A Walk in the Woods

[Dennis Bishop]

This was taken almost two weeks ago in the same county park that has the old barn. The color has been changing rapidly, so it probably isn't this green, now.

9-exposure HDR at 1 EV intervals
Nikon D3s, ISO 200, f/22 (for depth of field and the star-burst effect), zoom lens at 34mm

post-processing

Photomatix -- tone mapping for a good histogram
Adobe Camera Raw -- Clarity and some tweaking of Saturation and Luminance
cropped from the left for composition (star-burst in divine proportion horizontally; the horizon was already right vertically)
Topaz Simplify -- Watercolor II preset
Red Giant Knoll Light Factory -- additional rays of light with highly reduced opacity, masked off the foreground trees
Flypaper Textrues -- a brown texture with dark edges and corners (for vignetting and warming the scene a bit), Hard Light blend mode, reduced opacity
Curves -- two layers, one to lighten midtones and highlights, the other masked to lighten the foreground trees
Fractalius -- two different b&w presets based on Sketch, one with Divide blend mode, the other with Multiply
Alien Skin Snap Art -- Stylize Line Art preset with Divide blend mode

[Cheryl Slechta]

Dennis, this looks like an enchanted forest:S3: The lighting is perfect and I love what Fractalius did, especially to the branches on the ground.

[Paul Lagasi]

I agree on the enchanted forest...nice effects and composition..TFS

[Diane Miller]

This is just awesome! Love every detail!!

[Hazel Grant]

I guess I'm the renegade, but I often am not a fan of frac work.....this, however, is an exception. Especially the roots . The bright spot of light also adds just the right contrasting touch. Very nice.

[Dennis Bishop]

I guess I'm the renegade, but I often am not a fan of frac work.....this, however, is an exception. Especially the roots . . .

Thanks for your comments, Hazel. Although I've been using Fractalius in most of my images for some time, now, I agree with you about it to a certain extent. The key, I think, is to be subtle about it. In this case, the Fractalius layer with the black doesn't add any lines that aren't already there. It just emphasizes them. The other Fractalius layer is white. All it does is lighten certain parts of the image.

[John Storjohann]

Dennis, this is a beautifully crafted image - not a surprise coming from you! Great lighting, subtle processing with Fractalius, and a strong composition...I do find that the two vertical lines of branches/limbs in the LR tend, to my eye, split the image somewhat simply because they are virtually extensions of the trees above them...I'd almost be tempted to evict them if it were mine, but that's a matter of personal vision. Always good to see your work and your workflow.

[denise ippolito]

Dennis, I love the enchanted look also. The lighting and stained glass effect is sweet! I'm a big fan of Fractalius especially for it's versatility. I think as with any filter the person working the controls can make or break the look. You have done a terrific job with this one!

[Nancy Bell]

This is so lovely! I love how my eye is drawn along the lighted path into the forest. The texture on the main tree trunk is great and the lines of the black branches allow one to see the forest & the trees!

[Maureen Allen]

Very nice, Dennis. Lighting is great and the fract works well to emphasize the lines of the forest. I think if it were mine, I'd consider evicting the small tree in the center which to my eye breaks the path.

[Bob Miller]

Dennis...love the unique look you have here! Great work!

[Indranil Sircar]

Dennis, I too love the enchanted look. Combination of simplify and fract is a favorite of mine and you have added more to the potion to make it magical! I can see John's perspective on the vertical line... may be darkening the right of the tree a bit will help; just a thought. Excellent composition and processing!

[bobdecker]

Dennis, I love the stained glass look you achieved here. The entire image is very pleasing and the detail is excellent. I like Fractalius and this gives me a better sense of what can be done with it. Thanks for sharing this great image with us!

[Laura Weishaupt]

Dennis,

I had to go back and find this as I thought about it today (Jan. 2) for many reasons. I thought I'd share some with you. I am new to posting in BPN, and fully respect the request of making comments on 5 other photos. Today I read a thread about such postings and how folks feel about them. It made me think quite a bit about my ability to make any meaningful comments to photographers with much more ability than I, especially at the technical end. In that light I can now make a comment on this photo that I hope will be meaningful.

I first saw this months ago and said nothing because I was speechless. Honestly I'd never seen anything quite like it, but I really liked it. I looked at it many times, showed it to my husband, and the more I looked at it the more I liked it. I've never been a fan of heavy handed manipulation, but this felt light and inviting. For me, the image presented a turning point in my thinking. I had seen one other, completely different image with some pixel bending that would have made Van Gogh smile. That one got me thinking. Yours pushed me further to consider learning some of these techniques and really drove home the idea that the right photo with the right technique can add up to something very special. ( ok, one still must take a GOOD photo). Thank you for sharing and the inspiration.