Mr. Lonesome +Alts

You call it a lonesome oak, it looks more like King of the Hill to me.  Unrelated to the processing, which looks fine to me.  I would think the tree branch base would be level to the horizon, but it appears that the base is level to the ground - which is what I would think it should be.  So, was there some rotation of the image? or do these trees grow with a tilt  like this?  Just seems odd that the tree would grow in this fashion.

Thanks Harry! Both excellent observations. Agree about the title thing.  Perhaps I'll show a much wider view for context, but it's wit that wider view that perhaps the title is more appropriate.  Good call on that.  I was going to call it, "Sir Oak-a-lot" but thought a little to corny.

Great question regarding the lean and also observation that the hanging branches would be more "level" as opposed to mirroring the slope.  First, the tree is leaning and shows that way on the wider view.  Here's the fun part and the reason I heard years ago and as far as I'm concerned, there is truth to this.  Next time you're in the CA foothills, farm country, pasturelands, you will notice most all oaks don't have their limbs touching the ground and they are even with the ground - even sloped.  The reason?  Cows (horses and deer too.) Cows love the acorns and small leaves and will pretty much manicure the lower branches of a tree until they simply can't reach.  Hence, the even "cut" of the lower branches.  Of course there are bigger branches that do make their way down, and are just not interesting to munching cows or deer.

Thanks!
 

Lon: Terrific POV and I love the sky. King of the hill indeed.>=))>

Oaks have such great form; easily one of my favorite trees. (On my bucket list is "photograph some oaks.") So, I'd say yes we do need more oaks. I think their form works well for a BW conversion, and your playing with the sky contrast puts a lot of power into the image. You might play with darkening the earth so that the eye is drawn past it into the tree and sky more.

Wow, interesting explanation of the branches. Never would have guessed. The grazing animals would make a cool shot if you could get it.

I mentioned I went through several iterations.... so John, here's one with a darker hillside.  You made a good point about letting the eye can get past the hill.  I was afraid of having the same tonality and going even darker would be less natural (like b&w is natural anyway...)

Also including a much wider view for context and in terms of trees growing on a slope.

Thanks for looking and commenting!

Lon

And here's the broader view, where "Mr. Lonesome" is more appropriate title, I think.

Think this works.  I know those trials of capturing such subjects and the answer is yes...we always need more imagery.  If not for the world for ourselves :) 

Would say this might be more powerful caught just as the light fades from the hillside but still clips the tree...or maybe burn down the hill selectively.  Got some fun sky though :)

aF

Excellent, Lon. Excellent processing to make this moody and dramatic. I like the repost with the darker ground.  

Knowing the trials and tribulations you had with this, I think this works wonderfully. You did an excellent job with tonality, especially in the sky. Regarding the foreground hillside, I think something between the re-post and the original would work a little better for.me.

Since I was standing right there, I can say that the lighting conditions were less than optimal. You did a great job here considering the conditions.
--P

Beautiful tree and fine sky as a background. I think I like the original post better than the repost, but both work quite nicely.