Autumn in Bouillon

[Clactonian]

[jiro]

The colors and the trees leading my eyes towards the covered pass is nice, Mike. I was thinking of recommending some dodging and burning but that is just a personal preference of mine to make the shot stronger. It's almost 107 degrees F here in Texas and its Autumn there? I'm jealous.

[Katy Noelle]

Oh, gorgeous!

[ilovelucydog]

A really beautiful location and shot.

[Seriche]

A beautiful study in complementary colours! I'd love to have the chance to walk around there.

Not sure about the small bits and pieces like the red sign pole. Would it be better if they vanished? I honestly don't know. Just asking

Seri

[Clactonian]

A beautiful study in complementary colours! I'd love to have the chance to walk around there.

Not sure about the small bits and pieces like the red sign pole. Would it be better if they vanished? I honestly don't know. Just asking

Seri

Bouillon, in Belgium is beautiful, warts and all!!
I have mixed views on cloning out unwanted items in a scene Seri, and use the technique as little as possible. This to me is a record of the scene in front of me at the time, red poles, white lines and all. Maybe not one for the purests then!!

[Seriche]

Bouillon, in Belgium is beautiful, warts and all!!
I have mixed views on cloning out unwanted items in a scene Seri, and use the technique as little as possible. This to me is a record of the scene in front of me at the time, red poles, white lines and all. Maybe not one for the purests then!!

Yes Just like painters. Some leave cars and other signs of modern life in their landscapes and others don't. I rather like the white lines, but the red pole to centre and the short white marker to the extreme left were drawing my eye too much because of the tonal and colour contrasts. But I admit that in my case it's more a personal and emotional response rather than anything about the composition. I like to think of that place as being as far from civilisation as possible

My favourite watercolour artist, David Curtis, loves to record scenes as you do, just as they are.

It's very interesting to learn how photographers approach such things as street furniture in their images as they have such different approaches, but I'm far from being a purist - very far indeed

Seri

[Seriche]

P.S. On the other hand, the white marker does help to lead the viewer through the archway. I'm learning fast that composition is an extremely complex thing!

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Mike,

I hear what you say above about your reasons - and if that is as a documentary shot then yes, they should/must stay.

Presented here without that information initially, I would, if mine; definitely tone down the brightness of the white lines and marker post and optionally (as I didn't notice it at first), 'vaporise' the red pole. Seri learns fast I find

Looking at the picture content, I think you're spot on with the composition though, I can't imagine doing it differently.

A lovely scene.

Cheers,

[JohnC]

The colors and the trees leading my eyes towards the covered pass is nice, Mike. I was thinking of recommending some dodging and burning but that is just a personal preference of mine to make the shot stronger. It's almost 107 degrees F here in Texas and its Autumn there? I'm jealous.

Jiro..The photo must have been taken last October/November time - be rest assured it's not autumn yet in Europe, but it's cool-about 65-70F here in the UK

Lovely photo. Mike. It's so difficult getting photos these days without either traffic or road markings- that white post through the arch is so bright I'd have been tempted to at least have taken that out along with the red pole, the post must have been painted the day before you took the photo I take your point about leaving what's there,there but I think subtle cloning is acceptable, bear in mind the tree and lovely archway were there before the road markings, red pole and white post. I'd have taken the pole and post out and toned down the road markings .

[MiniChris]

Lovely rich colors in this shot...I don't mind any of the natural elements and I generally only clone if there is a piece of trash on the gorund. Nice shot, Mike.

[Clactonian]

...I don't mind any of the natural elements and I generally only clone if there is a piece of trash on the gorund. Nice shot, Mike.

Thanks Chris. Interesting thoughts on cloning developing here.
To me the 'offending' objects are all part of the story ... a beautiful riverside spot, quiet in the autumn but clearly popular and busy with cars in the summer with a need for parking restrictions ... an old Napoleonic tower that doesn't fit in well with modern traffic conditions, hence the reflecting posts at the entrance and the mirror on the blind corner etc.
How would I convey all that if I got happy with the cloning tool?

[Seriche]

Thanks Chris. Interesting thoughts on cloning developing here.
To me the 'offending' objects are all part of the story ... a beautiful riverside spot, quiet in the autumn but clearly popular and busy with cars in the summer with a need for parking restrictions ... an old Napoleonic tower that doesn't fit in well with modern traffic conditions, hence the reflecting posts at the entrance and the mirror on the blind corner etc.
How would I convey all that if I got happy with the cloning tool?

Hi Mike, it's been really interesting reading all the different approaches here. But with or without the modern touches your photo is undeniably very beautiful. Being a neophyte here, and not knowing your relationship with your work, I was initially making emotionless comment from a compositional point of view.

Whether the image would be 'better' with the street furniture or not is often more of a personal thing. As I said before, I would see the image as 'better' if most signs of humanity were gone (even though I like the white lines), but that's because I want to be able to imagine myself wandering around that wonderful countryside for days alone and never see another person or hear traffic. But that's a purely personal bias.

Now you've described what you wanted to convey I can see the image with different eyes; it has become more poignant, and I'd say it does the job perfectly just as it is, and needs no alteration. But as a beginner I'm unsure of what I'm saying, and am happy to learn by my mistakes.

Seri

[Clactonian]

Seri,
No rights, no wrongs, just different interpretations, which is very healthy. We see, we learn, we make up our own minds at to what is best for us. And then there are some of us who are clearly just dogmatic !!
Mike

[paulwilbur]

this is "nice"
compressed by telephoto
leading lines
S-curves
Light and dark color play

and a bit of mystery

ouch on the white lines ??? burn them out?
paul

[Seriche]

Seri,
No rights, no wrongs, just different interpretations, which is very healthy. We see, we learn, we make up our own minds at to what is best for us. And then there are some of us who are clearly just dogmatic !!
Mike

Very true

Seri

[Kris V]

Bouillon is my dad's hometown - now you made me homesick.
I'm sweltering in about 100 degrees and no relief in sight!

[Katy Noelle]

You, know what's 'funny', too, is that the road markers look wonderfully foreign or quaint or 'European' (ooh la la!) to me. They add to the 'mystery' and flavor of the image for me. I think about that, sometimes, with Vermont. When I first moved here, everything looked so... 'New England-y' but, now, it looks - well, I don't even see the unique things, as well, anymore. I'm so used to them.