Reaching-Out (Click for larger view)

At around 5.30 am I tiptoed around snoring teenagers that were

camping by the tree, but in the end threw caution to the wind and

announced my presence with a booming "Good Morning" and

stomped towards my intended destination....the tree. ... The kids

were ok though....can't say the same for the Midges, that had

breakfast at my expense, they were even biting my eyelids (only part

that wasn't covered in insect repellent) ...but I got the shot I

wanted ...eventually : - ) Your thoughts and comments are always

appreciated! Thank You.

My heavens Alf! This looks like something out of of fairy tale. Perfectly composed with leading lines centering the tree. Great light and color too as well as a dynamic sky, reflection and foreground. Wonderful work my friend and well worth your efforts!

Alf this is beyond textbook perfect composition wise and otherwise. I can see this framed and hanging on a wall, it looks like an oil painting. Fantastic work, that was well worth the effort......well maybe, those midges sound awful;-)

Best Always, Holger

Alf,

Passionate and a wonderful landscape photographer you are. You get very early just to relish the beauty of nature.  This tree has appealed to you for its singularity and character and in it you see happiness and pride. Nature appreciate it and the tree appreciate nature.  The clouds, the various mountains in the distance, the trees and their mirror seem to be aware of your tree's elegance and aura as you do as well. The solid foreground with the scattered stones can only add vigor and presence to this wonderful portrait of a tree. Best,

Alf, I suspect you have one of those sneaky advantageous genes, one that leads you to arrive at wonderful places at perfect moments.  The skills required for the capture of course, are all you.  Fabulous! Best, Sandy

Well done Alf, perfect in every way, from the excellent lead in with the tree, to the reflection off the water to the teal cast, it is all just so inviting

Alf,

  Wow...amazing scene with beautiful POV, colors & lighting.  It almost reminds me of a fairytale.  Take care, Patsy

Yes, the overall hue is a little unreal- but maybe not for this time of day in Wales :) regardless, excellent representation of a beautiful area- thanks for letting us share- (without the early wakeup)

Unique hues befitting a uniquely designed landscape.  Beautiful and fascinating work, Alf.

Alf...

This is a stunning shot and needs to be hanging on someone's wall.  Sorry to hear about insect bites but glad you got rid of the campers to capture this view.  BRAVO!

I wish I had checked to see if you were online earlier !  I have read the comments and I don't know if I have adjectives that could possibly add more - I saw the thumbnails and it jumped out at me - this fabulous bit of magical light and colour - and then I clicked on the image and then made it larger - and could it possibly gat any more breathtaking -YES !!!!!!!!!!  It is sublime.  To have a composition with these colours, this beautiful landscape, POV, the mountains in the distance - this supreme quality of light -- and I haven't even mentioned the tree and the foreground and reflections.  I think this is one of your very best Alf.  I'm so glad the campers did not mind you there - they afforded you the opportunity to take an image that truly reminds us that there still is some of the most beautiful moments yet to be recorded on our 'tearful Earth' - that she still cries out for us to NOTICE her........and on this particular morning - she whispered into your ear - and called you to her.

Alf,  I am entranced as I stare at the larger view of this image.  The light, clarity, reflection, perfect composition, perspective are "spot on."  The tree transforms the image from spectacular landscape, to an art object to cherish. You came out the victor in spite of the bloody midges.  Had you been to this site before?  We all know that seeing an image is primary, and you have outdone yourself in the excellent vision category.  Then you so perfectly captured the sight with superb technique.  Curiously, did you do any focus stacking to get the tree and foreground so tack sharp?  DOF is perfect.  I have seen many of your excellent images.  This one is at the top.   Larry

There is not much more to add. The composition is superb!

Although I love the scene and composition - I find the color cast a bit disconcerting Alf, (cyan overload).  Of course, not having been there, this may have been true to nature - but if so I would have been sorely tempted to adjust the white balance.  Better yet, If I squint I can see a stunning black & white landscape.

Regardless - a fine image Alf, with your usual discerning eye on full display.

Best, David

A vivid color palette - mostly cool colors with hints of sunlight breaking through the clouds - grabbed me immediately.  You must have had your pant legs rolled up for this one, unless the rocks leading to the tree island afforded you a dry spot on which to shoot this photograph.  Your camera settings (especially f8) enabled you to showcase lots of detail, including the vegetation on the mountains.  Most of all, though, I am enchanted by the tree; I am most grateful to Mother Nature for enabling it to grow in such a fascinating way.

My best always,

michael

Many Thanks for your thoughts and most encouraging words.  The very first light of dawn looked a dull grey, but at around 6.00 am the colours started showing!

Best Regards

Alf

HOLGER

Thank you so much for your positive feedback!

The midges are a real nuisance and can become unbearable! They are amazing creatures, almost invisible to the human eye, yet they can detect the carbon dioxide that we exhale from over 200 meters away! So unless you stop breathing you can't remain undetected! : - )

Best Regards

Alf

BACHIR

I love nothing better than witnessing a new dawn, and particularly when I have a camera to hand as well. This particular tree spends a lot of time submerged and the fact that it grows from a bed of slate is testament to the amazing ability of nature to survive.  You describe it so much better than I could.

My Sincere Thanks!

Alf

SANDY

I don't know if it's advantageous genes or quite simply insomnia : - )  But I do know I am blessed with beautiful surroundings and I get a real thrill out of being able to capture it.

Thank you so much for your interest and kind words!

Alf

TONY

The still water and summer dawn light had a lot to do with it, all I had to do was click the button and do my best to dodge the midges! : - )

Many Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

PATSY

Thank you so much for your thoughts and encouraging feedback!

