Cypress Trees (two images added 24 Nov.)

The first two are breathtakingly beautiful, although #2 wins. While i like the viewpoint in #3, the cutoff tree on the right somehow bothers a tad, but the strong point is the tree in the middle which takes you into the frame. The last one is a bit too empty for my taste, but it fits wonderful in the series. Thanks master Roger   

Another vote for #2 - overall the best composition IMO - and acceptable contrast. I like #3 a lot, for me in terms of composition it is clearly better than #4 (the water lacks smoothness), but there are some deficiencies: e.g., it lacks sharpness and contrast. #2 stands out, I think, because it has the best contrast in the series (still improvable). Processing for high key may spoil contrast.

Generally for me the images are (in different degrees) a bit too mushy.

Thanks all for the comments.

waldo-posth - "lacks sharpness and contrast" - true of all of them. Lack of sharpness due two one of two factors - wind (gusts up to 40 mph) and/or poor focusing on my part. Contrast - yes, all are high key and for my taste in this situation I like lower contrast. There certainly is a case for high contrast, maybe even very high contrast, to create more of a graphic design look and feel.

MinoltaMad - Letterbox image below that shows the entire scene. I tend to prefer the letterbox or panorama format if the scene is already extremely wide.

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Edited by Roger Rex - 24 November 2022 at 15:56

Now #6 has become my favorite. The panorama format really adds to the subject and there is an additional element which enhances the composition: the clouds.

#7 could rather be taken in a desert, during a sandstorm - but fascinating to see.

TFS, Roger - great work!

waldo_posth wrote: Now #6 has become my favorite. The panorama format really adds to the subject and there is an additional element which enhances the composition: the clouds.

Fully agree, the image is a bit more "alive". One thing about the earlier images; the lack of sharpness and contrast was not a problem for me, it suited the images imo.