Sparkling Tree

[Shindy]

To the eye; the bright sun on water droplets on the needles sparkled like diamonds.



ISO 200,Av 11,Tv 1/250, 113mm
Is there some setting changes that would have picked up the real sparkle of the water droplets.

[jentenna]

In my humble newbie opinion:

I like the concept, but I'm not sure it's really captured here. Some thoughts:

1. Maybe it would have been better to get closer and limit the shot to some of the more brightly lit branches, rather than trying to capture the whole tree? A good portion of it is just dark due to the back lighting.

2. Opening up the aperture would have helped blur the grass in the background, which is distracting and isn't doing anything for the picture. I think framing the shot so that you avoided the dark patch in the background would have helped, as well.

3. If this picture was taken early in the morning or later in the day (around sunrise/sunset), you might have had the benefit of some more pleasing lighting conditions.

[Cheryl V.]

I think if you had gotten closer and maybe put the lighting on the other side so that it was shining though the water drops it would have helped to bring out what you were looking for. You could have even made 1 drop the main focus with the others in the background slightly blurred.

Cheryl

[Shindy]

Jentenna and Cheryl... Thanks for your comments.

I actually took this shot of about the top 1/3 of the tree from a second floor window about forty feet for the tree. The angle with the sun must have been just right to create some sprakle but it does not show up in the photo and you may be right that the background blots out the sparkle effect. I also took a shot from the ground level form about 15 feet from the tree but the angle must have not been right to get the sprakle. If this droplet condition show up again I'll try some different apertures, focal lengths and shot a series of angles. Thanks again.