Forest Deep

[kdoc856]

. Might be cliche to say this but the mood is "ethereal.

Cliches work because they are so often true. You should see this place in the fog, Matt. It just gives me the chills every time. Unfortunately it's not an area that generates much fog, so I have to keep an eye out for the right conditions.

[Donald]

Coming to this a bit late (apologies).

Kevin - What this does for me is confirm the emergence of your 'style'.

There has now been quite a portfolio of images in which you have demonstrated a mastery of the lighting and the capturing of mood/atmosphere in these sort of scenes. They really have your stamp on them.

The sort of image that can be looked at for a long, long time and more keeps being revealed. Wonderful.

[MrB]

Really a nice image. I thought it was a bit dark until I looked at the larger version. You really captured the mood well. Looks like an interesting location with many opportunities for different compositions, lighting, etc.

My only negative comment is that the white "matte" adds nothing to the image and has the potential to turn people off. If you're concerned about displaying against a dark BG perhaps a bit more subtle border would suffice. I'd probably like it on a print, but on a monitor is just doesn't work IMO.

I agree with all of this, and stress the latter point for me is that the bright white border is overpowering on a monitor, and therefore it does detract from the lovely image.

Philip

[pasusan]

Hi Kevin - I feel like a broken record telling you how beautiful your forest shots are... I did want to see what the image looked like without the white border and took it to LR for a minute - and when I took away the border and blacked out the screen it caused a glow to emanate from the image in a most fantastic way.

Keep 'em comin' - I'm addicted!

[kdoc856]

Susan and Philip:

Thank you for your kind comments. I am giving real weight to your (and others) ideas regarding the border. I've done precious little with borders and need to expand my facility with them as I have so little experience or confidence with it. I'll experiment with less bright, possibly lightly tinted mattes, as well as no mattes. I'd also be grateful to you or anyone of our community who have the time and inclination to post some variations.

[arith]

A very moody image, I like it.

[kdoc856]

Kevin - What this does for me is confirm the emergence of your 'style'.

There has now been quite a portfolio of images in which you have demonstrated a mastery of the lighting and the capturing of mood/atmosphere in these sort of scenes. They really have your stamp on them.

Thanks so much, Donald. A positive review from you is one I especially cherish.

If I'm beginning to exhibit a 'style", it is entirely unconscious, and I am glad for that. When I first started taking a more serious look at photography, a well-known professional that I was reading urged new photographers to "develop your own style". That seemed wrong to me then, and does now as well.

I didn't want to prematurely (if ever) determine a specific look that I would either consciously or unconsciously commit myself to maintaining. It seems to me that that could easily result in an unnatural and unintended "maturational arrest", and the limits of our creativity and technical potential would never be explored. I think it better to follow our hearts and creative urges, and if others recognize our work, well and good, but I'm not certain it is a worthy goal,except, perhaps, for a professional who might need a recognizable "brand". But not for a committed amateur who shoots for joy.

[NorthernFocus]

...If I'm beginning to exhibit a 'style", it is entirely unconscious, and I am glad for that. When I first started taking a more serious look at photography, a well-known professional that I was reading urged new photographers to "develop your own style". That seemed wrong to me then, and does now as well...

I agree with you on this, Kevin. On the other hand, as one begins to achieve some level of success, as you clearly are, it is inevitable that a style emerges which reflects one's vision. And as Donald pointed out, your work shows a real appreciation for and ability to capture the subtleties of lighting and a real sense of mood. Really nice work.

[Pstearns]

I'm still relatively new to this portion of the CC Forum and I appreciate the open discussion and comments. I love the sense of stillness and motion in the image and how they combine with the lighting to create depth.
I would also suggest playing around with different borders- I've found that white borders work with B&W images but not very well with color.

[jamn4ex]

I love the perspective you used , kinda downplaying the waterfall to just another element in this magical ethereal scene.

[kdoc856]

I'm still relatively new to this portion of the CC Forum and I appreciate the open discussion and comments. I love the sense of stillness and motion in the image and how they combine with the lighting to create depth.
I would also suggest playing around with different borders- I've found that white borders work with B&W images but not very well with color.

Thank you ,Paul. I'd be delighted to see any ideas you have for this image. Please feel free to experiment and post if you have the inclination.