What Lies Beyond is up to you. I like this stark scene is because it can be serene, mysterious or even creepy depending on where your own imagination takes you. I tried this many ways (simplicity can be hard to decide on) but settled on this ultra simple wide composition because it just felt right. I like a scene that leaves storytelling to your own imagination and while it may do little for some, I think there are others who will enjoy the sense the mystery.
These trees can be found throughout Central Washington, as their used to break the wind. It was a foggy morning and took advantage of it using a my 70-200 set at length and making a final image devoid of other distractions with some cleanup in the post process. Many know my work for bold details or color, but sometimes to like to take simplicity and bold composition to extremes and this fit right in with my recent study on monochrome. This will be added to my signature collection and made s at least a thirty in wall piece… Gavin
by Gavin Seim: Today I’m going to kick off the new analyze inspiration series I promised a few weeks ago. In a nutshell, I take an image that get’s me thinking in some way. I talk about what I see (or don’t see) in it and invite readers to chime in with their own ideas and inspiration.
Pretty straightforward random thoughts about what was done and why it’s good, or bad. Here’s today’s photograph. Let’s start by just looking at it…
I was experimenting with composition and lighting yesterday in the park when I took this. I actually had my face and camera down in the grass giving me this soft foreground perspective that covered a big area of the frame. I shot it on my 5D MK2 at 1/125, f11, ISO400, 58mm and I think I had a little off camera flash on the foreground grass. I did some quick post in Lightroom using the Nature Boy preset from my PW2 collection and darkened the foreground a little using a gradient.
Good: The composition is different which draws in my eye.
Bad: There’s no main focal point. The grass may lead me in but then I don’t know which element I’m supposed to be seeing.
Good: It feel like there’s something hidden here. My eye scans wanting to solve the mystery.
Bad: It feels a bit crooked which annoys me.
Good: I like the bold greens.
Bad: I don’t want it on my wall.
In my opinion this shot only gets 64/100. That’s a FAIL and I would not hang it on my wall. The fact that it lacks a MAIN subject pretty much kills it. That doesn’t mean it’s useless however. The reality is that I was not expecting a great shot. I was exercising my skills by trying things.
Below I approached it differently. Same image, but in LR I applied a warm infrared from Monochromatix. This changes the whole mood. I also like it this way. In many ways it’s more simple, but the key problem remains. I don’t have a main subject and without one, this shot does not fulfill my eye’s desires to fin something amazing at it scans.
Thinking out loud. I got something from this shot even though it’s not great. It has me thiking about perspective, lighting and patterns. What if there was a HUGE bull Elk in walking between those two tree’s just right of center. That would change everything. If I’m ever laying in the grass watching a huge elf, you can bet this exercise will come to mind.
This was fun. I’ve got myself thinking about new ideas by looking close at this image and talking about it. I think I’m going to like this series. This is the kind of thing KungFu Photo is all about. Now I’m ready for your thoughts and ideas.
As promised here’s another shot from my recent trip down to the Leavenworth area to shoot nature around the Wenatchee River. This is a few miles up Highway 2, right by the bridge I posted last week.The color and vibrancy of nature in the fall is always so amazing. God sure knows his colors. This is one of my High dynamic range pieces with a few of my effects added. To get the broad range of light I use the tones from three images taken at different brightness levels.
