[Kerrowdown]

first option to the above

Good result, it looks like now a "proper picture", in fact actually, now it's quite creative, well done.

[timmijo]

I like the newest version: It has three interesting things: The old, hollow stump, the pink-flowered tree in the background, and the tilted horizon. Come to think of it, the stump almost has a face. A laughing face as if it knows some secret to aging that the young tree cannot know.

[PBandJ]

I like the textures of the stump. Wonder how it would look in B&W?

[stepmac]

I like the stump better than the brush and trees scene. While I'm a fool for a tree picture, there needs to be a reason to look at it, and I don't see one. The detail of the stump and the blurred flowering tree in the background gives me a reason to study the image. Much better.

[Schraubstock]

Hi

Over saturation and too much contrast doesn't help either.

Greetings

[BigJPR]

Good result, it looks like now a "proper picture", in fact actually, now it's quite creative, well done.

Thanks!

I like the newest version: It has three interesting things: The old, hollow stump, the pink-flowered tree in the background, and the tilted horizon. Come to think of it, the stump almost has a face. A laughing face as if it knows some secret to aging that the young tree cannot know.

I love when things like that happen, in terms of the face. I am glad I posted the first one here because I probablywould not have gone out for the second try.

I like the textures of the stump. Wonder how it would look in B&W?

I check. Still like the contrast of the pink and brown tones of the tree and stump.

I like the stump better than the brush and trees scene. While I'm a fool for a tree picture, there needs to be a reason to look at it, and I don't see one. The detail of the stump and the blurred flowering tree in the background gives me a reason to study the image. Much better.

Thanks for your honesty about the first image.

Hi

Over saturation and too much contrast doesn't help either.

Greetings

Would that be on the first or second photograph?

[BigJPR]

Good result, it looks like now a "proper picture", in fact actually, now it's quite creative, well done.

Thanks!

I like the newest version: It has three interesting things: The old, hollow stump, the pink-flowered tree in the background, and the tilted horizon. Come to think of it, the stump almost has a face. A laughing face as if it knows some secret to aging that the young tree cannot know.

I love when things like that happen, in terms of the face. I am glad I posted the first one here because I probablywould not have gone out for the second try.

I like the textures of the stump. Wonder how it would look in B&W?

I check. Still like the contrast of the pink and brown tones of the tree and stump.

I like the stump better than the brush and trees scene. While I'm a fool for a tree picture, there needs to be a reason to look at it, and I don't see one. The detail of the stump and the blurred flowering tree in the background gives me a reason to study the image. Much better.

Thanks for your honesty about the first image.

Hi

Over saturation and too much contrast doesn't help either.

Greetings

Would that be on the first or second photograph?

[Schraubstock]

Would that be on the first or second photograph?

Hi

On both really.
The second composition I don't like at all. I am sorry I say this the way I see it. The tree in the background even though it is out of focus it still dominating the scene too much particularly with the stump tucked a little too much into the right lower corner and it too is much too dark. Perhaps too much blackpoint treatment.

Greetings

[BigJPR]

The crop that you did is nice, if I meant the stump as being the sole subject of the photograph. From the beginning of the thread I've been saying the whole idea was the name of the thread "The living and the dead" As nice as this crop is, it doesn't convey that to me.

Now I can tell you that the black point of anything else is the problem. The problem is that I don't want to bring out on the stump anything that wasn't there in the actual scene I saw and capture. That mid part, is basically black, I was amazed at the detail in it that my little K-30 allowed me to pull out, but decided I like it better the way it looked at the park and that was almost a tar pit in the middle.

Now realize that this is the straight from camera photograph. Is basically metered on the wrong subject, I thought going home I did spot metered the stump, but end up with none. Still this is not far from the real scene. But you see. no blacks adjustments, well at least not to the left!

[Schraubstock]

Hi

I now understand better what you wanted to convey. But to me, the way I see it, neither the stump nor the flowering tree are convincing enough to represent, in themselves, decay and renewal of life. There is no better way to show decay (as in the stump) then to show decay. The black alone itself does not do it for me. Likewise the blossoms on the tree are not portraying renewal of life either in my opinion. They are not defined enough and easily not recognised for this purpose. The composition of the image is not set up the best way to underpin your idea.

I am not writing this to upset you (I don't think you will be otherwise you would not have started this thread) but these are my thoughts on the matter. Try again with different lenses, angles, light conditions and so forth and I think you will be recognising yourself pretty well instantly when you have succeeded. (You said yourself: Quote: There is something on this image that won't let me alone... End of quote.)

Best of luck and
Greetings

P.S. Have a look at some of Tessfully's pictures, she is very good at this.

[BigJPR]

Well Schraubstock, you are taking this into a philosophical arena =) I meant, something "dead", something "living" not renewal and the processes about it or something in more detail and a lot more meaningful than just seeing a stump with some detail in it being dead and I thought the flowering tree which is obviously living would provide the alive portion of the picture. No brain surgery, just something living and something dead.

Like you quote me, yes, I thought there was something wrong about the 1st picture taken from far and showing both the stump and tree kinda in focus and something was right for me. Now this 2nd picture is kinda better for what I wanted to portray in a way, and the lenses I own. 18-55 kit lens, tak 135mm, tak 55 1.8 and tak 50mm 1.4

I really don't know if this would be your monitor or mines. But I get sligh detail on what you call "Black" on the stump. I didn't dial it up because is just a matter of taste, on my computer I see it and dial the blacks up a little bit on the picture posted here and I see detail while that part still being black/shadow. On the picture you posted I see it kinda washed out that part. So this maybe my monitor a little on the brighter side or something, since you see mines black and feel that yours is correctly lit and like I said, I see it washed out a little bit. Did you get that?