Quiet Places

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 14, 2014549 views34 comments

I took a hike in to the Wisconsin River bottoms near my home on a foggy morning with hopes of making a couple of shots. It is an area I know well and always enjoy. The quiet and lonely feel in this place is really quite amazing and I had hopes of capturing that on this morning. I though the combination of early light and fog would really help bring that mood out if I could come up with a good composition. Appreciate any thoughts you have on this. Thanks too for all of your comments on my last post. Larger version included for a better look!
Canon, 50mm, ISO 100, f/18, 1/2 sec.

Comments

34 comments

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on August 14, 2014 at 5:10 PM

Nick, this sings, what a beautiful scene and mood you captured, love it. Most excellent work.
John

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Cameron on August 14, 2014 at 5:40 PM

Nice Nick, love the mood like a soft green watercolour with a deliciously loose and apparently un-contrived composition that borders on messy, but simply works. Perhaps just the right hand tree is a little too heavy in girth and the darker forest floor could be trimmed in half.

Registered on August 6, 2004, 1125 Posts, 3318 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on August 14, 2014 at 5:47 PM

I wondered areas in Iowa growing up that are very similar to this and I can feel the dampness and smell the unique smell of being in the woods on such a damp morning. I like the mood you have created very much.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on August 14, 2014 at 5:54 PM

Beautiful light and mood! Really sweet image, Nick.

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

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on August 14, 2014 at 7:11 PM

I like this a lot Nick, particularly the mood you've created/captured. Beautiful scene and presentation. No suggestions on my part.

pat

Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on August 14, 2014 at 7:33 PM

Nick, this does a fine job of capturing the quiet mood. I like the layers and how they're separated by the fog. I think there's too much darkness at the bottom, might be worth some dodging or maybe cropping about half of it.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 14, 2014 at 7:56 PM

Thanks for all of your thoughts on this. I'm going to try cropping some off the bottom as suggested and see how that works. I originally didn't think that would work but now I can see it working...

As always it is nice getting your thoughts to improve an image. Not sure I will print this one, but I'm thinking about doing one just to see how well it works as a print. Nick

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

Comment posted by scott lanz on August 14, 2014 at 9:25 PM

Nick, I think this looks good here, although I agree with lightening the dark foreground. If you print this, I would probably lighten it overall. Beautiful mood created by the fog.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Thompson on August 14, 2014 at 9:42 PM

Very moody feel to it, love the subdued shades of green and the foggy feel.

Registered on August 7, 2014, 125 Posts, 2319 Comments

Comment posted by Ronald Murphy on August 15, 2014 at 8:05 AM

Beautiful moody photo. That broken tree is bugging me a bit even though I know the woods are like that.

Registered on March 13, 2012, 279 Posts, 975 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on August 15, 2014 at 12:27 PM

Wonderful mood and composition to me, Nick. I especially appreciate the delicate details of the foliage complementing the dark trunks in the fog.

Peter

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 15, 2014 at 2:34 PM

Thanks much guys! As always I appreciate your thoughts. Nick
Scott, Yes, I agree with you if I print this it probably should be lightened overall. Thanks!

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

Comment posted by Joseph Campisi on August 15, 2014 at 4:50 PM

Great misty moody forest scene Nick! Love these types of shots.

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

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on August 15, 2014 at 6:51 PM

Dripping with mood Nick. I just love images like this. Mysterious but peaceful.

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 15, 2014 at 7:11 PM

Thank you Joe and Eva! I really like these kind of images too. Partly because I like being in the woods in these conditions and I think they are just so enjoyable to shoot. It is such an emotional feeling when your mind, body and camera become so connected to your surroundings that you are just absorbed in it. I think most of us here probably know that feeling from time to time.

Nick

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

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on August 15, 2014 at 7:54 PM

You scored on this Nick. This really works well. Great mood and wonderful light.

Well done, sir!

--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on August 15, 2014 at 7:55 PM

The light and comp are wonder, as usually. I like the "off-trail" feel of this and maybe it is totally off-trail, I don't know. I feel like this is a place easy to get lost.

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 15, 2014 at 8:17 PM

Preston and Tony, Thanks! I'm glad you liked this.
Tony, When I was younger and just starting to explore I got totally lost in this area. Over the years I have become very comfortable here. The quietness and feel in this area are quite special for me. Nick

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

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on August 16, 2014 at 6:06 AM

This is stunning. Loving the front to back layering.

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 16, 2014 at 9:33 AM

Thanks Kah Kit! I appreciate that very much.

Nick

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

Comment posted by John Williams on August 16, 2014 at 9:48 PM

This gets better as it gets bigger. I'd love to see a huge print. The mood and layers are very effective.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Ben Horne on August 16, 2014 at 11:50 PM

This has a wonderful dream-like feel to it, and I really enjoy your title. This is the sort of landscape photography that I really enjoy. If this was mine, I might crop a bit off the foreground, but it's great as is.

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 17, 2014 at 3:33 PM

Thank you John and Ben. I have decided to do a print of this for my studio and see how it looks. I will crop a bit off the bottom for that as well. I will probably do it later today yet and looking forward to seeing how it looks and feels. I have a Canon iPF8300 44" printer so can print a pretty big one after seeing how a smaller one comes out. Thanks guys! Nick

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

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on August 17, 2014 at 9:28 PM

This is literally dripping with mood, Nick. The atmosphere you captured with the fog in this woodland scene is magical. Great work.

Ed

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on August 18, 2014 at 4:42 PM

Beautifully spooky. I like this a lot Nick. Large version looks especially nice. Excellent capture.

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

Comment posted by Jon Daining on August 19, 2014 at 2:59 AM

Beautiful foggy scene, Nick! I like the framing with the dark foreground trunks. Nothing I would change here. I personally like the dark foreground as my eyes are led further into the forest and wanting to see more.

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 19, 2014 at 10:24 AM

Thank you Ed, Bill and Jon! Appreciate your thoughts.
Jon, My original thoughts about the darker foreground were just what yours are. I actually darkened it a bit more than it was to get the effect that you felt. Thanks guys! Nick

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

Comment posted by Stan Rose on August 19, 2014 at 1:44 PM

Nice! Love your foggy shots, Nick. Reminds me of my days on the N CA coast...

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

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on August 22, 2014 at 9:49 AM

WOW, I really must have been a sleep at the wheel on this one, Nick. I've been extremely busy and out of town a day or two also so I did have trouble keeping up.

Anyway, this is a wonderful early morning take on this scene. With that said, congratulations as well on the WP for this image. An excellent capture....

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 22, 2014 at 3:43 PM

Thanks Stan and Paul. Appreciate your comments!
Paul, I was gone the past three days on a trip to northern WI and didn't know this was a WP pick until right now as I just got back a few minutes ago. A nice surprise...

Nick

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on August 25, 2014 at 12:41 PM

Very moody and mesmerizing image - congrats on the WP!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 25, 2014 at 4:05 PM

Thank you Sandy! Yes, I was quite happy about that. Cheers, Nick

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

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on August 31, 2014 at 9:09 PM

Beautiful shot, very haunting!

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on September 1, 2014 at 1:20 PM

Thanks Ray! Appreciate your thoughts.

Nick

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