Leaf in a Fountain - C&C Requested

redleash

EDITED POST:

I took the comments and re-processed my shot. I did not boost the exposure as much in Aperture, and I also backed off a bit on contrast and sat b/c I noticed too much noise. Please give me some more C&C. Thanks!

Lauren

#1 Original Post


#2 Same shot, with extraneous leaves removed.


#3 Same shot, with leaves removed and processed in HDR (3 exposures)


#4 Similar to original, with a little different crop and more leaves included


#5 Wider view, to give more context - no PP on this one at all

Azzaro

Lauren, I like the picture and the pp you did. I think that it would be better without the leaves that are on the face of the fountain. Like the one in the right hand corner and the brown one bottom left... They are for me, distracting.

It is a really good picture......

leaforte

Pretty cool. Azzaro mentioned the smaller leaves on the facing walls: I personally think they add to the composition. The color of the bottom left leaf is pleasing, and balances. My concern would be the one on the top right that looks to be a lump. I also sort of worry about the highlights along the ridge or spine, but it does help to add to the 'waxy' and 'embedded' look of the top, and that's a component I really like about this. Thanks for sharing, and I hope my critisisms don't delude that I had fun looking.

redleash

Thanks to you both--my PP consisted only of a levels adjustment and maybe a bit of contrast boost. I don't remember--my hard drive went kaput just before Christmas and I'm still getting reorganized. I had copied lots of files, esp. photos, and the techs were able to restore almost everything to the new hard drive. Still, it is disconcerting and I'm trying to get back in the groove.

All that to say that I'm not sure what my PP was on this pic, just that it was minimal. I will try a couple versions with and without the other leaves and post for C&C. Not sure about the highlights, leaforte--can you give me a bit more specific suggestion?

Thanks!! The more I look at this, the more I like it. I also have one that shows a wider view. Will post that with the others later.

Lauren

leaforte

redleash wrote:

leaforte--can you give me a bit more specific suggestion?
Lauren

I'm not a technical person, just a pesky critic. I felt some glare on the ridge, but I'm not really sure that bothers me, the more I look at it. I am not good at technical advice, I just like to look, and tell how it impacts me, or not. To reiterate though, I like the waxy feel of the shot.

redleash

Guess I shoulda bumped this one up instead of just a straight edit. I'd like some more comments when ya'll have time to look at this.

Thanks,
Lauren

NorthernFocus

Hi, Lauren. I didn't see this first go around. You took care of most of the comments I would have made with image #3. The original post had some glare. The only other comment I have is that IMO it messes up the comp by having the tip of the leaf cut off.

redleash

arctic - Thanks for looking. I agree about the tip of the leaf. I'll go back and crop the wide view one and delete the excess leaves and see what happens. Not sure if I have enough exposures to do that one in HDR but I will check. And I can always go back to the fountain to see if the leaf is still there!