just a tree

[BluewookieJim]

Let me have it! I'm trying to improve, so any comments are welcome.

It's been about 6 weeks now since I've "broken up" with the "green box" and started shooting all manual.

I've been reading "Understanding Exposure" and Kelby's "Digital Photography Book Vol1", and trying to apply some of the new things I've been learning.

I've also been trying to work on improving my composition.


There is this tree I drive by almost daily, and it has me captivated. Anyway this is my attempt at capturing it. I took these about 2 weeks ago, it's starting to bloom, so I'll be capturing it again soon.

There has been some PP done, this is actually on a business lot, so there was a business sign, a lightpost and a utility pole I had to clone out.


http://kodanja.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p939081432-5.jpg


http://kodanja.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p980933614-5.jpg

[chauncey]

It has potental for a repeat trip and you have the exposure down pat.

The foreground is kind of stark. When you return, try to make for a lower horizon and a more dramatic sky

A thunderstorm complete with a bolt of lightning would be good. :lol:

[Miniflash]

nice tree

[BluewookieJim]

It has potental for a repeat trip and you have the exposure down pat.

The foreground is kind of stark. When you return, try to make for a lower horizon and a more dramatic sky

A thunderstorm complete with a bolt of lightning would be good. :lol:


I see what you are saying. These were handheld, with my Tamron 17-50mm. I'll have my tripod by the next time I go.

Funny you mention the dramatic sky. I took these about 6pm two weeks ago on a Saturday. I first "noticed" that tree on that morning when I was on my way to the gym. The sky was full of these ominous gray and dark clouds, but of course I didn't have my camera with me.

I'm hoping to get some shots around sunset with some nice dramatic sky. I actually went by there last night at sunset, but there was really nothing going on in the sky, so I didn't take any shots.

[August 15 Photography]

dramatic skys are nice, but I am actually a fan of the bright blue sky against the bright green grass. Maybe a little bump in saturation of the blue and green. Also in this particular shot, I like the first one from further away, the few white clouds there are kind of wash out the sky in the closer crop. Also I love these "tree on the hill" shots in B & W

[BluewookieJim]

dramatic skys are nice, but I am actually a fan of the bright blue sky against the bright green grass. Maybe a little bump in saturation of the blue and green. Also in this particular shot, I like the first one from further away, the few white clouds there are kind of wash out the sky in the closer crop. Also I love these "tree on the hill" shots in B & W

When I first did the PP on these images, I had more saturation in the blues and greens, I'll try to post those tonight. When I had some prints made they looked too fake, so I backed down trying to get closer to the actual colors.

This particular shot is challenging compositionally for me. The tree itself is on pretty steep incline, so I have to shoot upwards at it. I'm not sure how much success I will have trying to shoot this on a tripod. In order to decrease the amount of foreground, like I did in the second shot, I have to get closer, but then I can barely get the width of the tree in the frame. If I try shooting from the other side of the tree, I'll be standing right in the middle of the business parking lot, where I'll have almost no foreground, and the view from that side is just kind of ordinary.

[ImageMogul]

There is this tree I drive by almost daily, and it has me captivated.

The tree has a very nice shape to it & the weeping branches help even more. A sunset silhouette might be nice to further accentuate its shape (sorry, my edit was very quick and very dirty - but you get the idea). More dramatic clouds would add more interest as well. You picked a worthy subject. I can see why you like it.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c193/ezaxxess1/P98tree2.jpg

Best Regards,
Mark

[Glenn NK]

I think it's worth working at (the tree and the hills). Try either early morning or late in the day (it depends on where the sun will be). Try shooting from different locations (I'm thinking that there is a second "hill" on the right side that could be more prominent to add interest). Plus, with the sun lower, these shapes will be modelled better by the low angle light.

In fact, an interesting learning experience would be to shoot this tree from several different postitions, once a week for a year. You will be surprised by what you will see and discover.

[chauncey]

Glenn, I think that's great advice.

[BluewookieJim]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I think it's worth working at (the tree and the hills). Try either early morning or late in the day (it depends on where the sun will be). Try shooting from different locations (I'm thinking that there is a second "hill" on the right side that could be more prominent to add interest). Plus, with the sun lower, these shapes will be modelled better by the low angle light.

