[Boris]

Hillside view...



Any C&C will be greatly appreciated.

[Miguel]

While standing in that location surely must have been captivating, the view as presented does not. I'm uncertain about the subject of this photograph. What is your objective here?

M

[Boris]

Miguel, thank you for your words. There is no specific objective here. It is etude (or study if you will). Practically I am still trying to learn the relation between sharp and out of focus parts of composition. So, this is yet another attempt. And surely, I don't mind failing, so your words are right in place here.

[Miguel]

The relationship between foreground and background components of an image is one of the hardest and most critical things to get right in art of all types.

There are so many ways the relationship can be communicated. Sometimes it is form based; sometimes light based, sometimes color based, and of course content. Then you can have the anti-relationship or juxtaposition. I’m sure I’m overlooking lots more.

Doing it right is probably one of the hardest things for me, probably because the photographer is signaling his intention right there. If it works, it is usually apparent within a second or two.



M

[Jen]

I found it worked better for me if I cut off a good third of the bottom of the picture. I could concentrate on the rather nice tracery of the branch against the snow.
Jen

[Ash]

With a more intriguing subject (more leafy/green) there would be more to this image to catch the viewer's eye. Jen, there's no snow here as far as I can see - it's semi-arid land, and the composition is reasonably good as is - the trails in the background lead the viewer to the subject above, so this is a good arrangement IMO.

[Jen]

You are quite right of course, Ash, it isn't snow. However I would still cut it off at the level of the lower curved track on the left so you still have the lead in lines bringing the eye to the branch which seems to be the main focus of the picture. However, that is of course just my opinion
Jen

[JonPB]

Along the lines of Jen's comment, if you crop out the bottom third of the frame, you've left with an interesting relationship between the curve of the green treeline and the curve of the bough of naked branches. There is that branch reaching down toward the road that breaks through the treeline, which is interesting. The in-focus subject could almost be roots growing down toward the forest, away from the sky--perhaps with slightly different framing, that could be more strongly suggested.

Personally, I'm interested in the tension between the knowledge of what a subject is and the way it appears. Do you want your viewer to think of the tree above and to the right of the photographer? Or do you want your viewer to let their eyes dance among the lines in the frame? What draws the eye, and the mind?

[Boris]

Thanks, everyone! Indeed, I couldn't notice it at first, but now that I try to see how the cropped image would look like, I see that the crop suggestion is quite right! As it is now, the image is somewhat 'grounded' (for lack of better word) by the dark OOF trees in the bottom of the frame. When they are gone, it becomes much more interesting. It really becomes more complete, as the lines of the pine trees reflect or mimic those of the OOF road... And unintentionally, but probably fortunately, the sharp pine branches almost touch the road on the far background giving the continuity of the eye movement...

I will upload another cropped version of this image for your review as I am very grateful for the insight I am given.

[Boris]

I think this is the final crop...

[goangaus]

Nice, I like it.

[Jen]

Me too.