There's a tree that I've been able to see from the school parking lot, and I've noticed it almost every day for a long time; since before I got my DSLR. It stands alone in a field, with not much of a backdrop behind it. On cloudy or foggy days especially it looks really cool.
Today, I finally got around to walking out and shooting it.
click to enlarge, or see it on Flickr
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 1/400
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 55 mm
Handheld
I realized when choosing out of my various angles and exposures which photo I would edit that the one that appealed to me most was the one I think captured the point of this tree. Yeah, I had some photos that were much better focused, shot at a more landscape-y focal length, framed more fully, etc. But in the end, I went with the somewhat badly focused, wide framed, more telephoto shot because it showed how alone the tree was, which is really the defining characteristic of this tree. That's a good thing to bear in mind when composing shots in the future, I think.
In post, I actually lowered the contrast (something I rarely do for non-portrait photos), desaturated slightly, and cooled down the color cast in an attempt to make the setting look more desolate, which I think accentuated the mood this photo has.
Nice capture. I have my eye on a few trees that a similar around here. I like them when they stand alone like that. You did a great job in capturing that feeling.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I noticed in this photo was the two other trees to the left. Did you try any photos with the one that you like in the foreground, and the other two repeating in descending order into the depths (across the photo) of the photograph? I'm just curious as to what it would look like. I realize it would be a different photo than what you were trying to achieve with this one.
Relativity is so important in a composition - only space and distance can give you this tree in its solitude! Nice job! Thanks for your encouragement - I AM pwning it, and not stopping!
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