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On rocky ground

Gallery: Regional: UKNPPosted January 10, 2011154 views14 comments

This was taken a few years ago on a bitterly cold and frosty day in the hills above Ystradfellte near Neath in South Wales, UK.
There's a lovely "Limestone pavement", up there in this area.

I decided to convert this image to B&W to concentrate on the lovely shapes and textures without the distraction of colours, I did however add a tone to it.

Konica/Minolta Dynax 7D
Sigma 10-20 EX
4 secs
f22
ISO 100
Probably a 3 stop ND grad (can't remember)
Tripod
Cable release

Comments

14 comments

Comment posted by Wayne Simpson on January 10, 2011 at 5:25 PM

Geoffrey,
This is a nice image with a good balance to it, however I feel that the vignette in the sky is a bit too strong. The top of the tree seems to be getting lost in the dark portions of the sky. I would be very curious to see the image without the added vignette.

Registered on December 11, 2006, 303 Posts, 924 Comments

Comment posted by John Robinson on January 10, 2011 at 5:31 PM

I.ve said before -I,m not a landscape man ( none around here ! ), but I love the atmosphere in this. Wuthering something

JohnR

Registered on March 2, 2008, 535 Posts, 2453 Comments

Comment posted by Lorna Taylor on January 10, 2011 at 5:38 PM

Stunning dramatic image, Very cinematic! love how the frost brings out all the details in the stones!

Registered on November 12, 2010, 254 Posts, 3083 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Fletcher on January 10, 2011 at 6:14 PM

I actually like the apparent vignetting, but i suspect from the position of the sun it was " as seen" and not added at a later date. I am not too keen on the tone choice though, it all comes down to age i suppose, and being brought up on B & W id like to see this one as such, and it could possibly inflect a little more coldness reflecting the temperature at the time of the shot.

Registered on January 10, 2011, 0 Posts, 6 Comments

Comment posted by Sandra Hendrikse on January 11, 2011 at 3:14 AM

Works for me. Very dramatic image.

Registered on January 23, 2008, 48 Posts, 769 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Cole on January 11, 2011 at 6:52 AM

certainly atmospheric Geoff. I'd like to see a bit of light sky above the tree to strengthen its silhouette and also a slightly lighter vignette. Nicely taken otherwise.

Matt

Registered on February 18, 2008, 17 Posts, 267 Comments

Comment posted by Karen Summers on January 11, 2011 at 11:09 AM

It a lovely image it does what you wanted it to it looks a cold bitter day

Registered on December 3, 2009, 83 Posts, 818 Comments

Comment posted by Dawn Monrose on January 11, 2011 at 12:10 PM

Great composition, I really like this. The darkness in the sky is perhaps a little overpowering, although the larger version looks better, so perhaps that's just the compression. Love the details in the all the rocks, really atmospheric.

Registered on April 7, 2008, 6 Posts, 60 Comments

Comment posted by Bertl Menegoni on January 11, 2011 at 1:31 PM

Works good for me Goeffrey. Perhaps a bit oversharpened I find.
But a very special mood in this shot.

Bertl

Registered on November 19, 2007, 24 Posts, 265 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Haskell on January 11, 2011 at 5:18 PM

Interesting and dramatic!

Ian

Registered on October 30, 2008, 24 Posts, 673 Comments

Comment posted by Andy Astbury on January 12, 2011 at 7:58 AM

Cracking image overall Geoff

I'd agree with Matt about a little more headroom for the tree, and I'd have said tree a little more to the right of frame.

Instead of the yellowish shift I'd have given the image a slight blue shift, or done a full B&W conversion.

Registered on January 11, 2007, 28 Posts, 257 Comments

Comment posted by jack chapman on January 12, 2011 at 1:23 PM

i really like this, the whole bleak setting and composition, the clouds frame the picture perfectly and i really like the effect the frost too

Registered on January 29, 2007, 17 Posts, 74 Comments

Comment posted by Neil Burton on January 13, 2011 at 9:42 AM

Brilliant. Comp, conversion, drama...1

Registered on September 16, 2010, 26 Posts, 461 Comments

Comment posted by Tristan Campbell on January 19, 2011 at 1:02 PM

Stunning Geoffrey. However I'd make a simplar comment to my last one. I feel personally the foreground should be slightly darker and the upper third lighter. I think the really bright area of sky would benefit from the entire sky being lightened. Just personal preference, look forward to seeing more, great work. Tristan

Registered on June 23, 2006, 113 Posts, 719 Comments