As autumn progresses

[Manfred M]

My wife and I went for a short walk (around 3 km / 2mi) in a wooded area in the greenbelt area near the Ottawa River. When we started out, the sky was partially overcast, and as our walk continued, the sky darkened and the wind picked up. By the end of the walk we the thunder and lightening rolled through and we had to high tail it back to the car (we got wet).

This scene shows how the trees are bare and the leaves are on the ground. In other places, the leaves are still brightly coloured and are still on the trees. Within the next couple of weeks the wind and rain will strip the leaves off the trees and the dreariness of late October and November will settle in. It's not a time of year I get out to take a lot of pictures, but I might try to document mid to late fall this year...






This partially leaf covered path, bare trees and path that is both distinct and a bit mysterious foreshadows winter that is just ahead in this part of the world. The first snow storm of the season is hitting the south-western part of the province with 15-20cm / 6"-8" of snow tonight and tomorrow.

[Shadowman]

Very nice.

[Mike Buckley]

I realize the trees have limbs extending outward on both sides but for some reason the limbs extending toward the path stand out regardless which side of the path the trees are on. Very interesting!

[gregj1763]

+1 to Mikes comments, the branches seem to be drawing you toward and into the centre of the image.
It's "what's round the corner" type of images.
Hope you dried out ok

[Donald]

That's a very alluring image. It draws you in and pulls you along that path. I like it very, very much.

[Manfred M]

Thanks everyone. It's always rewarding when an image achieves what the photographer was trying to do. From a photography standpoint, the last 12 months have probably been the most photographically productive ones in my life (nicely said, I have been getting out and shooting a lot more). Not only have my technical skills improved (I spend a lot less time capturing the images (less time "working the shot"), less time in post-processing as I "get it right in camera" but perhaps most importantly I now "see" images. This means I get more and better shots, probably because I walk right by things I would have photographed in the past because I now understand that they won't work or I do see something that does work.

Greg, luckily (or was that good planning?) I had my camera backpack along for the walk, so at least I had no concerns about it getting wet. The rain gear (which we had brought along), unfortunately was nice and dry and sitting in the car when we got back to it.

[KimC]

Very cool image Manfred! One of my favorites of yours...

[bnnrcn]

Very nice image Manfred

[Rider in the Sky]

but perhaps most importantly I now "see" images........................

The artist emerges?

[ I guess here at CiC, GrumpyDiver, is an acknowledged "technician"
[ Of course, Bill , an outstanding technician/teacher).

Now, with his inner "eye" leveled-up, shall we learn more from him? Perhaps, his forthcoming creations will provide answers to the previous thread, The art of seeing. ]

[Manfred M]

The artist emerges?

No. Still the technician who likes creating images that are technically and compositionally challenging / interesting for me to do. That doesn't mean that the images don't evoke emotions or try to tell a story or that other people might find them interesting or enjoyable. Creativity, perhaps as I've trained as / worked as a creative professional throughout my working career.

Artist - definitely not!. I have never had any interest in being an artist and can't see that ever happening in the future.

[xpatUSA]

Artist - definitely not!. I have never had any interest in being an artist and can't see that ever happening in the future.

I dunno - I see the Golden Ratio at work in the positioning of the path's ending, vertically speakin'

[Manfred M]

I dunno - I see the Golden Ratio at work in the positioning of the path's ending, vertically speakin'

What's a Golden Ratio?

[xpatUSA]

What's a Golden Ratio?

Much used by artists and architects, Manfred, said to produce shapes most pleasing to the eye:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio

In RawTherapee, there are cropping guide-lines called "harmonic mean" as an alternative to the traditional 1/3rds rule. They are lines that are at (1-0.618) from each side or the top or the bottom - instead of a simple 1/3rd. Your path's vanishing point is approximately 0.618 down from the top (or 1-0.618 up from the bottom). Had it also been 1-0.618 from the right or left, your image would have been "perfectly harmonic", sorta kinda-like



However, I've been pilloried here in the past for even suggesting that the Golden Ratio is relevant to photographic composition.

[JBW]

I love the tropics.

[John 2]

That's nice Manfred. I particularly like the blackness of the tree trunks. Autumn rendered in sunlight is often seen as the norm but Autumn is the road to the darker days of Winter and I get that feel from this.

[JohnRostron]

I love the tropics.

Even with a Typhoon Brian?

John

[JohnRostron]

I realize the trees have limbs extending outward on both sides but for some reason the limbs extending toward the path stand out regardless which side of the path the trees are on. Very interesting!

I think the reason for the limbs spreading the way they do goes back to a time when the canopy was not closed. The sides of the path would have offered more light and encouraged the growth of side-branches. As the canopy closed, these would have stopped growing, and may even have died.

None of this detracts from a very atmospheric composition.

John

[Manfred M]

However, I've been pilloried here in the past for even suggesting that the Golden Ratio is relevant to photographic composition.

I would go a step further in suggesting that the "Rules of Composition" work, except when they don't.

[JBW]

Even with a Typhoon Brian?

John

I lived on the north coast of British Columbia Canada and survived a fair number of hurricanes and some nasty -40 temperatures. At least here freezing is not an option.

[IzzieK]

What's a Golden Ratio?

You have Photoshop, look at the cropping options at the top bar and you will see the Rule of Third, Diagonal, Golden Ratio, etc. amongst those.

As for image, to invoke such an inviting feeling to walk further and savour the atmosphere of the place here may not be what you feel when you saw this, but showing and sharing it with us invokes this kind of feeling in me, at least...and that is creativeness and an art (of seeing).