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Archive 2017 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter

  
 
lighthound
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


As it turns out, mother nature gave me another excuse to go back the very next day today and shoot this location with a little winter wonderland effect.

I just couldn't bring myself to doing these in mono due to that deep blue Carolina sky in contrast with the white snow.

Curious as to if these work better or worse than the mono shots under the gloomy sky.
Could / should these be mono as well?

I think the color and snow removes the creepy factor that the mono images have but adds a bright cheerful vibe in contrast to the decay of the main subject. Especially the "Kudzu Christmas tree" shot in #4.


Dave






#1






#2






#3






#4 Kudzu Christmas Tree






#5 Kudzu Christmas Tree Vert crop




Jan 07, 2017 at 09:15 PM
ben egbert
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


I like these better than the B&W and not just because they are in color, the snow really helps.

I like 5 better than 4.

3 is strangely compelling. It's sort of a busy composition, but I like the color of the bare wood in the porch.

I guess 1 is my overall favorite though.



Jan 07, 2017 at 09:36 PM
lighthound
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


Thanks Ben. I'm glad it's not just me then.

Strange question. When I view my post I see image #3 as the same image shown in #4. It shows like this on my tablet as well. But the image you describe for #3 is the correct image that should be there.

Are you still seeing the same image for #3 with the wood porch or do you now see duplicate images. I'm confused here, something funky is happening.

Edit: never mind, it's now showing the correct porch image again. weird



Jan 07, 2017 at 10:01 PM
Familiarity
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


These are nice pics, Dave.

The snow makes a big difference. The way it clings to the vines surrounding the house, adds a uniqueness. Like a veil.

Of the 1st 3, I like the #3 because I love warm colors. Sorry, I know that's not a great reason; I've always loved warmth.

I much prefer the vertical crop #5. The majesty of the big kudzu tree is not diluted by what appears to be even taller regular trees on the right in #4.



Jan 07, 2017 at 11:43 PM
sbeme
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


3 shows with the porch
4 and 5 with variations with the tall tree

Dave,
I agree. Color is right here. And you have done a fine job with the tricky WB in a snowy scene. Using that lens well with superb DOF.
Of the comps, #2 in my favorite. The vines seem to have crept up from under the snow to envelope and potentially consume the shack!
To emphasize the tree, I would go for something between the wider view of #4 and the tighter crop on the right for #5. Maybe eliminate half the distance between the tree and frame's edge on the right in #4?

Scott



Jan 08, 2017 at 07:51 AM
lighthound
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


Familiarity wrote:
These are nice pics, Dave.

The snow makes a big difference. The way it clings to the vines surrounding the house, adds a uniqueness. Like a veil.

Of the 1st 3, I like the #3 because I love warm colors. Sorry, I know that's not a great reason; I've always loved warmth.

I much prefer the vertical crop #5. The majesty of the big kudzu tree is not diluted by what appears to be even taller regular trees on the right in #4.


---------------------------------------------

sbeme wrote:
3 shows with the porch
4 and 5 with variations with the tall tree

Dave,
I agree. Color is right here. And you have done a fine job with the tricky WB in a snowy scene. Using that lens well with superb DOF.
Of the comps, #2 in my favorite. The vines seem to have crept up from under the snow to envelope and potentially consume the shack!
To emphasize the tree, I would go for something between the wider view of #4 and the tighter crop on the right for #5. Maybe eliminate half the distance between the tree and frame's edge on the
...Show more

Thanks Familiar and Scott for your comments and picks.

This is the strangest post I have ever seen. Everything was back to normal last night but today when I view this thread, #3 image is again a duplicate of #4 and there is no porch image.
Yet you folks are clearly seeing the correct images. I'm guessing it has something to do with my cookies or something. I haven't touched a beer since New Years so I know that ain't it.

Good to hear that I didn't screw up the WB on these. I went back and forth several times on this until I found what I thought looked correct. Actually, my "As shot" WB was pretty close but had a slight blue cast. Once I had it set, I hit the shadows a little with a brush to warm them up but didn't dare to go too strong with it.

