Lone Aspen, Prairie Grassland......

[LenR]

Photographed in the Sheep River Valley area this past autumn.
C/C welcome.

Canon 5D series, 200mm @f10 1/25 sec, ISO 400

[lovelife65]

Photographed in the Sheep River Valley area this past autumn.
C/C welcome.

Canon 5D series, 200mm @f10 1/25 sec, ISO 400

Very nice photo Len. Love the simplicity and contrasting colors.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Len,

A nice scene indeed.

I'm not sure if you have considered, or done, any post processing, but for me, this lacks contrast - the histogram shows everything is between 88 and 216 on a scale from 0 to 255. I'm not saying EVERY photo must stretch between 0 and 255, but most look better if they at least approach a full tonal range - it strikes me this is the kind of shot where 'straight out of camera' can let you down, due to the lighting.

Using Photoshop (specifically, via Adobe Camera RAW), I would expand that range and also add Clarity and Texture - at least as an experiment to see if I felt it improved it.

Although it could get tricky, I might even try an 'adjustment brush' application of something a bit stronger to the tree than the grasses surrounding it, to 'promote' it.

HTH,
Dave

[LenR]

Hi Sharon, appreciate your kind comments regarding this image.

[Manfred M]

+1 to Dave's comment. One thing I was taught years ago is that with the exception of foggy scenes, more contrast is generally viewed as making a more compelling image than one that tends to be flatter.

Often, more space between the top of the subject and the top of the frame, than from the bottom of the subject and the bottom of the frame works well. I've used Photoshop's Content Aware Fill to build that material. I've looked at where the tree is located from the left and right edges as well as implementing a number of Dave's suggestions.

Finally, I've applied a slight vignette to make the edges of the image ever so slightly darker to help direct the viewer's eyes.

[LenR]

Hi Dave, appreciate you taking the time to offer some suggestions.
The image is a raw capture in soft evening light. Some post processing has been done including "brush work" to the foliage. I did not want to overly increase the contrast to the grasses but the tree, as you mention, could well benefit from additional attention.
Thanks again.

[LenR]

Hi Manfred, Thanks for your time and edits to the image to illustrate the suggestions.
Certainly some points to consider. The Content Aware Fill seems to work quite well.
Appreciated.

[Manfred M]

H The Content Aware Fill seems to work quite well.

Sometimes it blows me away as to how well it works. Other times it seems to not work well at all.

[Wavelength]

I really like the edit of Manfred; when i looked at the original, the only correction i felt was what Manfred has and he adeptly worked it out...