The Gathering

[biggerry]

I am keen for some thoughts on this image - processing wise, it was shot for the specific purpose of converting to monochrome, so colour is not an option, compositionally I wanted a simple landscape, there is plenty of room to move and crop in this frame since it's a about 10 vertical frames stitched together.

Possibly cropping from the right to remove some of the negative space which seems not to be used due to the inclusion of the roos on the left?

[ozimax]

I don't know what it is Gerry, but I like this. The image is lonely, sad maybe, and evokes feeling. Are you going to print it large?

[gstark]

Love it, and yes, print it BIG

I'd certainly try cropping it from the right, about halfway between the current rh edge and the tree should do the trick.

[zafra52]

I agree with gstark. However, I puzzled by the title.

[Murray Foote]

Gathering of the bouncing sheep, I think.

Very sparse and dramatic and impressive. I don't think cropping in from the right will help the composition. However, it might be worth trying moving the tree and the shadow further up the hill to the left.

[gstark]

However, it might be worth trying moving the tree and the shadow further up the hill to the left.

Probably be a good idea to get permission from the property owner before doing that.

[Murray Foote]

He'll never notice.

[gstark]

Dunno.

I'd have thought that moving the shadow (as well as the tree) would have been a dead giveaway.

[sirhc55]

My thought - get rid of the sheep to give total isolation to the tree. Sorry Gary, but this is a very stark image that works in many different ways.

[Matt. K]

The image commands attention because of its scale and because the composition eases the eye to the tree, the dominant tonal feature. The space around the tree gives it a prominence, an importance, in the image space. There is a mystery to the tiny figures on the left, but the sloping horizon, which is the dominant line in the image space, rolls the eye back to the tree. The 2 major tones being the ground and the sky balance each other perfectly and help to keep the tree 'suspended' in its almost dead centre position in the composition. I like the image because its apparent simplicity is cloaking a complex arrangement that has been duly considered during it construction.
That's my take, anyway.

[Geoff M]

A most pleasing presentation, I would leave it 'as is'. Very well done.


Geoff

[biggerry]

I don't know what it is Gerry, but I like this. The image is lonely, sad maybe, and evokes feeling. Are you going to print it large?

cheers mate, i will probably never print it..i have not printed anything but kid photos for years

Love it, and yes, print it BIG

I'd certainly try cropping it from the right, about halfway between the current rh edge and the tree should do the trick.

Very sparse and dramatic and impressive. I don't think cropping in from the right will help the composition. However, it might be worth trying moving the tree and the shadow further up the hill to the left.

Thanks Gary and Murray, i will reprocess it with with those options, the crop from the right looks promising and creates an entirely different feel - I still find it quite incredible how the placement of a single item within a frame can drastically change the impact of a image.

I agree with gstark. However, I puzzled by the title.

thanks Zafra, ya gotta view the larger version, they are roo's up on the hill.

My thought - get rid of the sheep to give total isolation to the tree. Sorry Gary, but this is a very stark image that works in many different ways.

I thought about that, but did not give it a go - standby for a ultra minimalist version

The image commands attention because of its scale and because the composition eases the eye to the tree, the dominant tonal feature. The space around the tree gives it a prominence, an importance, in the image space. There is a mystery to the tiny figures on the right, but the sloping horizon, which is the dominant line in the image space, rolls the eye back to the tree. The 2 major tones being the ground and the sky balance each other perfectly and help to keep the tree 'suspended' in its almost dead centre position in the composition. I like the image because its apparent simplicity is cloaking a complex arrangement that has been duly considered during it construction.
That's my take, anyway.

Matt, thanks for taking the time to put down your thoughts, your view and comment is always insightful and a pleasure to read.

A most pleasing presentation, I would leave it 'as is'. Very well done.
Geoff

Thanks Geoff, appreciate the comment mate.

[biggerry]

finally got some time to have another look at this image, here are a couple of variations, with my favorite being the crop from the right.

without roos




crop from the right

[Murray Foote]

I do prefer the second one and don't think you want to lose the bouncing sheep.

[gstark]

As the roadie said (to noone in particular) "two. Two."

[zafra52]

The second take work for me better. 3/3