Autumn leaves as foreground...

[Dazyl]

... in a landscape.



EXIF:
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/10
Focal Length: 20 mm
Exposure Bias: -4/3 EV

What say ye?

[wulf]

If anything, I would say there is too much colour in this shot; you have strong reds, greens, yellows and blues, plus the white of the clouds and the neutral colour of the river. I think that might work better if the two dark leaves near the bottom right were also brighter but, as it is, I think they are distracting. I suppose brighter colours would make them read as the subject.

I am also not keen on the leaves appearing to almost randomly hang from the top of the frame. Cropping the top a bit lower would help with that (you can just scroll the picture up in the browser to get a quick preview of the difference it makes).

It looks like a great place to be and a great time of year to be there but I think the photo needs to answer the question "what is the subject?".

Wulf

[Dazyl]

Hi Wulf -- thanks so much for your thoughts!

In all honesty, I was stunned by the amount of color in this shot. When standing on the bank, my eye moderated -- and of course, I had long-since accommodated my mind to the ridiculously postcard-perfect sky.

I understand exactly what you're saying about the leaves and branches at the top. I toyed with a crop but ultimately decided to let it stand as part of the framing. I put them in deliberately when I composed, but I was tossed up about it.

The question of "what is the subject" often comes up (for me) with landscape shots. I am guilty on this one, no doubt, but I plead innocent by reason of subjectivity. I'm like a kid in the candy store lately, since via my camera's lens, I've realized for the first time that we actually have autumn here.

LOL!

Your feedback is very helpful, and much appreciated! I'm relieved to hear that I'm not the only one who got hit in the face (so to speak) by the vibrant color.

[Teewinot]

First off I will just say, WOW! That is one colorful tree! But I do have to agree with Wulf on this one...perhaps the saturation is just a pinch too much here. But just a pinch. But every time I look at that tree...wow!

I find my eye being led by the horizon from left to right, but then as soon as the horizon meets the leaves, my eye gets confused. Wulf mentioned that it's always good to ask yourself what your subject is. I think this is an excellent shot just in that it is a rainbow of fall colors, but I do agree that there is not really a clear focal point, likely due to the fact that the foreground leaves and the background lake/horizon trees are actually competing for attention. Perhaps you could crop out some of the leaves so they act more as a frame for the lake? Just an idea. But you don't want to lose too much, because those leaves are contributing a major wow factor to your shot. I would just play around with various crops until you see something that's more balanced.

Nice job, I always enjoy your work!!

edit: looks like we posted at the same time!!

[wulf]

This discussion is the reason why it is so useful to build up your critiquing skills. If you can identify something, like "I find my eye being led by the horizon from left to right, but then as soon as the horizon meets the leaves, my eye gets confused" (excellent point!) in the field, you can look around for alternative points of view while the opportunity still presents itself.

Mind you, as it is, you now have an excuse to go back...

Wulf

[Dazyl]

Originally Posted by Teewinot

edit: looks like we posted at the same time!!

We did! I'm so sorry -- I went away again and didn't pay careful attention. (really was up much too early today...!).

Thank you very much for your feedback (and the wows)! As Wulf says, describing the confusion of your eye is just exactly what this is all about! And your impression of the color as the subject is certainly where my mind was.

Even as I see myself improving all the time, it's always wonderful to learn more.

(And Wulf -- I'll take any excuse! LOL!!!)