Magical Woods

[Barbara Ponder]

Nice!

[bnnrcn]

Very nice image Kim, I like the mood Are you still with the old mentor or a new one?

[IzzieK]

Thanks Izzie and Beth - looks like it creeped you both out a little ;-)

Nahhhhh...the shot did not creeped me...you see that guy at the RHS by the middle of the frame there? He is my magical supporter. Look again if you don't see him...he's wavin' at you... Did you see him?

[mknittle]

Great image Kim, I like it a lot.

[AndrewMcD]

I think the vignette is particularly effective. Very nice image. I enjoy those wet misty winter days afoot in the wood.

[GBO25]

Excellent shot. The sort of scene a cinematographer would be looking for to spook the audience.

[KimC]

Thank you Binnur, Mark, Andrew and Graham. It's so interesting how we all perceive things differently. I see peace and tranquility, whereas others find it spooky -- that's what makes art so great! :-)

Binnur, working with the same person and getting a better grip on PP.

[Otavio]

Hello, Kim. I like the image a lot. The reason: The mood. I do believe, as Mike seems to do, it would be even better if you could have avoided the yellow/brown leaves, as they are a bit distracting. Still it is a very nice image, IMHO.

Well done. Cheers,

[KimC]

Hello, Kim. I like the image a lot. The reason: The mood. I do believe, as Mike seems to do, it would be even better if you could have avoided the yellow/brown leaves, as they are a bit distracting. Still it is a very nice image, IMHO.

Well done. Cheers,

The mood is great, Kim. The brown leaves work well enough for me to appreciate their importance but not well enough to prevent me from thinking that the photo is a bit busy.

For Mike and Otavio - worked up another version for you:

[bnnrcn]

Edit looks better Kim

[Mark von Kanel]

Thats really good kim, Well done!

[KimC]

Thank you Binnur and Mark. My preference is the one with the hint of color. :-)

[Mark von Kanel]

Thank you Binnur and Mark. My preference is the one with the hint of color. :-)

Sorry should have said, i preferred the original version, it gave it a more mystical fairytale feel.

[NorthernFocus]

... It's so interesting how we all perceive things differently. I see peace and tranquility, whereas others find it spooky -- that's what makes art so great! ...

Kim, if one is interested in producing images to be viewed by others, this is one of the biggest challenges. As the photographer, our minds contain additional information from the scene not evident in the two dimensional image. Our minds remember the surrounding scenery, sounds, smells, moisture/dryness of the air, etc. Even the mood we were in when we took the photo can affect our mind's eye. The observer only has the two dimensional image to process. And for each of us the image likely brings up perceptions or memories based on our own individual experiences. As you have noted, one of the benefits of posting for feedback in forums like this is to gain that very realization of how differently images are mentally processed by others. Other photogs critiquing your work will likely point out many things that others will never notice. Then again, many non-artist/photographers many times don't even know why they like one image better than another when it is precisely due to some of those nitty little details, rules of thirds, etc.

Figuring out all those things make it fun. And at the end of the day, unless you do it for a living, that's what counts.

I liked the B/W version because it eliminated the distraction of the yellowish leaves in the FG. The image basically says winter to me. Not necessarily spooky. But damp and chilly at least.

[KimC]

Kim, if one is interested in producing images to be viewed by others, this is one of the biggest challenges. As the photographer, our minds contain additional information from the scene not evident in the two dimensional image. Our minds remember the surrounding scenery, sounds, smells, moisture/dryness of the air, etc. Even the mood we were in when we took the photo can affect our mind's eye. The observer only has the two dimensional image to process. And for each of us the image likely brings up perceptions or memories based on our own individual experiences. As you have noted, one of the benefits of posting for feedback in forums like this is to gain that very realization of how differently images are mentally processed by others. Other photogs critiquing your work will likely point out many things that others will never notice. Then again, many non-artist/photographers many times don't even know why they like one image better than another when it is precisely due to some of those nitty little details, rules of thirds, etc.

Figuring out all those things make it fun. And at the end of the day, unless you do it for a living, that's what counts.

I liked the B/W version because it eliminated the distraction of the yellowish leaves in the FG. The image basically says winter to me. Not necessarily spooky. But damp and chilly at least.

Thank you for sharing your insight Dan. I tend to look at others' pictures here (often not commenting as I am not an expert) so I can see how my perception of an image might differ from others; doing so is slowing helping me to see the world with a different lens.

[Marie Hass]

Dear Kim,

You are right, in that as many of us that have responded to your thread, there are that many differences of opinion.

As you well know, there are no rights and wrongs.

That said, the use of the brown leaves warm your image and provide a focal point. They provide an offset to the busyness of the branches in the wood. Their sweep allows the eye to rest.

Wonderful job, both, but the monochrome leaves me wanting more.

'Rie