Luscious Lundy

My first thought was that the trees were leaning due to wind. I kinda like that beavers are the reason.  It helps tell the story of this image.  I really like the colors and the layers here, Lon.  My wife and I took our first trip to the Eastern Sierras the fall before last, and I loved it.  The colors were not nearly this good and we had no idea where to go.  I love the background slope receding into the distance. Very nice.

Beautiful colors and the BG helps place the emphasis on the trees.  I might consider a crop to exclude the FG grasses.  While they are nice texturally, I think the image might be stronger to include just the bit of reflection and the trees.  I guess it was difficult to capture the full reflection and the tree?  It looks like it would mean getting wet?  Stunning color palette.

The dtail on the reflection has a very "painter like" feeling, it is a subtle detail best seen in the full resolution image, that contrasts very beautifully with the sharp grasses. This is a gorgeous image that perrectly trasnmits the feeling of fall. And talk about busy beavers !!

real nice one Lon. Someone mentioned paintrly look, the tree trunks are really nicely come out. Hows your impression on D700 with a megazoom against 4x5

The trees are very nice, but also the grasses and bushes looks splendid. I am thinking about maybe burning some small parts of the yellow in the trees in the middle? They look a bit hot to me compared with the rest of the scene, but not a lot. Very nice shot though, glad you had more succes this time than your previous trips!

What I found immediatly captivating here were the radiant autumn foliage on the aspens. The large version reveals the subtle color variations on the grasses and bushes at the base of the aspens. I think the truly strong part here is the painterly lower half and the reflection, but the whole image works very well and I do not suggest a crop. A beautiful autumn scene.

Lon,
This is a very beautiful and appealing image. Excellent composition and I really like the color palate you captured from bright green to orange/red, which really pops under this soft light. Processing looks perferct. No nits.

Thanks for the comments so far folks, I really appreciate them.

@Prashant, not sure what you mean by "megazoom," but purely just comparing available pixels, a scanned 4x5 has at least 4 times as many pixels and thus available detail than a file from the D700, which I believe is only 12MP?

@Harry, yeah, the grasses were somewhat problematic with the composition.  I went with my own guidelines of: If you're going to include something, include it on purpose. And the corallary, if you're going to exclude something, exclude it completely. In other words I don't want to have anything in the frame that is an accident or an oversight, if that makes sense.  So here I included enough of the grass to make sure it was part of the comp and not an afterthought.

@Roel, I'm wondering if those brighter trees you're talking about are more oversaturated than bright?  But I see what you mean.

Thanks again folks!

Lon, What a beautiful scene this is. I think your comp works great and I love the autumn colors you captured. The marsh grass, pond and reflections all adding up to make this one special for me. I had a lot of trouble with beavers on the property I had along the Wisconsin and Bear Creek. They especially seemed to enjoy chopping down the river birch. 

Nick bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Lon, this is classic good attention to composition, and most commendable.  You have all the elements of a wonderful setting with reflections in the pool surrounded by marsh grasses, and with not only a fine stand of trees but a sloping hillside beyond.  Print it BIG  

Real nice, Lon. I have never gotten anything from those ponds, but you got a fine one. I would be inclined to burn down the tree on the left edge. I experimented with a crop, but I like it as presented.

Wow, that's some eye-popping color Lon.  The HiDef large version is spectacular, with excellent sharpness throughout, but it's not overdone.  A beauiful scene.

Beautiful colors in a very peaceful setting, Lon.  When viewing the larger version, it's easy to imaging sitting/standing there quietly watching and listening.

Luscious indeed, Lon. The even lighting in the scene was perfect for bringing all the elements together from the FG grasses, to the reflections and on to the aspens all decked out in their showy autumn color. You have a winner with this one.

Ed

Hi  Lon   Like  Gary,    I especially  like  the  beautiful background  hills, and the vibrant color  of all the aspens.  there is so much going  here., i  must also  mention the the beautiful foreground grasses  and the  fine reflection...

Albert Darmo
Canada

Man, Lon, this is fantastic. Every aspect of this image really sings autumn and beauty.  Love the grasses in the foreground, the wonderful lines of the trees, not to mention the stunning color, the far hills, and the reflection.  Everything is simply amazing.  I might try and up the brightness ever so slightly the reflection of the leaves and trees, especially on the left hand side, but that is a real stretch as it is stunning as is.  Your choice of aspect ratio is perfect.
Hope the folks in New Zealand realize the incredible legacy that their 4x5 carries with it.

I know this beaver pond well in Lundy since I am one of the photographers that has frequented that canyon often in the fall, too. This is a gorgeous take on it, and I am particularly impressed by how the white trunks pop and add graphic interest. The colors are lovely and realistic. Looks like there wasn't much water in the pond this last fall. The grasses in the foreground and reflections leading up to the aspens make a lovely foreground. "Classic" is great in this case!

Detailed view has very nice color layers.  The trees reflect well in the pond.  I like the blending here of the trees, grasses, and water.  Very peaceful image.

Beautiful, Lon. The layers, vertical lines, and colors combine for a terrific image. 

This is excellent Lon. I know this pond very well. There are some nice, albeit small, brookies to be caught in there. The large version really brings out the best here particularly in the fg. The fg reeds may be my favorite part of this image. But it's all good. How the reflections end just before the reeds. How you included a splash on the left to avoid a bare break in the trees. I like that the reeds appear to be much sharper than the far off trees. Very nice.

This is lovely, Lon. Lundy can be a tough proposition, as I've found out over the years. I do think the blacks could be a little deeper, but his one sure works as it is.

--P

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The eye is catched by the white trees, center and weight of the compositions. And the stipes/horizontal development works also so well. excellent IMHO.
Sandro

Hi Lon,

When I opened up the large version of this image, I was immediately taken back by the beauty of this scene. The colors captures are marvelous together, and I think the entire image is works wonderfully well. I like how the foreground grasses stop just short of the entire pond, and the reflection grabs me and brings me into the rest of the scene.

Truly beautiful photography