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05/01/2003 08:36:06 PM |
I think it's quite difficult to make the bark of a tree interesting to the people who view a photograph with just the bark. You've used some modeling effects of the light and managed to do a fairly good job!
It's not difficult to see why "Bark" was your choice for Flora given the winter you mentioned. Certainly it fits that category, so you're safe there.
In my opinion, there are some things you might try to improve this picture. Again, these are just thoughts I've had as I viewed your creation.
You might have tried a vertical format so that it doesn't look like it's from a dead tree which has fallen in the forest. (It might have been but I generally think of flora as currently living items. You want your viewers to think so too even if it isn't true.)
The contrast is, to me, a little too much. You might try to diffuse the light in some way or use a reflector to help fill in the dark areas.
The highlights are a bit too bright. Note that some of the detail is lost in these highlights.
The picture lacks a "wow" factor. It's just a record of some bark. This is fine if you're conveying information in, for example, a field or reference manual about tree bark. It doesn't work very well in a DPChallenge contest (unfortunately, even if it's a "Flora" challenge).
The picture seems slightly "cold" (too blue) which might be from having the highlights too bright. You could try a warming filter or a gel over the lens or might correct the tone in your photo editing software.
For what you had to work with, this is probably a pretty good choice of subjects. Someone suggested going macro for the lichen and that might have worked too. Or, if there was anything else of a "flora" nature in the area, the tree might have been used to frame that.
You've done a very good job with sharpness and depth of field. This is something I'm usually quite critical of in my own photos and you've done well there. The texture IS quite nice.
Finally, I hope your weather is getting better now and you can get out for some more pictures.
Regards ... for the Critique Club,
Bob Mahan
(rmahan)
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 Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/29/2003 09:50:16 PM |
Thanks for the comments, all!! I was none too happy to see a flora challenge when Spring really hadn't sprung.
After searching yards, this bark was about all I could find besides brown grass. Lighting wasn't great, but at least it wasn't raining (for once).
And, yes, I know it's only bark - of a maple tree - the only thing that made it through our winter in Atlantic Canada!!! |
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Comments Made During the Challenge  |
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04/25/2003 09:08:28 PM |
| Amazing how interesting bark is. Nice idea and good composition and point of view to capture these lichens well. Perhaps more interesting light would engage us even more. |
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04/24/2003 05:37:59 PM |
| Needs a little more substance. LOL! Kind of like "...needs more salt" when you don't like a particular food. It does have great texture though. |
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04/23/2003 07:59:08 PM |
| You should have got up close to the lichen, which is the flora of the bark. |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/22/2003 11:50:43 PM |
| it's bark! everything's in focus and lighted well but it's still just bark |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/22/2003 04:01:58 PM |
| The image is sharp and there are no compositional flaws... it's a nice study of texture, but the interest level of this one may be a little low for me... - setzler |
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04/22/2003 11:20:19 AM |
| Ha! I have wanted to shoot bark also. I like it and it's so different with each tree. Still it's just boring. |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/22/2003 10:29:34 AM |
| This is a simple pic of flora, there isn't too much you can do wrong with this I suppose. Nice texture. |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/22/2003 02:35:56 AM |
| Interesting detail you've found here. Exposure is a bit too high, though. |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/22/2003 12:02:30 AM |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/21/2003 11:13:22 PM |
| too bright. hard to focus on any one thing. can't pick out detail as well as I think you should. maybe decreasing the brightness or upping the contrast a bit would be better. appears to be lichen/fungus on an old log, but hurts my eyes. could be me or my monitor (LCD) |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/21/2003 10:19:22 PM |
| This might have worked better as a super macro. |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/21/2003 08:53:26 PM |
| Nice textures. This is creative, but no one part of the image draws my attention. Even if it had a knot or some other blemish, I think it would give more personality. |
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04/21/2003 11:09:13 AM |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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04/21/2003 12:21:08 AM |
| good focus and light but nothing about this pic 'grabs' me |
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| Photographer found comment helpful. |
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