Winter Maples

Gallery: LandscapePosted February 23, 2012480 views35 comments

This is a rework of an image that I made several years ago of this pair of maples in some fog that was drifting in and out. Was quite taken with how the moss draped branches seemed to flow across the frame, and so have tried to emphasize that aspect in this rework. Would really appreciate your thoughts on this.
Sadly, this area on the Olympic Peninsula was clearcut a few months after making this image and so these trees are no more.
4x5, 210mm, warm polarizer, Velvia 100. Used Tony Kuyper's masks and other masks.

Large size image does look better.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, ideas, comments. Always appreciate your input.

Comments

35 comments

Comment posted by Ben Horne on February 23, 2012 at 1:53 AM

This shot turned out fantastic. I bet the original transparency is an absolute treat to view under a loupe. It's sad that this forest has been clear cut. That's one of the things that was slightly unsettling when I drove through that area last summer. Despite the fact that this wonderful scene is now gone, I'm glad you were able to do it justice, and capture it so magnificently on big film.

Registered on August 27, 2009, 51 Posts, 959 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on February 23, 2012 at 2:28 AM

Nothing beats pacnw greens. nice work here

af

Registered on October 26, 2009, 399 Posts, 2789 Comments

Comment posted by Zack Clothier on February 23, 2012 at 4:15 AM

What a fantastic shot, Vance. The intensely vibrant greens combined with the flow of the branches makes this really stand out. Nice (re)work!

Registered on January 28, 2010, 343 Posts, 2257 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on February 23, 2012 at 6:23 AM

What a gorgeous network of vibrant green branches Vance. Very sad they no longer exist.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Neale Dyster on February 23, 2012 at 6:27 AM

Love the "glow" of that moss. Lovely image Vance.

Registered on February 19, 2008, 94 Posts, 738 Comments

Comment posted by Abdullaziz Bin Ali on February 23, 2012 at 6:33 AM

This is creative
i like the lines

Registered on May 31, 2009, 112 Posts, 1590 Comments

Comment posted by Gary McGhee on February 23, 2012 at 7:13 AM

This looks absolutely fantastic Vance, love the vibrancy.

Gary.

Registered on April 15, 2010, 142 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on February 23, 2012 at 8:48 AM

Vance, This is fantastic!, and I love looking at it. The glowing light on that moss is amazing. Like Ben I would love to see that transparency on a light table! Beautiful...

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Reed on February 23, 2012 at 12:03 PM

Nature's neural network....

Registered on September 19, 2009, 198 Posts, 1074 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on February 23, 2012 at 12:52 PM

Excellent comp here!!!!!! Great job on this!

Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel Rappaport on February 23, 2012 at 2:07 PM

Beautifully composed.

Registered on September 9, 2009, 294 Posts, 2006 Comments

Comment posted by James Fougère on February 23, 2012 at 2:35 PM

Looks great Vance

Registered on October 25, 2010, 41 Posts, 831 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on February 23, 2012 at 3:54 PM

Another excellent comp with great use of line, Vance. Wonderful light and color as well. Superb image overall. Too sad that this beauty is gone!

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on February 23, 2012 at 4:08 PM

Beautiful image- Great treatment of light, fantastic strong greens and a fine composition on this image- My congrats, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on February 23, 2012 at 5:55 PM

Excellent, Vance!!! Great pattern with the trees and the strong greens work well. Love it.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on February 23, 2012 at 9:05 PM

Wonderfully controlled chaos

The abstract quality is my fav. The greens are electric. Fantastic shot. Would not change anything.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on February 23, 2012 at 9:52 PM

Really, really like this, Vance. Feels like I'm inside something . . . or under water. Just a totally different feel for a tree image. Sort of feels like a microscopic intimacy, maybe. Just a joy to look at this.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on February 24, 2012 at 3:57 AM

vance - this is magnificent. i love the flow and the colour. i'd be inclined to shave a little off the top - just below the horizontal branch in the top left corner. superb!!

Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments

Comment posted by Anil Rao on February 24, 2012 at 5:23 AM

Really nice, Vance. This has to be one of the best images posted here in a long time.

Registered on November 15, 2003, 234 Posts, 4923 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on February 24, 2012 at 8:10 AM

Beautifully complex and simple at the same time. The fog works wonders with this. Love the color and the open shadows.

- Dan

Registered on November 1, 2003, 473 Posts, 7980 Comments

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on February 24, 2012 at 8:48 AM

this is amazing

love the colors

Hamed

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by Michael J Greene, on February 24, 2012 at 11:20 AM

This is a stunning work of art Vance. The only suggestion I have is to slightly burn down the URC. Fabulous work. One of my very favorites from you.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 86 Posts, 2317 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on February 24, 2012 at 11:43 AM

This is really nice Vance. Like you mentioned, this flows so nicely. Also, I like the light and color. Excellent capture.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Benjamin Olson on February 24, 2012 at 12:44 PM

What an amazing graphic display! I love it! It's really too bad places like this get clearcut.

Registered on April 7, 2007, 169 Posts, 725 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Campisi on February 24, 2012 at 3:50 PM

Love those glowing greens Vance, and the comp is wonderful with those radiating branches. Great eye for this!

And unfortunately, clear cuts are a fact of life in the PNW. That doesn't make it suck any less. I've always found it ironic how some of the most beautiful scenery in the world exists side by side with some of the most appallingly ugly scenes you'll ever see.

Registered on November 24, 2008, 304 Posts, 3211 Comments

Comment posted by Navin Sarma on February 24, 2012 at 4:45 PM

vance, this is a great image. very clean and controlled which i found very hard to achieve in these forests.

in my one trip to ONP i couldnt help but notice the rampant logging, trucks full of trees, and bare fields of trees. it's appalling. after seeing bare field after bare field, i had to take this one photo (not for artistic purposes, or to take attention away from your shot):

http://navinsarmaphotography.com/wp-content/gallery/places/northamerica/pacnw/olympic_national_park_cleared_forest.jpg

Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on February 25, 2012 at 12:48 PM

Vance, the vibrant greens counteracting the forboding darkness in the background makes this image unique for me. In addition, I enjoy the details in the mosses a lot. Must be overwhelming as a large print.

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Dayton on February 25, 2012 at 1:19 PM

A remarkable nature image, Vance! I really like the colors and lines.
Well displayed details, also. It's unfortunate that the area has been
clearcut.

Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on February 25, 2012 at 2:33 PM

Hi Vance,

The bigger the better right? This really jumps out at me in large view. Wonderful example of making "order from chaos." The processing is excellent as I find all the greens vibrant, yet still quite believable. I really thing the muted bg makes these moss covered limbs stand out beautifully. Awesome. No nits here.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on February 25, 2012 at 3:41 PM

This is incredible! Amazing color and details throughout. I agree about the muted background really working to advantage here. I would say this would have to be considered in a group of your best. Excellent!

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 26, 2012 at 12:40 AM

Beautiful, Vance--fantastic detail!

Why we must destroy beauty for the sake of consumption and greed, i'll never understand...

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Jon Daining on February 26, 2012 at 1:07 AM

This is excellent, simple yet powerful composition. The branches really fill the frame well. A shame this was clear cut. Perhaps if more people had your eye to see the beauty here...

Registered on February 25, 2012, 25 Posts, 191 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on February 26, 2012 at 2:10 AM

A little late in posting, but want to thank everyone for the great feedback. Really appreciate all the kind words. Thanks.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by David Chauvin on February 27, 2012 at 7:01 AM

Simply fantastic! An image with amazing color and depth!

Registered on August 5, 2004, 1007 Posts, 5595 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on February 27, 2012 at 2:25 PM

Stunning use of patterns, with the additional textures and colours making for an amazing shot.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments