CRITIQUE #8

[Andy]

Hi Folks: Thought I had already uploaded this one, but for some reason, I don't see it here:

Here is another one from CTYANKY for critique. Comments welcome

[markm]

I can't view the pic.

[Andy]

O.k. I think it is fixed. Will somebody let me know if you still cannot see the image?

[ctyanky]

Hi Andy! Thanks for posting the image. It is indeed there! Carol: that was a truly funny comment! For those of you who don't know what she meant, initially the photo didn't upload and it was a tiny white square with an X in it until Andy succeeded in posting it.

Anyways folks, back to the photo. This was taken two years ago just after Columbus Day in October (in the extreme NW corner of CT in Norfolk, my favorite town). There is a back road near the town green that heads towards NY state and there are tons of maples interlocking this fence. I would welcome comments because I want to take a better photo next fall (couldn't get there this year because of limitations of our devastating October storm). I am also going to see if I can get a winter photo, once winter actually gets here????

Are there a lot of lighting issues here? Is the tree really a centering problem? I thought that the angle of the fenceline pulling away to the right on a diagonal may have solved this, de-emphasizing the big tree in the center, but perhaps not. Please be honest; my feelings are never hurt with critiques. I know I am not a professional like all of you but this is how I learn. Plus I go here every year in many seasons! Thanks Andy!

[markm]

As a fellow photographer, I can relate to the excitement of coming upon a scene like this driving around. I'm sure there are many ways to capture this area not one being better or worse than the other. I know I would be taking different multiple views if possible. I'm not sure one photo would satisfy me!

I think your perspective with the fence line is great.

I see your point about the 1st tree in view being a center of attention. I tried blocking it out of the picture with my hand and it created too much empty space before the next one. If anything, you could have included a partial glimpse of the prior tree (not shown) in your extreme left foreground to demonstrate continuation along the fencing if it bothered you.

Also, if YOU preferred to keep the tree branches from the center tree from mixing with the background woods, you could crouch down to get a lower angle of attack next time.

If I'm seeing it correctly, there is side lighting coming from the picture's left side. I find side lighting nice especially when the Sun is lower in the sky. It leaves some effective long shadows to create emotion. I don't think it hurts your photo in my opinion. It actually gives the fencing some detail and highlights the tree bark.

If you get back there in Winter, I'd like to see a pic of this area with a light snow just coating the top of the fencing and ground.

Thanks for sharing the pic!

[ctyanky]

Hi Mark: Thank you for your comments. There were so many ways to take this shot. I loved the interlocking fence around the maples. It's not often you see this done and in the fall, it is very special. I only took two shots here. We were on a whirlwind excursion that day. This place draws me back all the time. If I go back when there is snow, I will keep your suggestion in mind and come back and present it here on the forum.

I'm going to look at the other shot and see if there were more trees along the fence line before the center maple tree. Good observation to make the trees more on a continuum. I'm also wondering how a straight on shot would look from beginning to end.

Thanks again for looking at the photo. The NW corner of CT is full of magical places. I could easily live there.

[deaner1971]

I do like this photo's composition and I love the line of the fence running diagonally across the frame. Perhaps getting the morning light would improve it a bit as the light in the meadow and where it hits the leaves and the fence rails is a bit harsh but I know that we cannot always be in every spot at just the right time.

This is an image that just screams for a "four season" series. I would love to see the same shot in the winter with bare trees but a blanketing of snow, a spring shot with strong greens as far as the eye can see and perhaps a summer shot with a low hanging fog across the field.

So many possibilities, I can see why you like it so much.

Because of my background, and prior to reading your commentary about the location, this speaks to me as being an image from a Civil War battlefield. I can picture Union soldiers nervously standing behind the trees and prone behind the fences as a long thin gray line of Confederate troops emerges from the far wood line. It reminds me much of similar scenes I have seen at Gettysburg and Shiloh. I love pictures that evoke different emotions and memories in each viewer.

[ctyanky]

Hi Dean: Thank you for stopping by to look at and comment on the photo. I agree with you in that it is indeed, a four-season shot. I am seriously going to try to go back in spring and summer since I hike up there at Haystack Mountain and this road is right off the town green not that far away.

I looked at a straight on shot of the trees and fence and it doesn't look as appealing as the one here with the diagonal.

We were planning on going up there tomorrow for a day trip but there is no snow in sight. At the first opportunity here for a snowfall, I'll head back up and take a nice winter scene incorporating your and Mark's suggestions and see what I come up with.

I loved your final imagery. Most of all, I am glad my photo evoked this type of reflection for you. That's quite a compliment for the novice that I am!

