autum reflections

[Theo]

This picture almost got deleted just had to flip it around

[habakuk]

The shot certainly has a nice quality of light and color. I'd cut off the lower third to get rid of that extra green there. The birch with he green leaves and white stems, the blue sky and the red leafes of the other tree alone are enough joy for me.

It's one of those shots that are pleasant without being really deeply fascinating to me.

cheers
®

[aprilS]

I really want to like this image! "Shimmering" is the word that comes to mind. It is so close to reality, with an added quality of perception/impression and rich color that does fascinate me.

But as many times as I've viewed, on two different forums, I can't figure out why it doesn't quite work (for me). Since I'm here to learn, I'll throw this out:

* I tend to prefer a version flipped so the birch is on the left, because that gives me a little more feeling of depth.

* Then what makes me pause is that the red tree, which "should" be forward, doesn't have a strong trunk and recedes.

So maybe it's a question of equal size and equal weight (including color), right and left, which are competing for my attention in 2 dimensions instead of 3. My mind can't reconcile. Then again, this is an abstract impression of the scene, so...what's wrong with this picture?!

I'm appreciating the puzzle, Theo.

[Theo]

This is one picture that i am defiantly going to revisit. I really like the bold colors and the painterly effect the water made. thanks for all the c&c

yours

[eob]

I think that the color is the only thing that works in this photo. That is what color always does in this kind of a picture.

To make this picture work better, I would probably choose a different perspective to provide some depth and eliminate the effect of 2-dimensionality. That would also help to deal with the lack of a definite point of interest. I would use much shallower DOF to concentrate on ripples in the water, letting the color make blurry shapes rather than show every little leaf reflected in the water.

[aprilS]

Ah-hah. Viewing in b&w does simplify, and help clarify that the focus of this particular capture is definitely on intense color and quality of line. At least, that's how it appears to me.

Though I use b&w to check for alternate versions of an image or tonal contrast during processing, I'd not thought to use it as a critical tool.