For me the best feature of this one is the leading line of the lower overhanging limb leading to the statue of John Wesley and the other behind creating a X over the signs. But I found the jumble of limbs above, the brighter color contrast of the building and other sharp details distracting me. While you probably wouldn't want to modify it to this degree for a competition entry I edited to crop out as many distractions as I could on top, tone down others, and then use selective blur and sharpening to lead the eye over the distractions by rendering them OOF and along the desired eye path left > right following the limb by keeping to sharp. It's a bit exaggerated here for effect... The goal would be to do it just enough to create the desired eye movement subliminally without the viewer noticing the PP manipulations....
What is interesting is how the pattern in the red flowers in the foreground on mirror the angle of the limb above it. Those types of pattens in a photo are easier to seen when the competing jumble of branches above is eliminated. I cloned out the pink flowers in the corner because I would want the viewer to be focusing on the statue, with plaque readable so they'd know who he was, not pulled down to the corner to check out the contrasting tone/color of the flowers there.
See you made it to Savannah, hope the weather holds!
I prefer the color version but for WA purposes, sort of a round peg in square hole....historical marker and statue competing with the gorgeous oak as subjects. From that, I'd like to know the historical significance and story - tree becomes window dressing.
Chuck and Bob,
I appreciate your thoughts.
Chuck,
I agree. The panoramic crop eliminates some of the busy and distracting elements in the original. But I love those pink flowers!
Chuck and Bob,
The pink flower issue is part of the issue. I much prefer looking at the color and I think the lower right hand corner flowers add balance to the capture. But, since the topic is trees, the color in the image, the flower, and yes, the historical marker and statue all make this something less focused as a "tree" image.
Pouring rain today and heading out tomorrow, so I am not hopeful for other entries.
And, once I hit Florida most interesting tree shots are....history.
