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Archive 2014 · From today

ben egbert
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · From today

I bought my first SLR because I was inspired by fall color upon moving from Southern California to North Idaho. So far I have never been very good at fall color, I consider it my weakest subject among landscapes.

The problem is I never can know what to use as a subject. A leaf? Part of a tree, the entire tree, a groove etc. At an angle? Straight on? Include a road? Allow the trees to lean when pointing up? Color as part of a more conventional comp?

I have lots of recent examples. Here are a couple I took today. Fairly casual, these are hand held in mid day light. More to ask this question.

I cropped a lot off the bottom of the second image. It was just grass.

Oct 09, 2014 at 07:07 PM

FarmerJohn
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · From today

You have aspen color still?! Nice!

First one - seems some odd blurriness in the top leaves? Wind?
I think you could un-crop the first one to leave a bit more room, and crop even more off the bottom of the second one.

Aspens and blue skies is a great combination for sure. Aspens are one of the few things that seem to do really well at mid-day photography, as opposed to golden hour.

You could try with some rivers/reflections in the foreground? Sadly the grass isn't too interesting....

Oct 09, 2014 at 07:15 PM

ben egbert
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · From today

FarmerJohn wrote:
You have aspen color still?! Nice!

First one - seems some odd blurriness in the top leaves? Wind?
I think you could un-crop the first one to leave a bit more room, and crop even more off the bottom of the second one.

Aspens and blue skies is a great combination for sure. Aspens are one of the few things that seem to do really well at mid-day photography, as opposed to golden hour.

You could try with some rivers/reflections in the foreground? Sadly the grass isn't too interesting....

I used a lot of shift on the first one to avoid the road in front of the trees without pointing up. Leaning trees are one thing I avoid like the plague. That one is not cropped. Focus may be wonky, shutter speed should have frozen any motion.

I should have used some shift on the second and got more sky and less foreground.

Here are a couple from last week. One stream and one reflection. I posted one of these at landscape.

Yes, the aspen are just at peak and Zion does not peak until first week of November..

Edited on Oct 09, 2014 at 07:27 PM · View previous versions

Oct 09, 2014 at 07:24 PM

sbeme

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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · From today

I think John hit it spot on with his observations, comments, suggestions. The blue/gold combo is appealing and strong and the comp is fine.
Second feels lacking in the simplicity of the first, busy but without focal interest or effective color play. No where for the eye to settle as dominant area of interest. In the first it is the tallest aspen leaves against the blue sky with pleasing, quieter or less dominant variations on the sides. And the dominant tree is nicely off-centered ( at a third perhaps?) adding to the compositions effectiveness.'
You have been around! So Cal, Utah, northern Idaho! More?

Scott

Oct 09, 2014 at 07:26 PM

ben egbert
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · From today

sbeme wrote:
I think John hit it spot on with his observations, comments, suggestions. The blue/gold combo is appealing and strong and the comp is fine.
Second feels lacking in the simplicity of the first, busy but without focal interest or effective color play. No where for the eye to settle as dominant area of interest. In the first it is the tallest aspen leaves against the blue sky with pleasing, quieter or less dominant variations on the sides. And the dominant tree is nicely off-centered ( at a third perhaps?) adding to the compositions effectiveness.'
You have been around! So Cal, Utah, northern...Show more →

Thanks for the input. 40 years in So Cal, 30 more in North Idaho/Spokane WA. (only 30 miles apart) and the last 4 in Utah.

The comp of the first was as is usually the case. I see some great color and a favorable sun position, so I find a place to park. Then I attempt to frame something without the road, leaning trees etc. I call it composition by exclusion. I walked all around looking for a higher place. Closer did not work.

This road (Alpine Loop) has a bazillion aspen and scrub oak, but only a few places to park. I get out and hike but even then trees tend to block any views.

Oct 09, 2014 at 07:34 PM

RustyBug

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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · From today

Nice set Ben.

Oct 10, 2014 at 12:36 PM

ben egbert
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · From today

RustyBug wrote:
Nice set Ben.

Thanks Kent. Anything you would suggest for improvement? Any favorites? The only fall color prints I have are those with other primary subjects. Like the Grand Tetons for example.

Oct 10, 2014 at 04:26 PM

shymon
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · From today

These are nice pics. Fall colors are tough and a lot of photos of them aren't that good -- just big color blobs. I find the less is more approach works best.

Oct 10, 2014 at 11:46 PM

Wildcats_Fans
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · From today

Great set. I love the colors and miss autumn. In San Diego we just have shades of brown and dried.

Oct 13, 2014 at 02:07 PM

eeneryma

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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · From today

My favorite is #3. That weathered tree stump in the bottom right hand corner adds a counterpoint to the rich landscape and fall colors. It almost looks like an animal's head, primeval and prehistoric. Just a great photo.

Oct 13, 2014 at 02:42 PM

ben egbert
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · From today

eeneryma wrote:
My favorite is #3. That weathered tree stump in the bottom right hand corner adds a counterpoint to the rich landscape and fall colors. It almost looks like an animal's head, primeval and prehistoric. Just a great photo.

Thats my favorite of the set too. Here is one more I liked.

Oct 13, 2014 at 04:18 PM

RustyBug

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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · From today

Ben,

That is probably my fav of yours with regard to PP. It has that "I could walk into it" vibe rather that I'm looking at a picture vibe. I'd love to see you process #3 (et al) with more of this vibe. Maybe a little crunchy (resizing I figure) on the rh grasses, but still ... very nice to my taste.

Oct 13, 2014 at 05:02 PM

ben egbert
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · From today

RustyBug wrote:
Ben,

That is probably my fav of yours with regard to PP. It has that "I could walk into it" vibe rather that I'm looking at a picture vibe. I'd love to see you process #3 (et al) with more of this vibe. Maybe a little crunchy (resizing I figure) on the rh grasses, but still ... very nice to my taste.

Thanks Kent. I am pretty sure the processing was identical for these two. I am doing some HDR but neither of these were HDR. I pretty much do auto in ACR, then dial back especially exposure. Then I go into lab, do sh, AB curves adjustment and sharpen, all globally and all with the same actions.

I work hard to get a good exposure, and if a single image works, I am mostly finishing it. If all my landscapes are basically the same with regards to the raw, and I have spent tons of time figuring out how to finish a RAW. there is no reason it can't be done with actions. I am after all adjusting the exposure in ACR to fill the histogram.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The main difference between this one and 3 is the light. So to make them look similar, I would work on light, nothing else is very different.

Oct 13, 2014 at 06:09 PM


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