weeping
by vawendy

Comment:
Very artsy in that it very effectively captures the look and feel of sadness. What makes the imagery so potent is that many of us can connect with the emotion of sadness at one time or another in our lives and that is why it resonated very well. The blue hue tones of processing support and complement the overall feel of sadness - great details with the single eye and the clarity of drops of water. Congrats on the ribbon.

The Secret Self
by Samantha_T

Comment:
Mystical, mysterious and eerie are words that spring to mind when viewing the photo. Very well done. Lighting is also excellent and plays into the mood and feel of the shot. Congrats.

the rising
by PennyStreet

Comment:
A comment as promised:-) The contrast of the tree silhouette is bold and strong but a little dark as that I think it would have been a bonus to see some texture details. I like the POV where the tree rises above us much like the tall skyscrapers seen in the backdrop. I like your side by side comparision of man and nature's works for it makes me think and reflect on how both can make the individual feel small. One other critique I have is that I think the composition could be stronger if you composed the shot on a vertical frame that way it would follow and complement the lines of both the tree and the buildings rising above us.

Death
by Coley

Comment:
Oh no! That tree was such an icon in your tree shots. It is a shame that it is nearing it's end:-( The B&W suits the mood and plays into the cycle of life motif - it is not sunny nor bright, but winter and end of season has come into play in nature's cycle of life and death. I agree with your assessment in that a bit of a boast in contrast would help make the tones of light and shadow a bit more dynamic and bold.

Pine Defined
by PenelopeK

Comment:
I really like the abstract nature of this shot - it was one of my 7's. The movement is both painterly and gives the sensation of a breeze so that we feel as if we are there observing and feeling the beauty of nature. My critique is that I wish the greens were just a shade more vibrant in hue so that they would pop visually a bit more off the page - but such is the limitation of minimal that one has to appreciate what one can and does capture.

Message edited by author 2012-10-22 10:23:45.

Vespers
by RKT

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Love the shadows that fall across the forest floor that then act as leading lines back to the trees. The green/blue hue has that something both mystical and mystical about it. These woods have an enchanting light that draws you in. My only critique is that I wish the sun was not so overpowering 'white' in this shoot. I wonder if there was a way to get a starburst pattern by positioning yourself that the light of the sun has to shine from behind one of the trunks of the tree. A starburst pattern would actually complement the magical/mystical mood .

The view from the top
by scooter88

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Holy moly - that is a very different perspective than what a great many would expect:-) Great perspective! Hopefully you got down safe and sound from the tree afterwards. I like how I am given a perspective of looking down at the tree limbs and down to the ground plane where the flowers take on the topsy turvy appearance of the leaves & flowers adorning the top of the tree. The only critique I have is that I wish that the lighting was more dynamic giving more rich contrasts in highlights and shadows - here it looks as if it was taken in the shade or mayhap a very cloudy day for the lighting is a little flat.

Palms and Cypress
by MelonMusketeer

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

I'll take a wild guess but this looks like the Everglades if I'm not mistaken. I the near palms and then the cypress trees over yonder. In between is a whole field of bright and beautiful yellow flowers. I do have some suggestion or critiques you may or may not agree with. First, I think that it would add a little more visual impact and a feel of height of those trees if you shot this at a lower angle. It appears as if it was taken at height level. Second, you are allowed to sharpen more than once in minimal - taking a large file size and shrinking it down in one stop loses alot of sharp and lovely detail which I am sure that the large scale photo has. Lastly, there seems to be some dramatic light on the cypress trees way in back. If time allowed, I wonder if you could have waited or timed the light to illuminate the field and trees in such a fashion to get some more dramatic tones in light and shadow. Mother Nature doesn't always co-operate but sometimes if you wait you do get rewarded and other times not.

Maple #3
by snaffles

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

This one really rising up before me - it looms over me and makes me feel small. Love the dark trunk and all the great detail and rough texture that I can see in the bark. The only critique I have is that I wish the leaves had that same great tonal dynamics but they appear more of a flat gray tone...don't know if that is a limitation of converting to greyscale that only minimal will allow or if that can be improved by shooting at a different time of day when the light might illuminate the leaves with greater range of highlight and shadow.

Old Country
by giantmike

Comment:
Voted earlier coming back to comment.

Love the leading lines of both the wood fence that comes out from the bottom left and the road the curves out from the bottom right. Both these lines lead the eye down the leaf strewn path towards the woods and the lovely hues of green, gold, and a smattering of orange. Very well captured.