The Tree

[batmura]

[Mike Buckley]

I really like the textures, lines and shapes in this image.

The problem I have with it is that I can't tell whether the walkway or the tree is the subject. If you want the tree to be more emphasized, try cropping to reduce about two-thirds of the foreground. Though I can tell from the title of your thread that you wouldn't want the walkway to be the subject, if you crop at the top you can make the walkway the subject very effectively. In other words, you have the making of two very nice photos here.

[batmura]

Mike, thanks so much for your comment! This is a bracketed shot of three frames. I had lots of shadow detail, but opted for a darker end result hence the vignetting and dodging/burning. I wanted to use the path as a 'leading line' to my main subject. How do you like the editing? I didn't want it to look overcooked -- has this feat been achieved?

[Mike Buckley]

It definitely doesn't look overcooked to me. I don't like the use of such a heavy vignette but a lot of people do. If you do too, go for it.

As for the path being the leading line, even if you eliminate two-thirds of it, it's a great leading line. In the current composition, it's more the subject than the leading line for me.