Seasons in the Swamp #1

Gallery: LandscapePosted January 26, 20185,111 views3 comments

Thanks for your recent comments. Taking a break from my more recent avian stuff, I've been looking through some archives in landscape. My friends Ronnie Gaubert and David Chauvin have been inspiration for some memorable swamp stuff. Over the years the rookery at Lake Martin in south Louisiana has been a great location for bird imagery, especially in the spring. But at other times the watery landscape makes the trip worthwhile in the winter months. I've been drawn to swamp scenes since wandering around by canoe. Fortunately there are some places accessible on foot, and this is a great place for such scenes. I shot this in December 2013 on an overcast morning. I got this when the moss reacted to the slight south breeze. Full frame with some artistic license to work on the color and clone some bright spots in the highlights.

E-5 ZD 50-200 near the wide end on tripod, ISO 100 1/4 f14 -1/3EV

Comments

3 comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on January 27, 2018 at 12:21 AM

Bill,

Beautifully captured and presented! There is a near abstract quality to this - even more so if you cropped about 25%+ off the left. I say that, and you mentioned cloning some bright spots..., that by cropping you eliminate all the bright spots. They're not bad or wrong per say, I think this works well as displayed. But for me, eliminating all the bright spots and concentrating on the right 2/3 of the image you really get at the heart of the swamp and cypress.

Processing is excellent.

Lon

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

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on January 27, 2018 at 12:28 PM

Bill, I really like this. Lon's crop suggestion has merit, but I like compositional balance as presented. Perhaps you could burn down those bright areas a bit?

I love the detail, and wonderful color. The processing looks real nice.
--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on January 27, 2018 at 10:32 PM

This is lovely, Bill. The large version is a beauty and the reflection in the water has a wonderful abstract quality to it as does the moss hanging from the cypress. Other than toning down the couple of already mentioned brighter areas on the left I would not change a thing. Great work.

Ed

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments