Lake Mattamuskeet

After scrolling up and down several times, looking closely the original photograph with its tilted horizon, and the straightened image, I prefer the feel of the former more. It provides an odd tension which twists ones vision a little and provides a drain for the water in the lower right corner. It creates movement in an otherwise still scene.

 

The image is altogether more mysterious and 'better' with the horizon tilted. It may violate a standard rule of landscape images, but this picture is something that allows for some rule breaking. The tilted image makes you think. The straightened image is not nearly so interesting.

This is one of the most striking and original landscapes that I have seen in a long time. If the elves are listening, I think it is certainly POW quality.

Excellent image with perfect composition......

PoW, Regina.

I think its a perfect description of a surreal atmosphere. Congratulations

Prefering the tilted image is one of the most crazy things I have ever heard. This is a good image with a few noticable flaws that are both easily correctable and/or possibly done by choice. You've had scores of WOW!'s, so let me just take a moment here, I think these have all bee pointed out individually, so I might just be summarizing, but I think it's important if you are going to get up at 2:00 am again to reshoot this that you have a clear idea of what you want to do different.

 

The tilted horizon does not help, it hurts. Stillness is one of the major attributes of this image and to think that creating tension and giving the water someplace to drain improves this is folly.

 

While I understand the placement of the branch in the upper right and I am sure you placed it there intentionally, I am not sure that it helps a great deal. It might, but I'm not sure. On the other hand, I think that the half tree coming in from the left without it's trunk definitely hinders. It seems too much in the foreground to not be grounded in the image.

 

The bottom left corner is a bit dark and muddy, more of the silver tone of the open water would help I think.

 

The light is great and I think this could be an excellent image with just a few improvements.

 

This is a good image and certainly worth the effort. I hope you set your alarm for 2:00 AM to go try it again and come back with a great one.

wonderful yes very wonderful

I cannot see how a preference for one image over another could possibly be considered a sign of mental illness. Especially when speaking of the possible tilt of an image that has no visible horizontal or vertical reference points. Fred said it right when he said that whether it's tilted or not, it looks tilted. But, looks tilted to whom? I would guess that professional photographers who look at this would see it as tilted, because they have been trained to be sensitive to the problem of tilted images. And, in fact, the camera may well been other than horizontal when the shutter was released. Regardless, it is still possible to see this as a level image with non-horizontal shoreline and ripples. There are no reference points in the picture to help, and the brain sorts it out as it will.

 

I do not think it is to anyone's advantage to disparage honest expressions of preference in a forum such as this. If it were said that no professional editor would have accepted this picture in the form it exists, then valuable information would have been given. But even if such were the case , editors make their choices on the whims and fashions of the moment, knowing they will be judged by the mavens of the time. Many of the rules we are taught spring from analysis of the work of the aesthetically gifted among us, and reflect true and undying principles of artistic merit. But too many of them became set because some critic chanced upon a particularly memorable phrase when criticising some feature or another, and that phrase, or the image it evoked, became part of our folk wisdom.

 

As for this image, whether it be tilted or not, the "straightening" of it necessitated a cropping that is in so many ways less desirable than the original that there are a great many reasons to prefer the original. I suspect that the training that many have had that makes them see this as tilted and therefore unacceptable has made them blind to the other strengths that are so obvious to others.

 

In any case, those who prefer the image as posted are certainly not crazy.

wonderful image, regina!

I tried rotating it one degree rather than two. (It needs to be rotated somewhere between one and two degrees to be perfect--one degree is not quite enough and two is a bit too much.) With this rotation of one degree, the composition can be salvaged with no great loss, in my opinion, and the tilt is negligible.

If I could get the same type of results each time my alarm went off at 2AM, I'd get up at 2 EVERY morning.

....For all the kind words and interest in this shot. As I have said, I felt good about it right from the moment I took it because of the great light God provided. I doubt I could ever go back for a reshoot and get this same magical light.

 

I appreciate all the constructive feedback as well as ratings. Taking the time to make comments and offer suggestions as well as ratings, helps us all to be better photographers.

 

Again... danke! Merci! (please insert "thank you" in your language here) (^:

Been looking at this picture since it appearing in the sacro-saint top-pages, and well, yes - IT IS a nice picture... But this thread was also very interesting to read, with a lot of pertinent posts, which is even better.

I've been waiting all this while to comment simply because I wasn't sure how much I liked the shot. I knew from the very first glance at it that I liked the colors and the light, as well as the very fine trees + reflections...

The image basically looked like a chinese water color or ink-based painting, and I liked that.

But then, from day 1, I also felt that something was not absolutely right in the composition, but I could tell for sure what, nor how it could e improved...

Let's start with the "tilted horizon" issue... I see a kind of blurry grey line going down slightly on the right side, yes. In principle, I of course agree with those who have said that an slightly tilted horizon is never and can never be better than a straight horizon... YET... I personally don't see any real horizon in this image... This grey line is so faded or faint, that I can't even tell for sure whether that's the end of the water surface or simply a reflection somewhere in the middle of it. I can see that a mild rotation lelps, indeed. But honestly, the importance of the whole tilt issue is imo a bit exagerated in this particular image... Why ? Well, simply because 1) I see no clear horizon, and 2) I do not need any horizon at all in this image anyway...

