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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: A Single Tree II (Advanced Editing VII)
Collection: Challenge Pics - Love 'em!
Camera: Olympus E-500 EVOLT
Lens: Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom
Date: Jan 23, 2009
Galleries: Nature, Black and White
Date Uploaded: Jan 25, 2009

 Taken at Marblehead Lighthouse at Marblehead, Ohio right by Lake Erie.

This is the same tree in this photo:



I'm fascinated by this tree!

The original was bright so I used Silkypix and converted it to monotone. I overlayed the monotone onto the bright original and decreased opacity by about 15-20%. Used topaz adjust to increase contrast in the sky and enhance textures of the snow. Used levels to increase contrast between dark and light. Cloned out twigs and branches coming into the picture from the right. Used a blank layer in soft light mode to blend painted white and black (a la idnic's "move the light" tutorial). Used dodge and burn to increase contrast in the snow and sky. Cropped. Resize, sharpen. Noiseware to smooth it out.

Statistics
Place: 11 out of 209
Avg (all users): 6.6290
Avg (commenters): 7.7692
Avg (participants): 6.5238
Avg (non-participants): 6.7157
Views since voting: 1961
Views during voting: 338
Votes: 186
Comments: 29
Favorites: 4 (view)

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AuthorThread
 02/05/2009 12:28:12 AM
Great image and a really good finish. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/03/2009 03:54:12 PM
Great score, great finish! And I really love what you did with this tree. :-) Seriously, the editing is perfect to create the mood, the flow, the sheer elegance of the tree's form. Really nice work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 10:16:16 PM
Michelle, WOW! This is FABULOUS!!! Congratulations! I'm so happy this did so well. I am in love with it!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 09:13:09 PM
Wonderful picture. Love the processing. Thanks for sharing your steps. Congratulations on the very high placement and great score.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 04:58:49 PM
Great shot Michelle. This is fantastic. Congrats on 11th place.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 01:58:50 PM
Michelle!! This is lovely! Congratulations on 11th place!! :) Top of page 2 :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 01:28:07 PM
Ohhhh.....so close to top 10 and yet, 11th place is fabulous and to be proud of!

Congrats!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 06:52:17 AM
The silky smooth processing adds a surreal feel. I'd probably prefer to see just a little more daylight on the right hand side of the image... as the branches touching the edge take my eye out of the image.... Congrats on a top twenty......and being so close to a top ten!....another week in the head-to-head and I would have been toast! LOL! Lovely image Michelle, and well done!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 05:42:43 AM
Beautiful! I love seeing things change through time, and this is gorgeous in both seasons.
(Hope you're well, haven't heard from you in a while!)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 01:13:26 AM
Nice photo. Actually, I expected this to do even better. One of my 10 in this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 12:57:12 AM
Excellent finish, Michelle!! Congrats on top 20!

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 12:17:33 AM
OH so close to a Top TEn... *sigh*
Good score though! Yippee!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/02/2009 12:05:18 AM
So clean and silvery! Very elegant. Congrats on the nice placement!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/31/2009 06:16:58 PM
One of my favorites. The high contrast makes it crisp & clean; it feels so refreshing.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/30/2009 09:40:01 PM
Really beautiful shot! The sky is outstanding and the shadows and highlights on the snow are really fabulous. It certainly sets the tone for the shot and the idea of being icy cold...as though a snow storm is about to set in. Great editing too!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/30/2009 02:27:10 PM
An elegant tree, and I suspect a long exposure to give the smoothness of the snow (blowing snow, maybe?) and the sky. If I may pick one small nit - just a WEE bit more space on the right to get in that last bit of branch. But overall a very pleasing shot indeed.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/29/2009 08:05:22 PM
Excellent exposure. As I understand and experienced so many times, shooting snow is very challenging. This one executed perfectly. One of my 10 in this challenge. Good luck.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/29/2009 06:10:34 AM
7 - Really like those tones and the effect created by the snow covered ground.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/27/2009 10:57:57 AM
Nice composition.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 08:39:00 PM
I assume there is some dodge and burn going on in this photo...would be curious to read your PP notes
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 08:15:43 PM
I woulld buy this print - very surreal and great light and tone
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 05:57:02 PM
Great silhouette and tones - and of course great composition.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 01:39:37 PM
oh what pretty snow cover. it looks like waves swishing around the trunk. great black and white tones
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 01:21:37 PM
Great tones, love the softness of the areas around the tree, really highlights your subject. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 06:29:29 AM
Something weird going on the foreground, nothing is THAT smooth.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 04:04:59 AM
ethereal...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 01:51:14 AM
Beautiful use of B/W.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 01:40:47 AM
Beautiful silhouette., Great tonal range and rule of 1/3's. 8.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 01/26/2009 12:50:54 AM
Beautiful post processing Michelle. The foreground is stunning, footprints and all. The tree is clean and free from sharpening artifacts. Well done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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