Point of View & Strand of Trees

[Round Tuit]

When I saw image #3, the first thing I thought of was an image exactly like you later posted as #5. That one works really well for me.

+1 to mike's comments.

Andre

[Brownbear]

Hi Binnur,

Thank you... I gave the overlay thing a try and I just didn't like the effect. So instead I revisited the original image and added contrast and vibrance... Plus I decided that there were too many trees so I cropped... When I visit again I have a better feel of how I wish to photograph these trees.

I tried the b&w, posted it, and then decided it was truly horrid, so I deleted it. All that said it was a good learning exercise.

Very helpful. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi Christina.

IMO #4 is a nice base image for PP. I know that you don't like strong colors very much but the image looks a bit washed out . What about duplicating the layer, changing the blending mode to overlay and adding a vignette to the image. I'm commenting just to give you an idea and if the image was mine I would also try other ways to make the image look better. BTW not too many trees in my opinion.

For #5, I would convert it to BnW and try to go for an artistic look.

Those are just my poor opinions and I believe that everybody has their own inner world. I have commented in the way my heart has told me. I hope it helps

[Brownbear]

Thank you Mike and Andre for sharing your thoughts and preference for #5... My husband prefers a version in the landscape format with everything centered... I still like the idea of #3 and I'm going to try again on a less windy day, and earlier in the morning because I think it will work with silky water. So I'll be trying this one again, but of course I will try the #5 version, too.

[bnnrcn]

Hi again Christina. I'm uploading two edits for #4. They are not very serious edits but they might give you some ideas. My points are as below.

1- I didn't crop the image but I squeezed it with content aware scale tool.So, I didn't lose the whole scene.

2- If the trees are too many, blurring them might work fine. So I tried some filter effects with some glow and/or diffusion in CEP4 . I also added some surface blur to the images.

3- As the edits are a bit on the artistic side , nothing in the images are related to reality and because it is 2:00 am here in Turkey and I'm sleepy I really don't know if I created a mess or not

[Brownbear]

" As the edits are a bit on the artistic side , nothing in the images are related to reality and because it is 2:00 am here in Turkey and I'm sleepy I really don't know if I created a mess or not"

Hi Binnur,

I'm sorry to hear that my attempts at artistry kept you up until 2am! I think this means that you're the true artist and I've a ways to go!

I truly appreciate your edits, and I'm especially fond of the dreamy surreal look. It shows me that I need to be more daring in post processing!

When I tried my black and white I did darken the shadows and made certain areas very black, so the surreal look is very similar but yours is far nicer than mine was. I love the greens in the first image but I think I prefer the b&w (at this moment)... The line of the water is a challenge because the light was reflecting off the rocks (and competing with the tree trunks) so in my b&w version I darkened the reds to tone this down, but I couldn't get the greens of the trees right, even in black and white.

I love the dark water in both of your versions, and also the dreamy trees (due to blurring is my best guess)... Anyhow I will save the image and give it another try, one day...

Thank you for the artistic inspiration. Truly appreciated!

[Mike Buckley]

I really like both versions, Binnur, but I prefer the monochrome. That's because the dirt in the color version attracts my eye whereas the light tones in the monochrome version of the dirt and tress seem more balanced to my eye. You have more of a creative vision than anything I would hope to have.

[bnnrcn]

Hi Christina and Mike, I'm glad that you liked the edits

Thank you and please don't worry Christina, I didn't stay up till late last night only because of editing your image, I had also other things to do. I'm sure the more you try the more you will get nicer and more artisitc images. Just keep on trying, this is what I do

Thanks a lot for your encouraging words Mike. You have great control of light and colors in your images and I like them a lot. So, I think there is a lot of room for everyone in photography and everbody has their own way of understanding and interpreting it

[KimC]

Hi Christina. I also remember the landscapes and also agree the clouds add a lot. #2 is my preferred crop.

Love, love #5 -- totally artistic and wonderful!

[D L]

Christina, I like the progression of #3 - #5. Those exposed tree trunks draw the eye so strongly, that is it difficult to draw the eye through the rest of the frame.
I liked Binnur's idea of monochrome. (Beautiful edits, Binnur.)
I think you have some really good images here to be proud of. I'm glad to hear you plan on going back. I think somewhere in your artistic vision is something truly amazing.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Binnur, Kim, and DL for your comments, advice and encouragement.

Truly appreciated.

To finish this thread off I'm posting one last edit in an attempt at finding my artistic self. I followed Binnur's general guidelines adding contrast, playing up the colours, using an overlay filter (at a lowered opacity to my taste), and then I selectively blurred the trees and the water near the rocks... And then I added an Emerald Filter because the image isn't supposed to represent reality. I also added a vignette. Likely the most post processing I've ever attempted.
I couldn't manage the b&w well enough, so until another day and time.

Thank you to all.

[bnnrcn]

I like it a lot Christina Next time when you look at the raw file of an image, just think about what feelings you have about the image and what effects you want to create on the image and then go for it. While doing it please let yourself free and don't think what the other people will think about your edit .

BTW softlight blending mode is less strong than the overlay mode, you can try that one too for your edits. In fact I try every tool in my softwares for my edits to see how they work because they might help me for my further edits. To tell you the truth your image is the first one that I squeezed, it has been good practice for me too

[Brownbear]

Thank you, Binnur. I tried all of those filters to see the effects, and it was a good exercise in artistic post processing. The next time I work on an image I will try and squeeze it, just for fun.

Great advice on thinking about the feeling of an image, and tackling it with full freedom.

[KimC]

Just GORGEOUS!

Thank you Binnur, Kim, and DL for your comments, advice and encouragement.

Truly appreciated.

To finish this thread off I'm posting one last edit in an attempt at finding my artistic self. I followed Binnur's general guidelines adding contrast, playing up the colours, using an overlay filter (at a lowered opacity to my taste), and then I selectively blurred the trees and the water near the rocks... And then I added an Emerald Filter because the image isn't supposed to represent reality. I also added a vignette. Likely the most post processing I've ever attempted.
I couldn't manage the b&w well enough, so until another day and time.

Thank you to all.

[Brownbear]

Thank you, Kim... Honestly, I'm still not sure how I feel about my last edit. Very different for me, but it is nice to know that you and Binnur like it, even though I shouldn't worry about that. It is certainly encouraging for me to explore my artistic side.

Just GORGEOUS!