at 9:21 PM

Thanks Bill, I was assuming that it was something that fitted over the lens. I guess I'm a bit unclear as to how one uses it in the field. Let's assume that I come up on the subject of this thread. The sun is shining on the subject from over my shoulder. Where and how would I place the diffuser if I was by myself? Thanks.

Registered on December 6, 2013, 85 Posts, 345 Comments