Western Juniper and granite walls

Well, for the sake of keeping connected to the forum, I thought I would post this from our July trip to the Sonora Pass. I wasn't going to post this in ES&S, but thought I would share it here. I'm not overly excited about this one and I'll tell you that the transparency is a little soft. The wind was blowing a bit and having the bellows extended to the max for the 450mm, it wasn't going to be sharp from the get-go.

I captured this just after everyone had left for home. I wanted one last shot. It actually just started raining as I was packing up and about 20min later just past Kennedy meadows, it was raining pretty good and I saw quite a large bolt of lighting. Good timing getting off the granite slab.....

Just wondering what you think. Are the colors too much? This was the first image I tried Tony Kuyper's saturation masks and just like his luminosity masks, I think they're great tools.

Your comments appreciated - and be straight!

4x5, 450mm, V100F

Thanks,
Lon

Lon, I really like the composition here. Although this juniper is wonderful and the main subject no doubt, LOOK at that granite. That stuff is amazing, almost looks like marble. I'd sure like to see this spot sometime.
I'm willing to bet this one will make a really nice large print. It's always tuff at these web sizes to tell for sure, only one way to find out......

I know right where this tree is Lon, never had a lens long enough to isolate it like you have. I like the image cropped just at the top of the tree where the dip in the granite wall is. To me, cropping there seems to put more emphasis on the tree; the upper lighter granite pulls my eye away from the main subject, the tree. I think my crop suggestion makes the top of the frame a little too tight though. I like the greens and the warm tone of the tree trunk, the colors work great against the cold tone of the granite, well done

One of my favorite things in the Sierra are these granite terrace gardens, and this one is no exception. I've seen this tree many times, too, and like Reno, don't have a lLF ens that can isolate it. Perhaps I'll try MF with my 210 some day on some of these trees.

I agree with Reno on all counts he mentions. Lon. It does look a tad soft. I guess you'll have to back there; like that's really painful, eh? This is a nice shot,

-P

Nice composition, Lon. Nicely balanced image, with good detail (even if it is soft detail). I would bet money your new Chamonix would have given you a sharper, if not tack sharp image. It is a really rigid camera. You will just have to back and do it over. Not a bad prospect.

Lon, I am really liking this. The composition is just fantastic, with the vertical and horizontal granite lines, and the diagonal of the tree. My first thought was the same as Reno mentioned...small crop off the top. As Paul mentioned, I'm betting this would make a fantastic print.

Striking image, Lon. In my opinion, this is one of those that require closer inspection to fully appreciate it. And that is precisely why I admire it so much. It lets me (the observer) take in the scene at my own pace, without pushing and prompting, and the rewards of that effort is a nice sense of satisfaction.

I get the feeling that the tree is resting on those granite slabs and in many ways I find that pretty amazing.