In 3 seconds of cloning in PS or DODGING either in PS or in a wet lab, there'll be no tilt anymore anyway, because what's left of an horizon will be gone with absolutely no dammage to the image - all the contrary in fact... No horizon suits me just fine here - regardless of any horizon tilt.

Now, I'm thinking that the tilt was maybe the tree that was hiding the forest... basically, the composition seems to have another different and more important structural weakness.

The branch at the top ? No ! I love that branch... If a chinese painter had painted this, any of them would have placed that branch just where it is - I can garantee you that... The branch helps as a framing to the rest of the scene, jst like the tree on the left edge, and just like the reflections at the bottom. Basically, the "real" image in this image is a square that contains the 2 tall black trees on the right, and all else is just framing them.

That's at least the way I see this composition. Where did you eye go first when looking at it the very 1st time ? Probably to this middle tree or in the gap between the middle tree and the right tree... Correct me if I'm wrong...

Well, if that's the case, then I have a problem with that. Not a very serious problem, but a small problem, and in fact 2 problems in one.

a) I am never comfortable with compodsitions where the eye hesitates a little between a focus point #1 and an almost equally strong focus point #2 that is close to the #1. And that's the case here. Left tree(#1) or gap (#2)...? Where do I go ? An interesting experience is to simply cover the tree on the extreme right with a piece of paper, and suddenly, you see that the image has stabilized - no more hesitation, and the main tree is now the unique focus, no longer the gap and the tree together.

This composition being absolutely static, a single focus point is needed more than in any dynamic composition. Then, the 3rd focus point would be this tree on the right edge in fact. It is because it is the thickest and darkest long vertical line in the frame that it takes so much attention and basically determines the composition of the whole image - even affecting the center. And that doesn't sit absolutely well for me.

b) The second thing that I'm a bit comfortable with is the fact that this small tree is right in the middle of the image. That's how it counter-balances the stronger line of the tree on the right edge... but that'sa high price to pay imo...

So, this image actually leaves me unsettled. But it's only half a bad thing in fact, because at least my eye keeps on bouncing from one focus point to the next within the frame - which keeps me watching. On the other hand it also leaves me somehow dis-satisfied aesthetically (a bit).

I now wonder what was on the right of this frame. Could you have panned your camera abit to the right ? That's what I would have tried IF it was ok to do so - not if there was an elephant or any other monster on the right...:-)

I think the tree which is now at the edge on the right being the strongest visually, I'd have tried to place it at 1 third right in the composition, making it the main line...

But still, lovely colors and light and finesse, which are the 3 parameters that for me determine this picture as "very original" among the many tree shots we have all seen. As for the aesthetics, I'd say a 5.5...:-) Somewhere between good and very good... Best regards.

First off Marc, thank you for your constructive critique. I always learn so much reading your posts on my (as well as others) images.

 

As for panning right... doing so offered me this view. (attached photo) As you see, I had a very narrow window in which to get this shot between the pier and the shoreline on the left. And not nearly as good light. In addition, I was standing out on a short pier adjacent to the longer one pictured here. Kind of a weird set up, but I hope you can imagine it. I was "chicken" to walk out onto the longer pier as it was somewhat delapitated looking and I didn't want to end up in the lake. Though the water wasn't deep, I suspect it was cold!

Actually Douglas, it is so much attention from so many that I feel thoroughly overwhelmed, very surprised .....and a bit embarrased. Unlike some of you I am still new to photography and am not used to getting such "reviews" of my shots.

 

But...I am pleased to have created an image that has (hopefully) shown some of my view of the world to others, and has maybe given a moment or two of pleasure.

wonderful. i might lose the branch on top. a tad distracting.

for getting up so early to capture this and share with all. Definitely my favorite from "Your Favorites" ! ! !

Beautiful cyprus trees in the swamp. So still and quiet. I can almost smell the thick heavy south. Cile

I thought I'd see what you're up to. Obviously much.

I HAD to click on this one's thumb. It's overwhelmingly distinctive and attractive.

It's interesting to read the tilt comments because I found myself wanting to lean left. It seems the trees are struggling to the left as well. Perhaps this is the source of the image's dynamism. It does evoke the orient, too.

Thanks for your recent comments. The 7Hi has a remarkably sharp lens; it must have inherited much of this from the 5.

Cheers.

COOL!

As many I felt immediatly attracted by this image and especiallly the way you have filled the frame entirely with the inclusion of the branch in the top that is the detail that really makes the picture to me, Best wishes, Jean

I use to wonder, if I did an Eggg shot with you in mind what it would contain. It finally dawned on me this week ...................... It would have a tree limb ...... (~;

 

There has been a lot of use of what is known as the 'pear filter' lately (seems it creates wavy reflections of anything). Nice to see you achieved the same effect the old fashioned way - manually ........ (-;

I am look at your folder of favorites and have a hard time.........I pick this but you have 3 or 4 are almst as perfect as this one

Thank you for commenting on my photograph recently Regina...your kind words prompted me to view your porfolio...WOW..very beautiful and tasteful stuff, says me, this photo however stood out, caught my eye and sang to me. Great Shot Regina, thank you for helping me find you! Good luck on your endeavors (it sounds like you have a few) and if you enjoy 'photo thoughts' check out my web site www.inpix.biz Bye for Now, Jos

Splendid!!