(If you are ever this area, Norfolk is probably one of the most amazing, quintessential Connecticut towns that I have been in. And I think I have covered almost the entire state. The town green is one of perfection. The makeup of the town's citizens is quite eclectic - a mixture of sophistication and rural blended into one enchanting place - a lot of actors/actresses live out here in seclusion. The back roads in the area are equally delightful, lots of waterfalls, mountains, lakes, dairy farms, covered bridges, horse farms, etc. - remoteness abounds! You can get to VT from here too! )

Thanks again for your comments...............

[autzig]

I'm sorry but I guess I'm the contrarian here. I do like the fence but my eye is drawn to the brightest part of the image and that's the empty green field. The fence should lead the viewer's eye to the subject and I want to follow it but there isn't a subject at the end. I really want to see what is missing on the right side of the image. I would like to see a photo with the center tree framing the left side of the image. Is that what your straight on shot looks like? I'd like to see it. If you were standing in exactly the same place and turned slightly to your right, you would still have your diagonal and I think the image would be much more appealing.

Al

[ctyanky]

Hi Al! thanks for commenting on the photo. What is directly to the right of the leaves is a paved country road so that was not something I wanted in the picture. I can see what you are talking about with the eye drawn to the green grass which is brighter than the fenceline and leaves to the right.

My straight on shot is not left oriented. It is dead center! That's exactly what you told me not to do but then again, I took this photo in 2010 and before I was "enlightened" by the masters here!!!!

So, if I go back in winter, when everything is white except the fence, how shall I take the shot in your opinion? The eye will be drawn to everything white. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the whole "eye drawn to the brightest area". How can I avoid this in winter?

Thanks again for the comments. I sent you the straight on shots thru email and you can see the road to the right.....

[deaner1971]

I just assumed that there was some kind of pretty country lane on the right. I can see where, sometimes, it is best leaving some things to the imagination.

See Al's point and that was were my one criticism of the "harsh" light (due to the time of day) came from. But, to my eye, I first get pulled to the bright rail on the bottom right section of fence. I then progressed right on up the fence.

Upon reflection, I do find my myself almost leaning to the left to try and see what is at the terminus of the diagonal line but, knowing what I know, probably best I cannot see it.

Given the time of day, I would say your one option would be to "artifically" darken the left hand side a bit in PP. Maybe just a little bit of additional saturation might darken up the greens a bit?

As far as shooting in winter, might a morning shot where the snow picks up some of the early morning colors in the sky be an option for mitigating the stark whiteness?

[Andy]

The green field doesn't bother me at all. It doesn't seem that bright on my monitor and it doesn't seem to be out of balance in terms of "brightness" with the other parts of the image. I do agree with the placement of objects in the frame, though. Like Al, I feel "cheated" that the "leading lines" of the diagonal fence doesn't lead me anywhere (except that it exits out of the middle of the frame).

I also do not like the tree in the middle of the frame. I, too, would like to see the composition with that (or some other ) tree framing the left side of the image. Maybe the country road (even paved) would be ok in the image?

[autzig]

CT sent me a photo which shows what I was wanting to see. What a disappointment! I thought I would see another line of trees or a leaf covered meadow. Instead it is a road.



Two thoughts come to mind. First, this seems like it would be a good opportunity for a vertical. That would cut out the road and deal only with trees and the fence. The other thought would be cross over the fence and shoot from the left side of the trees. I guess I'd have to actually be there to decide what to do, but these are a couple of alternatives.

Al

[ctyanky]

Hi Al: thanks for posting the second shot. I mentioned in a post or two before that a paved road existed to the right and I didn't want to include it in the photo. Now, if there was a curve in that road, AND a dirt one, well that would be a different story!

Anyways Al, what is a vertical????

Also, why is the fence not the subject? It seems like it is to me but what do I know.

Carol: thanks for your comments! I would like to see that fence in Glover once you get back up there. I'm going back to my fenceline as soon as it snows. Not sure how I am going to take this picture of the interlocking fence as I am confused now as to where to stand and with all the white snow (whenever it gets here), maybe the fence will turn out to be the subject after all!!!!!! Ain't nothing else there!

Well, maybe a moose might show up. There are tons of them in the NW corner. Now that would make for one fine subject!

Thanks everyone for your comments/suggestions..... etc. This was so much fun and I'm really excited to go back and take a bunch of different shots.

You are all invited!

[autzig]

CT, a vertical is a shot where the photograph is taller than it is wide, unlike yours which is wider than it is tall. You just turn your camera 90 degrees.

Why isn't the fence the subject? Well, your photo doesn't communicate that the fence is the subject. If you were taking a photo of a fence, is this what it would look like? If I were shooting a fence like this, I would probably use a large aperture to blur out the foreground and background and focus on an interesting part of the fence, like a junction or a twisted rail or something like that.

The fence creates a diagonal which leads the viewer to something. The diagonal in your photo leads the eye to nothing.

Al