In fact, an interesting learning experience would be to shoot this tree from several different postitions, once a week for a year. You will be surprised by what you will see and discover.

I'm thinking I would have to do early morning to get that look. From the angle I took that picture, the position of the sunset is at about a 135 degree angle (ie around the 4:30 position on a clock). Unfortunately, I can't shoot from the right side, as that would put me right in the middle of a very busy 6 lane intersection.

I think the only choices are where I was for these shots, and straight behind, which would put me in the businesses parking lot with no real foreground. I'm going to go by there tonight and I'll try to get some wide angle shots so you can see how the intersection on the right and the businesses on the left are in relation to the tree.

I do like the idea of shooting the same thing for a year, in fact, I just read the section of Peterson's Understanding Exposure that suggested that approach.

[Glenn NK]

Glenn, I think that's great advice.

I'm trying to take the advice myself - not easy though.:lol:

Last night while posting, I had a hunch that there were some limiting factors (like roads, buildings, etc) that controlled BW Jim's perspective of the tree. This is a common problem that challenges us to think harder.


I quite often re-shoot the same flower over a period of several days at different times of day - they usually don't last for a year though.

Last summer, I arrived at one of my favourite places a bit too late, and when I got to the purple/red iris flowers, it was "hard dusk". In desperation (not wanting to use ISO 1600/3200), I took off the lens hood, popped up the onboard flash, set Av to f/11, and shot. Nice surprise; because the flower had been about 10 feet from the background, it was in darkness and all black, the flower colours were vivid, and the DOF on the flower was much better than when I use f/5.6 to put the BG OOF.

I'm considering doing more "night work" on flowers now. Who would have guessed?

[BluewookieJim]

So this is my location, unedited...

http://kodanja.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p766516310-3.jpg

http://kodanja.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p652822321-3.jpg

I even had a visitor while I was getting my tripod set up.

http://kodanja.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p615336538-3.jpg

[August 15 Photography]

the first one on the original post is still my favorite

[BluewookieJim]

Sorry if I misled you, I just posted those as an indicator of what the location was like. I didn't try to do anything artistic or compositionally in those shots.

Here are two shots from last night where I was "making the effort". Unfortunately, it was my first time out with my new tripod, so I was having some difficulties, but I'm still happy with the result. The second one still needs more PP work, I need to clean up the bottom right corner where I had to clone a few things out.

http://kodanja.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p745860251-4.jpg

http://kodanja.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p863757193-4.jpg

[chauncey]

Glenn, sometimes you get the elevator and sometimes the shaft.

A lot of space above the tree.

[ImageMogul]

Here are two shots from last night where I was "making the effort".

Its moving in a very positive direction there Jim. New pic #2 gives off a nice dreamy emotional "vibe". Moving the tree off center and bringing in the hill to the right helped create interest. If you could reduce the height of the sky a bit and perhaps persuade the star (moon?) to swing over to the upper right third of the frame ... :)

Good job so far!

Mark

[BluewookieJim]

Thanks.

Persuade the moon, sounds like an interesting idea. The moon looked so prominent when I was lining up the shot, now it looks just barely bigger than some of my sensor snot.

I tried to go with 7/8 ratio for the sky rather than 2/3. It does make for an awful lot of shy though. Some clouds would've helped.

[ImageMogul]

The moon looked so prominent when I was lining up the shot, now it looks just barely bigger than some of my sensor snot.

Backing up (physically) and zooming in with a longer lens would help make the moon more prominent (optical compression giving the effect of pulling it closer to the foreground) - but I realize the logistics of the site may not allow this. Don't want you to be dodging traffic while you line up the shot!

[yogestee]

Nice tree Jim..I'd like to see a series taken from exactly the same spot in the middle of the 4 seasons..

[BluewookieJim]

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement. This does seem like it could be a worthy year round subject, and seeing that I drive by it several times a week, I really have no excuse not to.

The Tamron lens has been glued to my camera since I got it about 5 weeks ago. I really like it. I've got the 28-135 which is certainly capable, so I should make a point of bringing that lens next time I capture this tree. Of course I feel so spoiled now with the fixed f/stop on the Tamron that I kind of cringe when I think of using the variable Canon.