Beyond The Fringe (Click for larger view)

Taken last year, but only just processed. I took the shot through the reeds at the edge

of the water, does it work? Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated.

Thank You.

Alf,

the larger view is stunning.  Love the mood you have captured.  It appears that you took this shot early morning and I am seeing a bit of fog / mist.  Good reflections, too. 

Image and post processing are of a very high quality.  Splendid coloring and mood!

To be honest I thought the reeds were added through a different layer to the original photo.  Somehow I get the impression that they are not realistically "alive" and are kind of a ghostly presence to the composition.   I hope that I am clear enough and my message is understood Alf :) :)

Also they engage with the reflections on the water and partly with the background scenery and according to my humble opinion the shapes are not that distinct between them.  Perhaps this image will grow with me as time passes by...Take care my good friend!  Cheers!

Just lovely !

Congrats.

A somewhat surreal scene with the toning, fog and symmetrical composition.  Really well done though and I like the feeling that I'm sitting on the opposite bank watching the morning unfold.  Good stuff!  ...Mike

Hello Alf

This one doesn't work for me. The foreground reeds are distracting me from the really nice background which could easily work on its own. I do like the mood you captured.

That central tree is so stunning and just right, the other trees lend to the ambience and I really do like the colour presentation.  Still deciding about the reeds, they do look more a part when viewed larger, and are growing on me.  You seem to be entering a new phase, just like Picasso, or perhaps Bob Dylan when he went electric.  There is no wrong or right, just what feels right to you at the time.  Experiment away !!

Best wishes, Jim

You've captured an extraordinary mood here, and I wonder if you actually experienced this tonality more or less or if you did it in editing.  Either way, it's a lovely effect.  There is one tiny little tip of a reed (?) on the left edge about 2/3 of the way up. 

Alf, I like this image very much indeed. The composition is perfect with the central copse of trees dominating the attention and others receding into the mist. I like the fact that we can make some houses out, all be it very indistinctly. It adds something to the image, a narrative element, a sort of voyeuristic quality. I like the reeds very much, and they kind of add to the narrative angle (for me), as I can easily imagine them as my own eyelashes as I gaze upon this morning scene through half closed eyes. The mist and the subtle toning (?) of elements of this shot help create a slightly surreal, dreamlike mood that also supports my interpretation. The vignetting is ok I suppose and kind of adds to the mood, but I don't like the darker band of sky along the top edge. I don't know if you've added a gradient here or not, but I would have expected the mist to be evenly lit. But perhaps I'm wrong! Artistically, I think a fade to white (or the toned colour) would have been perhaps preferable, at least for me anyway as it could have helped further support my interpretation of the image. I guess the darker band feels a little constricting, less ethereal. But, very small points and just one way, my way, of experiencing this really lovely image. I could sit on that bank in contemplation for a very long time! Thanks. 

It works very well for me. I like seeing the reflection through the reeds. 

Phil

A great capture. The colors are subtle and the composition peaceful.

Hi Alf,

  Beautiful peaceful scene with amazing reflection & atmosphere.  Take care, Patsy Dunn

Alf so many superlative words come to mind while viewing this image. I love the atmosphere and composition the most. Great shot.

Best Always,

Holger

Oh yeah, I didn't find any Ducks but did find a couple Ravens ;-)... Mike

hi Alf, a strong composition and an ethereal feel make this a compelling image for me, the reeds in the f/g add to the dreamy quality. A long way around to me saying I really like this one.

jed

Alf - I have come a couple of times to visit this image and I more or less agree with Scott Tyrrell. The color/tone certainly gives this image a surreal quality. I decided to remove that surreal element by converting it to B&W and that version would be the one I would hang on my wall. Congrats on a fine shot.

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words. Yes you are correct this was taken at the crack of dawn and the first few photo's I took had that blue colouration. I added warm tones to this in Lightroom.

Best Regards 

Alf 

PANAYOTIS

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback, much appreciated! 

The reeds are inclusive of the original image and nothing has been added. They were of course out of focus and this may explain impression you are getting of the ghostly presence.

Again the indistinct nature of the reeds would be explained by the soft focus, and I think that a really sharp foreground with a more indistinct background would not be as aesthetically pleasing ......though of course I could be wrong : - )

Thanks again my friend! 

Alf 

SERGIO 

Many Thanks for your interest and positive feedback! 

Alf 

MIKE 

It's strange how that toning come about, none of my usual tricks when adding tones, this time I simply added warm tones in Light room. No saturation or vibrance, just pushed the slider far to the right and this is how it came out.

There was a few ducks present actually but the light was weak and the shutter speed slow, so they only appeared as blurs.  You spotted the Ravens!  Eagle eye! 

Many Thanks Mike! 

