Old Farm paddock...

[Don Railton]

Hi Guys

I went to visit my daughter last weekend at a farm 3 1/2 hours south of Perth. This is an image taken at the base of a large gum in the house paddock of the farm... It's an image I like but I would be keen to know what you all think of this...

1D4 + 18mm Zeiss Distagon manual lens.
1/160 at F8, iso 1600, hand held and full frame.
Converted to a Tiff in ACR and then worked on in CS6 initally to convert to B&W, then fiddled with more Using the NIK package..

regards

DON

[David Stephens]

Don, that tree is immense. I'd love to see a separate study of it.

I like your great DOF and details in sky and foreground, as well as the processing. Is that antique farm equipment? It's interesting, but is distracts a bit, given it's mid-range depth in the field. It might have been wheeled closer to be a bigger part of the image, but then it would be a study of the equipment, rather than the paddock. The old fence post in front of the tree calls too much attention to itself, in my eye. I'm struck by the immensity and beauty of the tree and then, see the old post. I suppose the post tells part of the "story" here and it IS reality. I'd try a crop with the post eliminated. I know that we'd lose that beautiful trunk, but the field, sky, long limb and equipment might be a stronger image.

Anyway, great stuff. I'm just giving my reactions.

[Diane Miller]

I really like this! The lighting is perfect and the tree is a wonderful framing element, and so immense that I don't mind the post. It looks old and weathered, and the soft lighting on it makes it very nice. I might think about removing the two pieces of wood coming in from the LR corner, or burning them down.

If you get a chance to shoot this again, some targeted flash on the farm equipment could be interesting. You might have to hide the head and fire it remotely, but maybe a Better Beamer would be enough.

I love the distant trees, but the "horizon" line is a little distracting to me as it is not level and is a little crooked. I realize it is like the shore of a lake that angles away, and that the ground is not smooth, but I would experiment with some tweaking.

I love the toning and you got great tonalities in the conversion!

[Don Railton]

Hi David and Diane.

Firstly, thank you both for the kind & detailed critiques.. Most appreciated..

David, the farm has been around for a few generations and the 'homestead' which is made of mud brick and wooden shingle roof is thought to be over 100 years old. I am guessing the antique seeder? probably came straight of the showroom floor to the farm way back and has been there ever since. I know it and the tree have been a setting for a wedding or two and for that reason I am reluctant to consider moving it.. However I did take some shot around the base of the tree without the post and some without the seeder which I will work on and post if they are good enough..

Diane,
Thanks for the suggestions, I am sure I will get another opportunity to visit the farm as my daughter and her partner have settled in as the third generation.. I like your idea of flashing the machinery, could work nicely.. I agree with the level, I thought the post looked vertical but never checked it and old posts don't have to be/are not usually vertical anyway so playing with the implied horizon is def worth a look.

Thanks again for the input

regards

DON

[Diane Miller]

If straightening the "horizon" makes the post look awkward, you can do a\ n Edit > Transform> Distort and pull up the UL corner a little. Iy probably won't make the machinery look distorted.

This place looks like a paradise!!! And so great to see a younger generation keeping places like this up -- best wishes for them! I think you should become the official photographer there.

[Don Railton]

Thanks Diane.. and good ideas..! Have already been commissioned for more images from around the farm, but it will be for bed and breakfast at best, not that I am complaining...

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Don, I like the conversion and yes that tree is massive!!! My only suggestion here is that your perspective was just a smidgeon lower to eliminate the distant trees from merging with the tree branch. It is actually an easy fix in this situation if you are not opposed to doing a little cloning. Looking forward to more from this farm :)

[Don Railton]

Hi Andrew

Good point, I will get the chainsaw out and do a little pruning is PS...

regards

DON