Posted by Kane Engelbert on October 27, 2011 at 10:42 PM
Not really sure why it seems slow around here so I'll post a shot for critique. Maybe all of your best shots are saved for the Fall NPN Contest ?
A few weeks ago I made the trip to the Roaring Fork Valley to get a Maroon Bells shot. My portfolio is lacking any iconic Maroon Bells photos. The area had received about 6-8 inches of snow in the past week and it had snowed about an inch overnight. I set up the tripod with grand visions of the clouds peeling away from the Bells at sunrise but it never happened. I also enjoyed meeting Josh Warrender and his friend for the non existent sunrise. That guy is funny; he promised me a “cartwheel” if the clouds would eventually break; never got that cartwheel. They left me all by myself at Maroon Lake while I waited...and waited... for the clouds at some point to peel away from the mountains. Nothing, socked in.
Time to shoot forest scenes in flat light and low lying fog and clouds! Down the road I spotted a nice stand of aspens and started the second half of my day. I usually don't find myself in these forest situations so this was a learning experience for me. The light snow that evening really accentuated the distant tree limbs.
Canon 5dII
70-200 f4
f27
I layed off the saturations in this image. Used selective color to work the yellows out of the whites and boosted the magentas and reds.
Your thoughts?
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on October 28, 2011 at 3:02 AM
I'm rather partial to these aspen forest scenes and find this very well executed.
Even the miniscule jpeg oozes detail !
Great tonal range. You really kept the white bark under control with the flat light.
The subdued colors work very well.
If you forced me to pick nits, I'd say the very bright sliver of aspen trunk on the left border catches my eye and is distraction that could be trimmed or selectively darkened.
Posted by Jack Brauer on October 28, 2011 at 7:34 AM
Kane, you don't NEED an iconic Maroon Bells shot in your portfolio! In fact, I wouldn't want to see one there!
Posted by Rod Chandler on October 28, 2011 at 10:54 AM
Kane, what's a Colorado photographer without a Maroon Bells photo in his portfolio? Those babies SELL! I like the aspens a lot.
Posted by Grant Collier on October 28, 2011 at 12:14 PM
I like this one. It's almost hypnotic and well processed.
Posted by Kane Engelbert on October 28, 2011 at 12:28 PM
Jack, I suppose I don't Need one, however I do want one. I have say that I never get sick of looking at the Bels. Like many of us here, I won't except the shot unless the conditions are optimal.
Posted by Stan Rose on October 28, 2011 at 11:53 PM
yep, how about a mid winter blizzard?
I like this, cool forest shot. Two minor nits--light seems slightly flat, maybe a tiny bit more contrast might help, also the rhs tree is a bit dominant/eye-pulling, i might crop half of it to use it as a frame w/o being too dominant.
Posted by Scott Fricke on October 29, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Really nice work here Kane. I like what you did with the saturation. The background color works nicely with the tones of the aspen boles.
Posted by John Mumaw on October 30, 2011 at 11:43 PM
I also like the composition and the muted colors. Almost reminiscent of a b&w image in that forms and patterns capture the eye more because of the lack of eye poppin' color. I like that.
I pretty much second the suggestions from Bill and Stan here.
Discussion
9 repliesA few weeks ago I made the trip to the Roaring Fork Valley to get a Maroon Bells shot. My portfolio is lacking any iconic Maroon Bells photos. The area had received about 6-8 inches of snow in the past week and it had snowed about an inch overnight. I set up the tripod with grand visions of the clouds peeling away from the Bells at sunrise but it never happened. I also enjoyed meeting Josh Warrender and his friend for the non existent sunrise. That guy is funny; he promised me a “cartwheel” if the clouds would eventually break; never got that cartwheel. They left me all by myself at Maroon Lake while I waited...and waited... for the clouds at some point to peel away from the mountains. Nothing, socked in.
Time to shoot forest scenes in flat light and low lying fog and clouds! Down the road I spotted a nice stand of aspens and started the second half of my day. I usually don't find myself in these forest situations so this was a learning experience for me. The light snow that evening really accentuated the distant tree limbs.
Canon 5dII
70-200 f4
f27
I layed off the saturations in this image. Used selective color to work the yellows out of the whites and boosted the magentas and reds.
Your thoughts?
Even the miniscule jpeg oozes detail !
Great tonal range. You really kept the white bark under control with the flat light.
The subdued colors work very well.
If you forced me to pick nits, I'd say the very bright sliver of aspen trunk on the left border catches my eye and is distraction that could be trimmed or selectively darkened.
I like this, cool forest shot. Two minor nits--light seems slightly flat, maybe a tiny bit more contrast might help, also the rhs tree is a bit dominant/eye-pulling, i might crop half of it to use it as a frame w/o being too dominant.
I pretty much second the suggestions from Bill and Stan here.