tree

A beautiful image, and I like the composition and handling of the b&w a lot. It grabbed me emotionally as I scrolled by, and it took me awhile to figure out what I was feeling and why. The feeling I was reading from the image: It's not exactly serenity, but more the calm before the storm, but with the steadfast tree standing there patiently as a reminder that we last longer than storms do. And why I think that feeling was coming through: the preponderance of mid-tones takes it away from being a happy place or an energy-filled place, and that beautifully moody but gentle sky reinforces that sense. I like it a lot that the grassy hill is lighter than the sky at the horizon, but not a lot lighter--if the contrast had been greater, the feeling would have changed a lot. I also like the transition between the darker foreground grass and the lighter distant grass--it really works well to subtly guide my eye.

Leslie,  Thanks so much for your comments!  I had posted another more contrasty image of the same tree with a fence in the foreground.  It's odd that one got better ratings, but I like this one much more.  I struggle with posting images for ratings because I'd love to know what criteria raters use.  In fact, I emailed some of them about it - it seems to be the same individuals rating all the time, but got no responses.  But on the other hand, I suppose the beauty of photography is its subjective nature - and as long as I am satisfied that I accomplished what I set out to do, then that's all that should matter.  Thanks again!  

Thanks for pointing out the other--I went and looked at it and left a comment there. And I agree with you--I like this one more. It is really difficult to create a strong image out of simplicity and wide-open space, and you've done it beautifully here. I suspect that part of the problem with ratings is that if the same folks tend to do the ratings, they're probably not spending a lot of time with any one image. Images like this one need savoring; the viewer needs to sit with them long enough to get their mind around the haiku that's involved. 

Beautiful.........simplicity - yet it speaks LOUDLY. It is like we have been taken out of the crowds and we can actually SEE a SUBJECT that DEMANDS out ATTENTION........and we can also BREATHE - HOW WONDERFUL!  Such a pleasure to view Sam.

Gail,  Thanks for your comments, especially the part about breathing because that's exactly the way I felt when taking it.  Isn't it strange how we sometimes allude to "taking" a picture, as if there is some sense of removal -  when in truth we are becoming more in tune with what we are taking?  Just a thought....

It appears that a tree has grown since the Windows XP background photo ;-).  I like yours much better.  So simple but so profound.  Good stuff... Mike

thanks Mike!