Bonzai Ascension

15-image HDR and a very little bit of work in PS...

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …gicusaeturnus/6​993908052/

nice color and detail and very creative

Like the #1

tomcat7886 wrote in post #14377086
Like the #1

I agree.

If the theme is sort of "ascension", then I think that the tree and the pot need to be adequately separated enough. First photo, I'd say that the tree does look like it is ascending (or descending, but the title plus the picture conveys the act of ascension to me. Second picture, it honestly just sort of looks like you dropped a dead tree on top of the pot. I don't see "tree ascending", I see dropping dead tree with a really fast shutter speed."

Bottom line...I think that the first picture's use of space more sufficiently conveys what's supposed to be going on.

Also, the second picture is just really yellow. I understand that the dead tree is going to look yellow because it's dead. But honestly, the pot is just sort of muddy-looking in the second picture. In the first, it's a vibrant blue, and there's this really nice contrast between the blue of the pot and the goldenness of the dead tree.

Furthermore, I don't think that the dirt is really important. It's understood that flower pots contain dirt. That's implied in the first picture simply due to the tree rising from a flower pot. And to confirm this, there are just these tiny little pieces of moss and twigs and $*** sticking up over the edge of the pot. I think that's enough. That sells the illusion without having the picture being dominated by a lot of dirt that doesn't really add anything to the picture. I don't really need to SEE all that dirt.

Another question which you probably shouldn't answer. Did you use a dead tree because the tree being dead was critical to the picture, or did you just use a dead tree because you didn't want to potentially hurt a live one?

Again, you maybe shouldn't even answer that. Because I think that the first photo is awesome, and I like that there's a little bit of mystery to it. "Why is the tree ascending, what does that mean?" Don't tell me. It's far more interesting for me to figure that out on my own.

But here's the thing. Looking at the first picture, I just sort of get this idea of the tree ascending BECAUSE it's dead. Sort of like it's floating up to heaven. Not that I think that's LITERALLY what you're trying to convey, because even among the people I know who believe in heaven, I know pretty much none who actually believe that trees literally go to heaven when they die. But the picture sort of makes me think of that, and to me it sort of feels representational of a kind of sadness. That picture is just a little bit sad to me. Despite tree heaven not actually existing, there's just sort of a sad and tragic beauty in the first picture, and I can't help but feel a little bit sad that it is dead.

Now switch it up and do that with a live tree, and I would feel COMPLETELY differently about it. I still probably would think it's a great photograph, but the feelings it evoked in me would likely be VERY different.

Clean Gene wrote in post #14382377
I agree.

If the theme is sort of "ascension", then I think that the tree and the pot need to be adequately separated enough. First photo, I'd say that the tree does look like it is ascending (or descending, but the title plus the picture conveys the act of ascension to me. Second picture, it honestly just sort of looks like you dropped a dead tree on top of the pot. I don't see "tree ascending", I see dropping dead tree with a really fast shutter speed."

Bottom line...I think that the first picture's use of space more sufficiently conveys what's supposed to be going on.

Also, the second picture is just really yellow. I understand that the dead tree is going to look yellow because it's dead. But honestly, the pot is just sort of muddy-looking in the second picture. In the first, it's a vibrant blue, and there's this really nice contrast between the blue of the pot and the goldenness of the dead tree.

Furthermore, I don't think that the dirt is really important. It's understood that flower pots contain dirt. That's implied in the first picture simply due to the tree rising from a flower pot. And to confirm this, there are just these tiny little pieces of moss and twigs and $*** sticking up over the edge of the pot. I think that's enough. That sells the illusion without having the picture being dominated by a lot of dirt that doesn't really add anything to the picture. I don't really need to SEE all that dirt.

Another question which you probably shouldn't answer. Did you use a dead tree because the tree being dead was critical to the picture, or did you just use a dead tree because you didn't want to potentially hurt a live one?

Again, you maybe shouldn't even answer that. Because I think that the first photo is awesome, and I like that there's a little bit of mystery to it. "Why is the tree ascending, what does that mean?" Don't tell me. It's far more interesting for me to figure that out on my own.

But here's the thing. Looking at the first picture, I just sort of get this idea of the tree ascending BECAUSE it's dead. Sort of like it's floating up to heaven. Not that I think that's LITERALLY what you're trying to convey, because even among the people I know who believe in heaven, I know pretty much none who actually believe that trees literally go to heaven when they die. But the picture sort of makes me think of that, and to me it sort of feels representational of a kind of sadness. That picture is just a little bit sad to me. Despite tree heaven not actually existing, there's just sort of a sad and tragic beauty in the first picture, and I can't help but feel a little bit sad that it is dead.

Now switch it up and do that with a live tree, and I would feel COMPLETELY differently about it. I still probably would think it's a great photograph, but the feelings it evoked in me would likely be VERY different.

Haha, thank you very much for the comment! As a matter of fact, the the first one is the most thought out one... I was trying to get the "feeling" in the second, but I agree with you, it just didn't happen. The Bonsai was given to me by my girlfriend a couple of years ago, and last year, I ended up moving 3 times in less than a year, and the tree stressed out and died. Well, I'd envisioned something even a little more enigmatic, and I really wanted to have even more depth and my original idea was a little different, but still included the tree, dead, having been lifted out of the pot, and "ascending".

So I suppose this was a very loosely contrived idea of ascension. And yes, I know trees don't go to heaven when they die, but again, it was very loosely contrived. I am very glad to see it at least invoked some thought.

Thanks again!

edit: and there really is very little ps work, the tree is basically on a piece of wire that is supported by the dirt, and cloned out in PS.

Logicus wrote in post #14386686
Haha, thank you very much for the comment! As a matter of fact, the the first one is the most thought out one... I was trying to get the "feeling" in the second, but I agree with you, it just didn't happen. The Bonsai was given to me by my girlfriend a couple of years ago, and last year, I ended up moving 3 times in less than a year, and the tree stressed out and died. Well, I'd envisioned something even a little more enigmatic, and I really wanted to have even more depth and my original idea was a little different, but still included the tree, dead, having been lifted out of the pot, and "ascending".

So I suppose this was a very loosely contrived idea of ascension. And yes, I know trees don't go to heaven when they die, but again, it was very loosely contrived. I am very glad to see it at least invoked some thought.

Thanks again!

edit: and there really is very little ps work, the tree is basically on a piece of wire that is supported by the dirt, and cloned out in PS.

Ah, so like...part of the inspiration for the shoot was an element of guilt, and an attempt to portray the Dead Thing in a respectful manner?

I sort of get that, and that's absolutely the kind of vibe I'm getting in the first picture. If that's remotely the tone that you were going for in the first picture, then it's working.