New Life

I like the cuvilinear lines in these, the contrast of reds and greens, and the dynamic range of bright specular reflectance of the morning sun to deepest shadow. But this would have been a different image if shot at the DoF were changed.

It must have been bright because you were a the lowest amplification in ISO 80 and a very fast shutter. So the open aperture is clearly designed to create the DoF you achieved. What we don't know is what other focal length options might have been available. But let's assume you could have gone to, say 50mm. When I think about the effects that might have been achievable, they would go in the direction of making the foreground, but even moreso, the trees in the backbround more blurry.

When I imagine how these options might have looked, I must say that I like it the way it is; i.e., with the more muted blur of the trees so that we can still see their lines, but the eye nevertheless not distracted by them. I think that this background of lines helps to define the forms of the subject, and also the relationship in time between old and new.

Bottom line; I like it.

These are such intriguing plants! I always look forward to finding the new growth of the skunk cabbage along our creek. I really like your low POV in this image. This low view really helps showcase the nice curves and lines in these emerging plants. Good focus on the plants although I think I would like the background a bit more blurred. Nice find, Jim.

Think I'd prefer to have the background more blurred, to set off the plants better, so using a longer focal length may have done it. Although, never thought about the old/new relationship John mentioned