Best Regards

Alf

GREGORY & VERENA

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback.  I'm not too sure about the hue, but the early morning 5.30 am light reflected off a mainly slate rock surface, may have had something to do with it.

Best Regards

Alf

WAYNE

Thank you so much for your interest and kind words.  The lake is glacially formed, but the predominant bed rock appears to be of slate.

Best Regards

Alf

BILL

Some of the young campers actually stopped to talk with me whilst I was taking these shots, they were better company than the midges : - )

Thank you so much Bill!

Alf

GAIL

Thank you so much for our thoughts and most encouraging words!

The light was indeed magical! It started from darkness to a dull steel grey and the gradual emergence of the sun started warming the cloud colours and vegetation.  When I get to see places like this, I realise just how truly blessed I am ...yet I can't help wondering about the countless dawns and sunsets, and snow clad days I've missed.  The truth being I have never looked at the world in quite the same since I looked at it through the viewfinder of a camera! And as I didn't pick up a camera until relatively late in life.....I have a lot of catching up to do : - )

Best Regards

Alf

LARRY

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback and questions, very much appreciated!  I haven't yet tried focus stacking with landscapes, although I have seen many successful examples from others.  However  in this case I used the legendary Nikon 14 - 24 mm F/ 2.8 ED lens. The sharpness and dof that can be achieved with this lens is amazing and cuts out a lot PP requirements.  As for the midges, well I had itchy eyes for a week after, but worth the sacrifice this time : )

Although I hadn't visited the site before, this particular tree is quite well known and if you Google "Lonely Tree Lyn Padarn" you will see many other photo's of it.  I did exactly that to see what kind of images where out there, and knew I had to come up with something good to be worthy!  The still morning and dawn colours were on my side!

Best Regards

Alf

TONY

Thank You! As usual I tried kneeling down standing up, portrait orientation, landscape orientation, but in reality there was only one composition that really worked without the image looking off balance.

Alf

DAVID

I'm unsure about the colour cast, although for me it seems to work ok.

I have tried processing a B & W from the multitude I took, but to be honest the results were not to my taste. Maybe this is because the colour version looks so much more alive and vibrant in comparison.  But then it is all subjective.

 Thank you so much for your thoughts and feedback, much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

MICHAEL

Thank you so much for taking the time to give me your impressions and thoughts!

The tinges of warmth came after a steel grey very first  light of day and I knew the moment wouldn't last long.  The tree is usually submerged so I was lucky in one respect that I didn't have to wade. On the other hand I did want to get the tree reflected too, but rapidly adjusted my pre-formed ideas of composition upon viewing the scene.  I agree the tree itself is fascinating, writhing and twisting, struggling to make purchase on it's native bedrock of slate, yet stubbornly surviving everything that nature throws its way!

Best Regards

Alf

Well, I've arrived fashionably late again and all the best adjectives have been used up; but what I like is the fine crispness of the early morning foreground with the soft distant hills and the quiet calm (except for your pronounced greeting) of the lake.  Really good stuff... Mike

i have a tree in my yard like this one, Alf... it's so endearing like yours the way it reaches for the sunlight with its brave delicate branches :-} dp

Alf,

I like this very much enlarged where the details really shine.  The most prominent feature is the blueness, which does feel fairytale-like but in a realist manner.  Where is the troll?  Such a broad landscape with majestic mountains in the background is an effective backdrop for this lonely tree, delicate, fragile, and the leaves shown in such detail.  (When I wear glasses, I see leaves like this.  When I don’t, which is most of the time, things tend to be more impressionistic!)  I love the left hand side where the reflections make it seem three-dimensional.  There is a good relationship of water and you Alf; I think it is in your soul.  I’m glad you made the effort to capture this.  It is special (the orange - blue in addition to the green - blue and the fabulous light on the large rocks are delicious.) 

Kind regards!

This is a gorgeous and expertly created image. Great depth of visual elements, nice colors very evoking. well seen.

It would have been a very tranquil morning, but hey I remember being young once myself ........well just about : - )

I will come back to this location at some point though, as I want to get a shot of the tree when its fully surrounded by water.

Many Thanks Mike!

Alf

DONNA P

If I had a tree like this in my garden, I think I might not spend s much time in the house : - )

Thanks you so much for your thoughts and kind words!

Alf

DONNA S

Some people would say the troll was behind the camera taking the photo

: - )

North Wales has some amazing locations and I didn't realise quite how many until Larry Greenbaum (PN Photographer) requested 4 to use as examples for a class he is taking and 3 of them including this one were from North Wales!

I tend to wear my glasses all the time these days, which is a good thing for the rest of the motoring fraternity : - )

I think you are 100% right about my relationship with water, I am never more at peace than I am when in the vicinity of water.

I am truly delighted you like this one Donna and thank you so much for such a lovely review!

Kind Regards

Alf

CHARLES

Many Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback, much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

Well returned also to you and to this wonderful image of dream on the..."old" PN!!!

Hi Alf, Hope you are keeping well. A truly outstanding composition! The light, colours and reflections are wonderful too. This is a capture to be proud of and it's always a joy to see your work. Best wishes. Sarah.

Thank you so much for your interest and kind words! It looks like we have the old PN back for now at least : - )

Best Regards

Alf

SARAH

I am very well thank you and trust that you are also!

This tree is photographed quite a lot so I had to try and make it something a bit special. So pleased you like it.

Many Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

Stunning image Alf love the composition, the tree and distant mountain just work together with the interesting sky and great reflection.

Super work a very good image indeed, one I would be proud to hang on the wall.

Rich.