Fallen Leaf on Log

[Karm Redland]

In this image I wanted to capture a sense of the fall season (with its beautiful colors) without taking a picture of trees.

Comments welcomed.



karm

[Digital]

Real nice photo, with some good texture.


Bruce

[Sunray]

That's the way I like autumn. Coloured and full of textures, like your picture. In reality its mostly cold and wet unfortunately.

[Karm Redland]

Thanks. I was hoping the log captured the wetness of the fall.

karm

[kdoc856]

Nice shot, Karm. I've taken to carrying a small water bottle with me on similar excursions that I can strategically pour or spray. You have indeed captured some of the wetness here, but oftentimes a quick spray can really accent.

[Mike Buckley]

When viewing the larger image, it seems as if I can feel both the texture and the moisture. I wonder, though, if you have a little more space at the bottom, allowing at least a little space between the stem and the bottom of the frame.

[NorthernFocus]

I like the idea. Somehow it's not grabbing me. I agree with the prior comment regarding being squeezed at the bottom. Did you try any different comps/crops. Maybe more of a diagonal composition so the grain of the wood doesn't make everything seem so square?

[FootLoose]

I wonder if the composition would have a stronger sense of 'fallen' if the leaf pointed downwards instead of upwards?

[Karm Redland]

I took this shot during a rainy day. The miracle is that the leaf had no water drops on it. Your idea about carrying a water bottle is a good one.

karm

[Karm Redland]

Greg, interesting point about the direction the leaf is pointed. I've got a different image with the leaf pointed downward. I'll post it tomorrow. (I didn't set this image up. The leaf was pointed in the direction that various natural forces "wanted" it pointed.)

karm

[Karm Redland]

Mike and Dan, I agree with you that the image feels a bit squeezed at the bottom. It's really the only thing that bothers me about it. I'll go back and see if that's how I took the picture or I cropped it this way.

karm

[Karm Redland]

Footloose, here's a version pointed down with more breathing room around the leaf's stem.



Karm

[Mike Buckley]

If you like doing this kind of photography, consider carrying a bag full of leaves so you can create a custom composition once you come upon a favorable background.

The second one doesn't work as well for me because, though the white spot is so compelling, its position in the frame draws my eye too far to the left. Perhaps that's just me. I also like the shape, color and upward lift of the first leaf better.

[FootLoose]

Hi Karm, I don't think the second photo quite so good as the first - but then there is different lighting and more subdued colours in the second, so its not a straight comparison. However, I do find the diagonal in this one to be more 'relaxed', which feels more like autumn to me.

Last autumn I took a few shots of fallen leaves, and I just twirled myself around until I had the composition I wanted - which generally was diagonals running from top left to bottom right. Apparently that has something to do with the way we read from left to right.

[Bobobird]

Beautiful textures and colours. I like it.

[Karm Redland]

Hi Mike. When I do this type of outdoor photography what I'm ultimately celebrating is how nature randomly creates beautiful scenes. Thus any type of setup ruins what I'm trying to capture.

At least for me, the white spot remains in my peripheral vision. I first look at the right side of the leaf. Then my eyes go to the water drop. Finally, I go to the white spot. Actually, for me, what I first see is the beauty of the overall scene. This is why I took the picture. Next I go through what I first described.

karm

[Karm Redland]

Thanks Bobo.

karm

[Karm Redland]

Greg, I don't like to set up this type of scene given what I'm trying to capture: how nature randomly creates something beautiful.

Karm