Tree

[Round Tuit]

I seem to have developed an affinity for photos of denuded trees lately.
This is one that I photographed during a snow storm about half an hour after the photo posted in this thread: Ottawa Snow Storm. It is hard to believe that both were taken under identical weather condition. The reason that I took it during a storm was to hide the rather ugly houses that show up through the trees in the background on a clear day.

This was a tripod mounted shot with mirror lockup and cable shutter release at f/13, 1/25 sec and ISO 100 using my 28-55mm kit lens at 28mm. At that slow speed, the snow flakes show up as pale streaks where the background is dark.



I am generally pleased with this picture. Nevertheless, C & C are always welcomed.

Andre

[Donald]

Andre - Welcome to the small, but select, group of us (we are now 2 in number) who are members of CiC and seem to enjoy photographing trees in winter.

With this one, I would make two observations:-

1. Does it need a clockwise rotation?
2. When photographing trees, I find that the most important element in the scene is the background. Here you have told us that you managed to hide the ugly buildings beyond the trees. But, and I ask you to consider, do the background trees themselves not compete too much with the subject tree?
   It is a beautiful tree, but I wonder if it is just in the wrong place to make a composition that shows it off to best effect?
   
   I would be interested in your own thoughts and those of others in relation to this point.

[Shadowman]

Nice capture.

[Shadowman]

Andre - Welcome to the small, but select, group of us (we are now 2 in number) who are members of CiC and seem to enjoy photographing trees in winter.

With this one, I would make two observations:-

1. Does it need a clockwise rotation?
2. When photographing trees, I find that the most important element in the scene is the background. Here you have told us that you managed to hide the ugly buildings beyond the trees. But, and I ask you to consider, do the background trees themselves not compete too much with the subject tree?
   It is a beautiful tree, but I wonder if it is just in the wrong place to make a composition that shows it off to best effect?
   
   I would be interested in your own thoughts and those of others in relation to this point.

It's not that I don't like to photograph wintry tree scenes Covered, it's just that I get distracted from the bitter chill.

[Geoff F]

Basically OK although I do wonder about cropping to a different size ratio and losing a bit from either the top or bottom. So the tree appears less like the 'filling of a sandwich'.

[Round Tuit]

Andre - Welcome to the small, but select, group of us (we are now 2 in number) who are members of CiC and seem to enjoy photographing trees in winter.

Donald - I am indeed honored to be a member of such an illustrious group. That being said, let me address your observations:

1. Does it need a clockwise rotation?

1. That depends. As it stands, the picture looks slanted but is actually straight. That fact can be verified by checking the alignment of the basketball hoop hiding in the background trees. One could however use artistic license and rotate it clockwise to make the tree appears to be straighter. I chose to show the tree in its natural orientation but that does not mean that a slight clockwise rotation would not result in a "artistically" better picture. I would welcome opinions on this from any member of CiC.

2. When photographing trees, I find that the most important element in the scene is the background. Here you have told us that you managed to hide the ugly buildings beyond the trees. But, and I ask you to consider, do the background trees themselves not compete too much with the subject tree?
It is a beautiful tree, but I wonder if it is just in the wrong place to make a composition that shows it off to best effect?

I would be interested in your own thoughts and those of others in relation to this point.

2. That one is harder to address. The background trees do compete with the subject. On the other hand, the little twigs in front of it set it off nicely. I think that I have done as much as I can to mitigate the competing background. There is no doubt that the composition would be better with a cleaner background but, the tree is where it is! I am therefore left with having to compromise and accept a less than perfect picture or look for a better tree. Come to think of it, I will do both. I do find it difficult at times to decide at what point to drop a photo because it is not as perfect as I would like. The bad ones are easy reject. The photos that I am fully satisfied with are few indeed. Where to set the threshold for the ones in between is always troublesome, at least for me. Maybe someone in CiC will be able offer some advice on this topic.

Andre

[Round Tuit]

Nice capture.

Thanks John.

