Knarly Tree Against the Fog

[txtinman]

I wanted to silhouette the tree against the fog, but I wonder if there should be a little more detail in the tree.

Nikon D50, 1/1000, f/8.0, ISO 200, 18-55mm kit lens shot at 18mm.
Photo was processed with UFRaw v0.11 and the Gimp v2.4.2 on Ubuntu Linux 7.10

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/txtinman/2223669998/" title="DSC_9219_mod by txtinman, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2141/2223669998_c523ced57e.jpg" width="500" height="321" alt="DSC_9219_mod" /></a>

[geotography]

txtinman,

I love it! I'm jealous that you have fog and I don't right now. I've been dying for a fog shot of some sort. So, I will live vicariously through your photo for now.

As for your tree detail question, I don't think so. You picked a good tree speciman...what nice lines. Sillouettes are so powerful in photographs.

Here are some mineur points: lower left frame is a tad dark; and I would have thought it perfect if the tree top had not been clipped in top left frame.

Nice Photo! Good work!

[peeperita]

nice image...

i think your tree as a silhoutte is as sharp as it needs to me....you have made a good choice on your depth of field as the silhouttes of flencing and trees as just getting lost in the fog....

i think that framing is a little tight though.....i'd like to see more room between the tree and the edges of the frame....

thanks

peeper

[txtinman]

Thanks for the suggestions. My framing was tight because I was trying to eliminate a chainlink fince that runs close to the left side of the tree. I tried some other angles, but the sun on the right was too much. I had to take what I could I guess. Thanks again.

[netbymatt]

I don't mind the tight framing especially because you were trying to highlight the fog on the right side of the photo. However, I also see another interesting photo in this one, between the tree in the foreground and the on in the distance on the right side. I think a crop with only those two trees would be rather interesting.

[Ewie]

Fantastic shot, can't wait until winter here down under, we get some great fog around here from about April/May onwards....

It's a pity about the chain link fence because the tree would make more of a statement if you could widen the crop left AND top, top on it's own would'nt work IMO. However all things considered this crop works.

One thing I would do however, would be to clone out the overhead power lines leading from right frame into the tree.

Colour and contrast is perfect IMO.... Great shot. :)

[Tami19]

Thanks for the suggestions. My framing was tight because I was trying to eliminate a chainlink fince that runs close to the left side of the tree. I tried some other angles, but the sun on the right was too much. I had to take what I could I guess. Thanks again.

I was going to ask if you could have changed the angle because of the power lines running through the shot, but this explains it. I think that this is a great shot. I don't know the area but maybe you could try some shots where you focus more on like the side of the tree keeping the bark in detail and having the rest of the shot showing the foggy field?

I don't know what you are able to accomplish with the site but it was just a suggestion. It is hard to do shots when you have a busy background like that.
Great job none-the-less!!

[txtinman]

I was going to ask if you could have changed the angle because of the power lines running through the shot, but this explains it. I think that this is a great shot. I don't know the area but maybe you could try some shots where you focus more on like the side of the tree keeping the bark in detail and having the rest of the shot showing the foggy field?

I don't know what you are able to accomplish with the site but it was just a suggestion. It is hard to do shots when you have a busy background like that.
Great job none-the-less!!

Thanks. The tree is in my backyard. I have houses on both sides of me which makes for limited backgrounds. When I saw the fog that morning I decided to take advantage of the fact that most of the neighborhood would not be visible.

[Sandie]

Hi, I hope you don't mind, but I was having trouble putting into words the tiny things that were bothering me about this amazing photo, so I played with it a bit in PS
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandiemg/2227922003/" title="tree in fog by sandiemg, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/2227922003_fdd55d801f.jpg" width="500" height="321" alt="tree in fog" /></a>

I changed a few branches around so that the strong dark diagonal line that took my eye out of the frame was stopped and redirected, then I softened the edges on the left so it didn't look so tight. It was just a few clicks of the cloning stamp, but I think the viewer's eye can move more naturally around the tree now.

[Taallyn]

I like it. I think it might be a little tight on the top of the tree, but I think the left side is ok; especially if you framing it to keep a distracting element out. There are two things I might suggest. One is maybe framing it a bit higher next time which would show more of the tree and reduce the dark, featureless foreground a tad. The other would be to clone out the powerlines on the right so they don't interrupt the flow of the fog.

[txtinman]

Hi, I hope you don't mind, but I was having trouble putting into words the tiny things that were bothering me about this amazing photo, so I played with it a bit in PS
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandiemg/2227922003/" title="tree in fog by sandiemg, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/2227922003_fdd55d801f.jpg" width="500" height="321" alt="tree in fog" /></a>

I changed a few branches around so that the strong dark diagonal line that took my eye out of the frame was stopped and redirected, then I softened the edges on the left so it didn't look so tight. It was just a few clicks of the cloning stamp, but I think the viewer's eye can move more naturally around the tree now.

I'm going to play around with the clone tool. I have not used the Gimp much except for adjusting levels and curves. I can't see what you did with the branches. What exactly did you do to them?

[Sandie]

I don't know anything about gimp, but I am just beginning to learn adobe photoshop.

I can't see what you did with the branches. What exactly did you do to them?

Basicly the easiest way to describe it is I gave the tree a trim, just a little of the top and side ;) If you look the picture there is a strong diagonal branch that goes from the center of the tree off the top of the frame. I cut it back quite a bit and 'feathered' the top branches out little bit. So the new tree has more of a dome shape at the top, then on the left side I did the same thing only on a smaller scale. So that a little bit of fog moves all the way around the tree.

[txtinman]

I don't know anything about gimp, but I am just beginning to learn adobe photoshop.



Basicly the easiest way to describe it is I gave the tree a trim, just a little of the top and side ;) If you look the picture there is a strong diagonal branch that goes from the center of the tree off the top of the frame. I cut it back quite a bit and 'feathered' the top branches out little bit. So the new tree has more of a dome shape at the top, then on the left side I did the same thing only on a smaller scale. So that a little bit of fog moves all the way around the tree.

Now I see it. That is really cool. I've got to learn this. Thanks.