Scott, you have a great eye Mr. And I think that's what Familiar was picking up on as well.
Below is a new crop of #4 & #5 and I think it looks better with just a little more room then the tighter vertical I had in #5.

I often get hung up on making my crops fit a standard aspect that is either long horizontal of tall verticals. I went to an 8x10 on this and it snapped right in just as you described. Can't get more standard than that I guess.

Let me know what you guys think.

Edit: BTW, these are all multi frame blends to get the DR. The EXIF shown can be a little misleading.

Dave




#6




Jan 08, 2017 at 03:48 PM
sbeme
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


better IMO


Jan 08, 2017 at 04:43 PM
beavens
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


Neat!

1 is my favorite here and I agree that color suits it better. Perhaps look at a square crops removing some of the right hand side? I know you want to include the kud, but the house is the main pull here.

I think that 3 is the suitable conversion candidate from the bunch. In the color I think the wood tonality difference goes against you, but works nicely in b&w. Food for thought below!

Glad you got back out there!

Jeff







Jan 08, 2017 at 06:17 PM
Familiarity
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


Like your #6 a lot, Dave.

I said it before but the house's abandonment (is that a word?) and the vines overgrowing it allowed the falling snow to stick to it, making it an unusual sight.

Like beavens said, it's good you made the effort to go back there.

Not photography-related but I now know a little about the kudzu vines, which are not native around here. Looks like they can overgrow anything, even a tall tree.



Jan 09, 2017 at 04:02 AM
lighthound
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Kudzu Jungle II Winter


beavens wrote:
Neat!

1 is my favorite here and I agree that color suits it better. Perhaps look at a square crops removing some of the right hand side? I know you want to include the kud, but the house is the main pull here.

I think that 3 is the suitable conversion candidate from the bunch. In the color I think the wood tonality difference goes against you, but works nicely in b&w. Food for thought below!

Glad you got back out there!

Jeff



Thanks Jeff! I thought it would be kinda cool (pun intended) to go back the very next day and try some shots of it with snow. I'm sooo glad I did.

I tried to get to the Pointest bridge (remember the gothic arch bridge I posted a while back) but I almost slide off the road and over a large cliff / hill trying to get back in there to it. That really sucked because I've been waiting for snow to shoot that again.

Thanks for the crop suggestion on #1 but if you look at how I composed the shot, I tried to use the Kudzu coming in from the top right and the snow / kudzu shadows in the FG as a leading line into the frame. I kinda sorta like that albeit possibly misguided thought process. That plus I don't like squarish crops.

I just KNEW you wouldn't be able to NOT convert one of these.
I agree with you and think you picked the best candidate for a mono. Nice job!
Now I'll have to go back and see if I have the same comp from before the snow. This would make for a couple of cool prints I think.

Dave
---------------------------------------------

Familiarity wrote:
Like your #6 a lot, Dave.

I said it before but the house's abandonment (is that a word?) and the vines overgrowing it allowed the falling snow to stick to it, making it an unusual sight.

Like beavens said, it's good you made the effort to go back there.

Not photography-related but I now know a little about the kudzu vines, which are not native around here. Looks like they can overgrow anything, even a tall tree.



Thanks! Glad to hear that crop is better in #6. My wife really likes that image.

Yep, this Kudzu is not native to this area either. Some brainiacs got together and thought it would be a really good idea to use it here to stop the erosion from the cotton and logging industries way back in the day. Now it is taking over EVERYTHING including my back yard.
This stuff grows like crazy in the summer and can grow as much as 3 feet in a day. It's nearly impossible to kill and very hard to eradicate it from your property once it has established itself. I've been fighting it for the past 15 years now and I'm loosing the battle.


Edit:
Below is a screen capture from Google earth of this location. Everything you see in the flat open areas is solid Kudzu. It looks like a blanket of green during the summer.

Dave








Jan 09, 2017 at 11:47 AM





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