[Round Tuit]

It's not that I don't like to photograph wintry tree scenes Covered, it's just that I get distracted from the bitter chill.

Maybe you need more antifreeze in your veins.

[Round Tuit]

Basically OK although I do wonder about cropping to a different size ratio and losing a bit from either the top or bottom. So the tree appears less like the 'filling of a sandwich'.

Here are the two crops that you suggested.

#1



#2



My logical mind would choose to keep the foreground and crop the featureless sky. My instinct tell me the opposite.

I would welcome any explanations as to why that would be so.

Andre

P.S. I think that crop #2 is a significant improvement over the original.

[Shadowman]

Here are the two crops that you suggested.

#1



#2



My logical mind would choose to keep the foreground and crop the featureless sky. My instinct tell me the opposite.

I would welcome any explanations as to why that would be so.

Andre

P.S. I think that crop #2 is a significant improvement over the original.

Cropping from the top makes the image look compressed, cropping from the bottom makes the subject seem to spill out the frame; it's a balancing act to get just right. Just my thoughts on the dilemma. Perhaps trying a light vignette on the original might work as an alternative option.

[IzzieK]

Hmmm...I guess it will take years to be able to be included in your illustrious club (of 2 so far). It looks brrrrr....rrrr... to me. My Asian blood likes heat and humidity. I will just leave it to you two to photograph in the cold outside. Your tree is very nice here and I feel the isolation so much without any people in the shot. But then, that will ruin the smoothness of the image unless those footprints will lead our eyes to the subject tree. Am I suggesting something here? Maybe yes, maybe it is too late but then....the more I look at this shot, the more I like it.

[Geoff F]

I couldn't decide which way to go with a crop, Andre, but I was just holding bits of card against my screen.

After seeing your alternatives I think I would go with #1 but just a fraction more sky and less snow?

[Round Tuit]

Cropping from the top makes the image look compressed, cropping from the bottom makes the subject seem to spill out the frame; it's a balancing act to get just right. Just my thoughts on the dilemma. Perhaps trying a light vignette on the original might work as an alternative option.

Thanks John - I tried adding a slight vignette. It does make the tree more prominent but for now I still lean towards my crop #2. I might have to leave this one alone for a while and get back to it with a fresher look at some point in the future.

Andre

[Round Tuit]

Hmmm...I guess it will take years to be able to be included in your illustrious club (of 2 so far). It looks brrrrr....rrrr... to me. My Asian blood likes heat and humidity. I will just leave it to you two to photograph in the cold outside. Your tree is very nice here and I feel the isolation so much without any people in the shot. But then, that will ruin the smoothness of the image unless those footprints will lead our eyes to the subject tree. Am I suggesting something here? Maybe yes, maybe it is too late but then....the more I look at this shot, the more I like it.

Izzie,

Many people born and raised in this country do not like the cold. What I find interesting is that virtually all children just love to go out to play in the snow. It is as people get older that they lose their enthusiasm for winter.

At first I was a bit surprised when you mentioned getting a feeling of isolation from the photo. That is because the tree is in a park surrounded by houses and is growing in front of a playground. I went to great length to hide those things because they distracted from the tree but, because of my familiarity with the location, missed the fact that in doing so I created a feeling of isolation. Thank for dropping by and pointing that out.

I am glad that you like it.

Andre

[Round Tuit]

I couldn't decide which way to go with a crop, Andre, but I was just holding bits of card against my screen.

After seeing your alternatives I think I would go with #1 but just a fraction more sky and less snow?

Thanks Geoff.

As I mentioned to John, I think I will let this one sit for a few days and take a fresh look at it later.

Andre

[Wavelength]

Very nice

[Geoff F]

Izzie,

Many people born and raised in this country do not like the cold. What I find interesting is that virtually all children just love to go out to play in the snow. It is as people get older that they lose their enthusiasm for winter.

Andre

When I was younger, the cold stopped at skin level - now it gets right into my bones!

And we rarely get more than a couple of degrees of frost here! But that easterly wind . . .