Redbud

Hey folks,

Not sure if I'll post this in ESS, but wanted to get your thoughts. This is right off the scanner - no curves/levels, just sharpening and save to web. I actually like this better than the original transparency. The morning light is pretty hard here, but Provia kept the highlights and shadows in check. I haven't used the 450mm lens very often, but I'm happy with it's performance.

Nothing spectacular here, and I wish I could have positioned the camera more to the right to get the young pine more in front of the redbud, but it just wasn't going to be. I'm happier than I thought I would be with this, but I feel this just doesn't have that special quality that would make this a really good image.

I'd love to get up to Yosemite for the dogwood, but I'm afraid I've cached all my chips in with the wife until fall.... :-(

thanks,
Lon

Hi Lon,

I can appreciate this photograph and really love what you have got here. The patches of color and shapes work well in an abstract sense and that is what really captures my fancy.

I think the presentation is being hurt by the small image file. The original chrome or a print must be a real treat to study.

Regards.

Hi Lon,

My 2-cents would be to grab that wonderful pink color and increase both the contrast and possibility the brightness. I think the image is worth spending some post-production time on ...

Ciao ;^)

Carol

Thanks for the comments.

Anil, of course you're correct about the detail and the small image. To be honest, even the transparency, although has lot's of detail, is soft in some areas because of wind. Wait and wait as we do, a scene like this it's nearly impossible to watch the entire scene to see what's settled and what's still blowing in the breeze. Add to that a flatbed scan.

Thanks Carol - see my note, and I'm sending you a smaller copy so you can use it to play around with. Like I said in my note, the original slide is a little bright and of course contrasty with the light, so I actually tried to tone it down a bit.

Thanks again,
Lon

I'm usually rather picky with images that have considerable shadows if they distract from frame geometry and or don't support the image. Looks like a good potential subject if one could be there with less a negative effect from shadows or work under midday overcast conditions with even scene lighting. Here they disrupt the frame geometry enough and overwhelm the central redbud with considerable image space enough that my tact would have been to note the relationship of the scene to daily spring sun positions and just take a snap with my Coolpix for future reference. There are of course quite a lot of such subjects that are positioned such that they never will get cooperative sun so one just has the use of midday overcast as a solution. That is especially true of redbuds and dogwoods given their short substory preferences in shady dense forests. ...David

The delicate sidelighting here, along with the shadows makes this a strong image for me. I'd like to see aprint of this sometime, Lon. I think the detail in the print, even with the windblown areas you mention, would be very nice.

Although I haven't commented much lately, I have really enjoyed your series of images from Yosemite and The Merced!

-PB

Lon,

I love this image. Others already said about it.

However, this image looks better on laptop screen, as compared to my calibrated CRT of desktop.

I think little increase in contrast will not hurt. What do you think? Did you take any print yet?

This is nice!!! Great colors and the comp works rather well.

Another really nice colorful shot from this area, Lon. Makes me want to get outdoors right now!