Alf 

KENNETH 

I have several shots taken without the foreground reeds, I will post another as a comparison. Thank you for taking the time to look and provide your thoughts, much appreciated! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

JIM

Sincere Thanks for your thoughtful review, much appreciated! 

I like the central group of trees too, they are very photogenic. I have several shots of them in different seasons, and they always seem to manage to look good.

As you have correctly surmised the presence of the reeds is a bit of an experiment. The image had been on my hard drive long enough without me doing anything with it, so I decided to just alter the white balance and perform a crop to see how it would turn out.

Cheers Jim! 

Alf 

CHRISTAL 

The colours were almost none existent in the early morning mist, it appeared much like Tony's B & W version with only a hint of cooler looking colour. I simply pushed the colour slider to the right to alter the white balance to warmer tones in Lightroom.

Oh yes, I see the reed, that one escaped the clone tool : - ) 

Many Thanks Christal! 

Alf 

SCOTT 

Thank you so much for your extensive review, much appreciated! 

I am pleased you spotted the houses, that is also one of the elements that appeals to me.

You are quite correct about the darker banding, I did add a gradient in Lightroom, and I expect that is why it doesn't appear natural. 

I will try a fade to white as you have outlined, it sounds like an interesting idea, and perhaps more in keeping with a more natural finish. 

This is one of my favourite places, very often there are boats with fishermen on the water and they make for some interesting shots too.  But it is 2  hours drive away from me, so I don't there as often as I would like. The good news is that local authorities have now created a nature reserve on the banks, so it is safeguarded against development. 

Best Regards 

Alf 

PHIL

Many Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback.

Alf 

BENJAMIN 

Thank you for stopping by and taking time to comment! 

Alf 

PATSY

Thank you very much for your interest and support! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

HOLGER 

It was a bit of an experiment, but most of it seems to work. I might try it without any changes to the original tone in my next posting.

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

JED 

Many Thanks! it is that ethereal mood that I seek with these misty shots, but sadly this year we haven't had that many foggy mornings. Hopefully we will experience a bit more frost next week : - ) 

Cheers Jed! 

Alf 

TONY 

Many Thanks for your thoughts, great feedback and alternative view. You may be interested to know that the original image is almost devoid of colour and not unlike your B & W version. I will post the next one without any reeds and without any changes to the colour.

Best Regards 

Alf 

Personally I really am enjoying this Composition the way it is. I don't think every Landscape you do has to be the Initial Image. The way you combined the 'reeds' as a layer over this image works for me. I rather feel like I am peering out at the scene before me. If I dare, I could 'part the reeds' to get a better look, but I am too shy to reveal my location :) Your Colour Theme for me adds to the 'other worldly' feel, as does the fog. I appreciate that you explored on a more Creative end with this one. While the Black and White works, I think I like your 'vision' Alf. This is a Composition from 'dreams and visions', after all, Life cannot always be Black and White or in Colour, at least not in our imagination. Bravo! Love it!

At first, I thought this image was the result of compositing, since the reeds in the foreground have the appearance of gently overlaying the water and its reflections.  To allay your concern, the reeds do not distract the viewer; rather they enhance the feel of symbiosis between the reeds and the rest of the objects within the frame.

I think what grabs me most about the image is its gentle feel.  Any sharpening or structure would ruin that.

My best always,

michael

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback, very much appreciated! 

I'm afraid I'm not clever enough to combine the reeds as a layer, I just focused through them to the tree's beyond, consequently the reeds are out of focus and quite soft, but I think it works somehow, and I think your impression of peering out of the scene is a very accurate one as that's exactly what I was doing : - ) 

This is a bit more surreal than my usual processing, but the original had very little colour at all and resembled a monochrome image at first glance. I will post another shot at this location at the weekend that is straight out of the camera. I quite like it but it will be interesting to see what others think.

Thanks again Gail ! 

Alf 

MICHAEL 

Thank you so much for your thoughts and kind words, much appreciated!  I think Scott gave a very good analogy of the view when he said it was like looking at the scene through his eyelashes with half closed eyes.  I agree with you about the sharpening too, it just wouldn't feel right.

Best Regards 

Alf 

Oh I was confused :) When you replied to Tony that you would do the next one without reeds, I assumed, in error, that the reeds were a layer and you would remove it to present the image without them. I did not realize you would have to go back to take another, or maybe you already have one without the reeds!! I did read your Preamble first, but it must have slipped my mind when I saw you said you'd 'remove' the reeds. No worries, I still like it the way it is!!

No problem I get confused myself, even with my own photographs, I have been trolling through my archives deleting stuff that I haven't done anything with and come across a few that I like.

As you guessed I had took a few shots without the reeds, and finally go round to posting one.

Cheers Gail and thank you for coming back to read my response.

Alf