Spicewood Sycamores

Gallery: LandscapePosted January 29, 20071,043 views18 comments

I was driving to St Eds to go for a hike when I saw this view. It was one of those 'I really should photograph that' type moments. Instead of just blowing it off and going on my hike I found a place to park and made my way back to a point where I could photograph.

We don't have aspens here but the sycamores kind of remind me of them in all their white glory.

5D 70-200 f/4L, converted and cuddled in CS3

Thanks for looking

Comments

18 comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on January 29, 2007 at 1:41 AM

Scott,

This has a quiet luminosity and balance of tone and form that I find very appealing.

Good photography!

-PB

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

Comment posted by Marko Trebušak on January 29, 2007 at 5:23 AM

Hi Scott,

As Preston pointed out, it's the glow of this photograph that is very appealing indeed. BDW what was below this image that made you crop trees?

Good light
Marko

Registered on November 1, 2003, 98 Posts, 1260 Comments

Comment posted by Jos De Braekeleer on January 29, 2007 at 6:09 AM

Contrast between the foreground trees and the dark background is what's making this work !

Registered on November 1, 2003, 455 Posts, 1648 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on January 29, 2007 at 8:05 AM

Excellent detail and great tones. I might crop just a little more off the top, but that's a minor nit.

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

Comment posted by Richard Bernabe on January 29, 2007 at 8:54 AM

A great study in contrast here, Scott. Excellent is every way!

Registered on November 24, 2004, 180 Posts, 1545 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Schroeder on January 29, 2007 at 9:12 AM

Thanks for the comments. Marko, the sycamores seem to only survive along waterways around here :) These grow along Spicewood Springs in a ravine. I was on one side and there is other brush growing along the water. To me it distracted from the composition. I do have a vertical that includes the water that I'll be posting next.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 147 Posts, 518 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Kayne on January 29, 2007 at 10:33 AM

Scott, reminds me of John Sexton's work. Very Nice.

Joe.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 573 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on January 29, 2007 at 10:46 AM

This is beautiful, Scott. My fave of these images so far. One small nit. It looks like you darkened the top of the photo because the blacks are darker there than behind the trees. Whether you did or not is immaterial. What I think would help this image is to darken the blacks behind the trees so there are some that go pure black like the top of the image.

- Dna.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 473 Posts, 7980 Comments

Comment posted by Brent Stovall on January 29, 2007 at 11:23 AM

Scott, I LOVE IT. We have sycamores here as well, but have never seen a good photo op. This one is super nice.

B.

Registered on December 6, 2004, 54 Posts, 568 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Schroeder on January 29, 2007 at 11:29 AM

Dan, I went back and forth on that very thing. Originally I had quite a bit going to black behind the trees, but wanted more detail there. I can see your point and I might take that area down a notch or two. I have it in a layer with one of tony's lum masks so I just need to move a curve point a little lower

Registered on November 1, 2003, 147 Posts, 518 Comments

Comment posted by Bret Edge on January 29, 2007 at 12:26 PM

Scott: I love the light trees against the dark background. Lots of interesting, twisting limbs to study here. I find the top dark area to be unnecessary. Try cropping this into a pano to eliminate that area and this really rocks. Nice work! Glad you stopped to photograph it.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 711 Posts, 6363 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on January 29, 2007 at 12:57 PM

Scott, don't darken the area. Just make the almost black areas black. I've seen Charles Cramer demonstrate this where he took a curve and just pulled the bottom bit down and to the right, while keeping the rest of the curve unchanged.

- Dan.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 473 Posts, 7980 Comments

Comment posted by Laurent Baig on January 29, 2007 at 1:52 PM

Looks like you cuddle well, Scott :-) This turned out really nice for you. This has a great tranquility. I love those sycamores.

Registered on January 12, 2005, 206 Posts, 6784 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Tal on January 29, 2007 at 2:12 PM

I love sycamores, and I like how their white limbs stand out against the dark background here.

Guy

Registered on November 1, 2003, 566 Posts, 15507 Comments

Comment posted by Leann Greene on January 29, 2007 at 2:16 PM

Very interesting shapes. Nice subject.

Registered on January 25, 2006, 223 Posts, 3566 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Dolde on January 29, 2007 at 11:38 PM

This is hauntingly beautiful.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 305 Posts, 3900 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on January 30, 2007 at 12:09 AM

I like this one a little better than the other tree shots. Sort of reminds me of a Sexton print.

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

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on February 5, 2007 at 9:57 AM

Scott, a very nice conversion of this unique scene. Congratulations to you on the recent EP selection for this image. Very well done.

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