Translucent Green

[Murtasma]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/511457619_df2a6847d5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/murtasma/511457619/)

Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/11
Focal Length: 50 mm (The Nifty Fifty)
ISO: 800 (could have gotten away with 400 but, I'd rather have a slightly noisy image as compared to a blury picture)


On my walk in Lillie Park I looked up and saw this wonderful canopy of leaves however it was about 2 hours until the sunset so it was pretty harsh lighting conditions. I wanted a shot with a little more contrast and depth so I decided to continue on my way. I decided I would come back in one hourwhen the sun was at a lower angle. I took some more shots with my 75-300 since it's light hungry. On my way back the sun was lower forest floor was much darker now which gave the lower part of the canopy a nice variance in lighting from the top to the bottom so I took this shot with no tripod. Barely any photoshop work just one selective color adjustment layer where I added more cyan and black to the whites to create alittle bit of a blue sky.

I would have liked to wait until the sun was perhaps a little lower in 15 - 20 minutes but, the bugs were eating me alive since I did not have any repellent and was in shorts, a poorly planned photo shot but, you live an learn. I do however think the branches that lead your eyes up through the translucent greens makes this image work.

Also a good reason when to know not to take the shot. I find my best pictures are 1 hr before the sunsets to about 30 min after the sunsets. I get the nicest colors and contrast in my images except for shooting during high day with the telephoto since it's so light hungry but, that's shooting birds and animals, a much diffrent challenge with my light hungry telephoto but, I enjoy the challenge.

[thekevinmonster]

Normally, I can't stand that yellowish glow that leaves get. To me, it short-circuits the idea that leaves are 'green'. I like that dark, high-contrast green you see in 'this picture was made with 10,000 dollars worth of photography equipment' nature shots.

But, that picture is awesome. I must return to that park sometime, unencumbered by tired friends.

[wulf]

I think this photo is very appealing; I love the effect of dappled light falling through the leaf canopy and you have caught it well. If you want to get extra mileage out of the picture, you could also crop it down to a 4:3 format for desktop wallpaper.

Wulf

[purplepixie]

Beautiful image :) has an illustrative feel

[Saralonde]

I like this; I keep coming back for another look, trying to decide why I like it. The variations in green color, the play of light, touches of blue breaking through and the position of the branches all have a part in it.

[Murtasma]

I may try to experimenting with some mirroring of the image and some cloneing of branches. I really wish the image had a wider view however that was pretty much the whole canopy so going to a wider focal length would have thrown the exposer off.

[JJthethird]

Great shot, love the colours and the contrast, well done.

John.:)

[hora]

Wow, that's an amazing shot! I love the colours, and the framing is excellent. Mind you, I'm new to photography so my compliments might not mean much.:p

[matthewchj]

Nice picture! I like the shape and colour of the leaves, and the way the light passes through and around them.

[thingy]

The colour in this shot is fantastic with the variances of green contrasted by the branches and twigs. Unfortunately for me, no matter how much I like looking at it, that very contrast has my eyes jumping all over the image. I would love to see a less busy, heavily cropped version.

G

[texmex5]

Like everyone before me have said - lovely colors, I also like the pattern the tree-branches give the picture and most of all I love this picture because great contrast colors and feeling have been achieved without Photoshop! :)