A Simple Tree

[SpiderBob]

Please comment all you like. I took out prawns of a palm tree on the left, and some PP.

[Mike Buckley]

I like this a lot and would like it even more if the foreground stuff in the center was a lot shorter or if you had been able to position yourself to overcome the issue using a different perspective.

If you like monochrome images, this is an ideal candidate.

[SpiderBob]

hmmmm, monochrome, I'll try that tonight when I get back. I saw the interference when I was shooting it. Had palm trees to the left and a cliff to my right. Ah, if only I had a ladder, but the wife and I walked a fair piece to catch this one as it was. You know, there might be a way. I'll have to try something and see how it comes out.

Thanks Mike

[Brownbear]

I adore this image. Beautifully photographed and for the sense of motion in the grass and trees. Beautiful colour.

[SpiderBob]

Christina, thank you for your comments, I going to try a B&W version tomorrow.

[SpiderBob]

So I tried to remove some of the brush directly over the horizon, with some cloning. Don't think I can do much more without really noticing, if it isn't already.

[SpiderBob]

So I gave a try at the Grayscale version. Used the 1st image over the second, as the one I touched up showed things that should not have been there in the B&W version. I could use a lot of comments on this one. Somehow I hesitated to post it, but decided I won't learn if I don't. I also added contrast to the sky, and sharpened the tree some.

[jcuknz]

I think the B&W is tonally soft and as a B&W needs to have stronger blacks. While you feel you could not have done other the growth on the grass spoils the shot and for best should just be tree grass and sea/sky .. perhaps high-key
Another approach might be to increase contrast for the tree and greying out the grass as if in a fog ... going very abstract I see the problem that the grass has too strong tones competing with the tree ... perhaps a duplicate layer de-saturated and then erased to reveal the high contrast tree. This works in B&W too.

[Mike Buckley]

Bob,

You did an admirable though not perfect job of removing the top of the foreground growth. The image is so nice that there are two spots in the middle that you might want to take the time to improve.

I also think you did a fine job with your monochrome conversion. It has nice balance; the contrast of the sky is a good fit with the contrast that you used in the tree and foreground growth.

I disagree with jcuknz's thinking that a black-and-white image has to have strong blacks whether he or she meant that this particular image or all converted images need them. You might want to follow Donald's threads, as he is a proponent of making monochrome images with perhaps less contrast than others might use and he consistently does an excellent job of it. While I like monochrome images with strong blacks as much as anyone, I also appreciate those that don't have them. Interestingly, when I suggested that your photo would be a good candidate for a monochrome image, I was thinking of a style that emphasized the tranquility of the scene by avoiding the use of strong blacks even less so than you used.

One of the things that I really like about making monochrome images is that we are forced to make these stylistic decisions and that that is a really enjoyable part of the process. Ideally, we should have the style in mind before we release the shutter, as the decision about that can affect our camera settings.

Again, well done!

[Ned Ward]

Bob, The simple tree ( I call em lonesome trees) is a classic shot. Any of us who have a go at landscapes at some time or other will try this shot. I'm still trying to get a good one.

You have some horizontal form in the tree branches competing with the vertical foreground of the young palms/grass Its a little distracting. At small scale the first bw shows this very well in my view.

All this is purely subject of course. Maybe reducing or losing the foreground interest may help, the strong shapes/forms tend to be a good feature in BW and my preference is for high contrast moody stuff. There are many ways of converting and specialist software to help.

Cheers
Ned

[SpiderBob]

Thank you all for some really good comments. I have an idea in my head, but first I'm going to read some of Donald's threads. Mike, I believe you are talking about the "flat top area", yes, I'll work on that too. My subject of course is the tree, so I have to find that balance between it and all else. Ned, yes those lines did not bother me at first, until you pointed them out, and I think when I balance the tree (being the subject to me) with the other items it will look much better. I'm going to put up the first monochrome I did, only because I want you to see where I started. Perhaps I'll go back to this one and start again. Jcuknz, thank you also for your comments.

[SpiderBob]

Mike, I see what you are talking about, wow, I must have been half asleep when I did that last night.

[Wavelength]

I liked it very much; the color palette is awesome; and i see a classical Indian dance posture in that tree

[SpiderBob]

OK, so far a start, here is the improved color version, with the shrub ghosts removed , that took some time there were a lot that I didn't see last night. Now to work on the B&W version, but first I have to go to work , but while I'm working I'll explore Donald's thread, if I can find it.

[SpiderBob]

I liked it very much; the color palette is awesome; and i see a classical Indian dance posture in that tree

Thank you Nandakumar, please define "classical Indian dance posture" just curious.

[Wavelength]

Please ....
http://in.images.search.yahoo.com/yh...&hsimp=yhs-004

Regards

[SpiderBob]

Wow! Awesome, I get it.

[SpiderBob]

Did some reading on the net and elsewhere, including Donald's and many tend to say it's more how you feel. So, does this make it an art that is acquired or learned. Anyway, I went by what I had mentioned above, I wanted to make the tree (the subject) stand out beyond the rest. This is what I came up with, not that it is right or wrong, I can still use some input.

[Brownbear]

I adored the original, but I also adore your final edit, and the last black and white image, albeit I don't know much about b&w but it looks beautiful to me.

[Mike Buckley]

I actually prefer the next to last black-and-white version the best. There is something about the less contrast, the more dreamy look that I'm not bothered by the tall foreground growth. For whatever reason that I can't put my finger on, I also don't see any competition between the horizontal and vertical lines in that version.