Guarding the Pass #2

Gallery: LandscapePosted January 26, 2015195 views9 comments

I found this fine old Black Oak standing guard over this swale in the Sierra Foothills.

The image is a departure from the RAW file that was actually quite flat. So, I used curves layers for the sky and the foreground and a TK Super Darks mask for the tree. A small amount of Hue/Saturation was applied only to the sky. I also cropped this significantly from the bottom and cloned out a few fence posts, based upon a suggestion from Harley.

I really wanted the fog to come in to add some mist to the scene, but it was lifting fast by the time I reached the location--maybe next time.

Nikon D-7100
Nikkor 16-85
January 2015

Please see the large version. Thank you!

Your thoughts are always appreciated.

--P

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on January 26, 2015 at 6:15 PM

I could sit here for a very long time. Nice job Preston.

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

Comment posted by Igor Doncov on January 26, 2015 at 7:26 PM

Not all trees are created equal. This one is particularly shapely. Would love to see greater details in all those intricate branches.

Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on January 26, 2015 at 8:55 PM

Real nice, Preston!! This is a grand old oak, showcased beautifully.

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

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on January 26, 2015 at 10:28 PM

Wonderfully clean and inviting, Preston. The tree has a great shape and the sky is very interesting yet works well as negative space.

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

Comment posted by Roel Wijtmans on January 27, 2015 at 10:57 AM

Wonderful, Preston! I like this one even more than your previous one! This is so simple and effective....

Registered on September 30, 2012, 116 Posts, 2257 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Reid on January 27, 2015 at 5:20 PM

Simple yet very effective Preston. Beautiful colors in this and a very nice comp as well.Very well done.

Registered on January 27, 2013, 65 Posts, 2460 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on January 28, 2015 at 8:30 PM

This is really nice, Preston. It looks very natural despite your heavy-handed, over-the-top manipulation. The comp is perfect. Just between you and me, I could see increasing the saturation in the grass a bit too.

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

Comment posted by gary phillips on January 29, 2015 at 1:33 PM

May have been flat in the raw file, but it sure looks good here. I think this has possibilities as a b/w presentation. I like how simple and well thought out this is.

Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Anderson on February 2, 2015 at 10:19 PM

I'm a sucker for trees, and this is spectacular!

Registered on September 6, 2007, 346 Posts, 2696 Comments