In the Flow V

Lon's Tree. I have one or two of this tree in my own files. Nice river background, good color and sense of motion. The tree feels a bit cutoff to me, as I can't see the branch ends on either side. Overall, a nice rendition of your tree (so named even if Kyle might have been the first to notice it?).

Good story and the first is a winner of these two.

The tree really has grown over the years. I have to agree with you, your first one has been your best. This is nice and will make a great addition to the story of this growing tree. I like the subtle light reflecting in the water and on the rock just at the foot of the tree.

Well there was definitely better light for the first image but I agree that often our first attempt at a scene we return to often is our best, especially for an accomplished photog such as yourself. For me, I see a composition that I think is the best and I shoot it. Then on return visits I try to improve on it but probably can't since the best comp has already been captured. Of course conditions will change that could make a different composition outshine the first. I guess that's why we go I like both images but the first is outstanding.

Lon, that first image will be a difficult one to out do. The lighting and the river level showing more interesting detail make the first one very special. Having said that the current image is just fine. Chet

Love the tone and the motion of the water.

Beautiful sense of movement here Lon. I wish I could see more of the tree. It seems a little cut off to me. Gorgeous water, it really stands out!

I really like the composition and the contrast between static (the tree) and dynamic (the moving water). The soft color contrast is also fantastic.

Love the water textures and the subtle reds. The water has a wonderful painted look to it. A little bit of a shame there's some rock material behind the top branches, which tend to pull my eye up to the edge of the frame. Cropping would bugger up the comp though.

This one is pretty awesome too. I might even like it better...but I wont be showing this one to my wife

Hey Lon, a nice follow up shot here. I think your own thoughts on these two images kind of follows a somewhat general feeling maybe for viewers. I find it hard to compare these two images other then maybe from a documentary point of view. The first one is clearly the better of the two all the way around. Colors, clarity, tree size & shape, water flow, overall contrast, and most importantly the perfect lighting. Did I miss anything? If so maybe perfect fits it better.

The original is an excellent image both technically and aesthetically. With this all said, and to be fair to this image & of course the little tree, it just did not see the same excellent lighting the first had shining upon it. Additionally, the tree has sprouted in size and stretched the present composition area overall. So, for me in the end this image shares more of a historical outline of the trees tenacity and overall perseverance to remain a part of the natural world and I find the appeal of this capture in that respect.

Hi Lon,
I love both of them, they are great. Movement of the water created great texture. I love the framing as well.
The bottom half of the image looks a bit purplish blue in my monitor, I wonder if it is the image or just my monitor!.

Thanks for sharing Lon.
Mo

Thanks for the comments so far folks! I agree the tree does feel cut off. Mostly on the top for me. The right side is a conscious choice for the left to right flow. Someone observed about the rocks up top, well that's the beginning of the far shore so is the reason for the tight crop up top. Plus, the tree is growing "up!"

Mohammad, I don't think it's your monitor. I believe there is a slight blue/purple cast to much of the water. After a while working an image we start to lose site of things. Good catch.

Great observations about the light too. In the first and best image of this spot, there is actually direct sunlight, and shadows on the scene, so the light is coming from behind and overhead. In all my subsequent visits and captures of this, the light has always been earlier and reflected light from the granite cliffs above (Glacier Point actually,) so the light directed or reflected on this little scene is of course different.

Thanks for the comments folks.

Love this as much as the others Lon. This is the kind of photo that sticks in my mind when I'm out and about and looking for something a little bit different. The blueish tint in the water is nice as is the detail in the tree. Nice movement too.

Gary.

Lon, in my opinion the two versions show distinct atmosphere, and I want to comment on the second one.

This is really a story telling image for me. You show me the way how the tiny tree is anchored in an impressive and effective way. I appreciate the transition from warmer to cooler shades in the water. The subdued lighting together with the motion of the water have a forboding meaning to me. A consistent and appealing image to my eye.

Peter

Really like the waters look at one second Lon, nice follow-up to your last post.
I especially like the survival theme, a great example of natures tenacity..
Pretty hard to beat that last one of course

Lon,

I like both, but I like this one a little better. I also noticed the rocks at the very top of the frame. I love flowing water, but perhaps a little less exposure time would leave the water a bit more translucent, so the rocks in the water could be seen.

Brad

The first one is also my favorite because of that beautiful light in the scene, Lon. Not that this one is bad because that couldn't be farther from the truth. I think they work beautifully together as a theme showing the tenacity to survive against all odds.

Ed

I just love the flow of the river in this image. The tree is certainly a survivor and a nice counterpoint to the energy of the flow. Very nice

Talk about persistence. The rocks at the top bug me a little, but the rest of the scene is beautifully Zen.

Lon - I would agree that the 1st is better for me. The crop and dark rocks at the top just aren't doing it for me in this one. The water is beautiful, but the tree and it's position in the frame makes me want to see what is missing above. Sometime the 1st one is the best!

Lovely. As far as favorites, I actually like this current version better than the first due to the water movement being a bit more frozen, but that's a highly subjective subject. None the less, I love your composition here as well - superb shot.