Spanish Moss

[Dennis Bishop]

Although I was immediately drawn to the Spanish moss I saw during our trip, I couldn't find the right view to portray how I felt about it. We'd reached our southern-most point and were heading back northward when we stopped at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park in Florida. I was hoping to see the bison and wild horses. No such luck. But I did find some moss-laden trees posing for a picture.

This image is version three-point-something, and I'm still not satisfied. The first attempt was in color. The trees and other vegetation were fine, but the Spanish moss definitely wasn't right. When I abandoned that for a black & white version, I decided to apply film grain. Lots of film grain. That succeeded in giving the Spanish moss the right feel, but something still wasn't right, so I decided to add a little color.

Nikon D3S, ISO 200, f/22, five-exposure HDR at 1 EV increments, 16mm fisheye lens

processing highlights

• Topaz Simplify -- Watercolor II preset
• Nik Silver Efex -- sky partially masked to reveal some color and subdue the film grain (The sky would've been a bear to mask if not for the bracketed HDR exposures. I used one of the short-exposure ones to generate the mask.)
• Flypaper Textures -- three textures (2 at Color Burn, 1 at Color blend mode), all masked off the sky
• Photo Filter adjustment layer -- Warming 85, masked off the sky
• Redfield Fractalius -- three B&W layers at Multiply blend mode, one of them masked as a vignette
• Alien Skin Snap Art -- Stylize Line Art B&W layer at Multiply blend mode

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Dennis, was this taken on the boardwalk leading to Bolen's Bluff or I see your title now - maybe the Micanopy side of Paynes Prairie? I think I like your treatment - it almost looks like a zoom blur. I like the addition of grain - it works well here.

[Dennis Bishop]

Hi, Dennis, was this taken on the boardwalk leading to Bolen's Bluff or I see your title now - maybe the Micanopy side of Paynes Prairie? I think I like your treatment - it almost looks like a zoom blur. I like the addition of grain - it works well here.

If there's only one entrance to the park (off 441, I think), and if I remember it all right, this is where it was taken. The first left after the ranger station/check-in leads to a parking lot near the camping area and the lake. There's a building, there. This was taken between the parking lot and the building or between the building and the lake. The boardwalk along the lake was a bit further north.

The zoom blur look isn't the result of processing; it's because of the perspective and the Spanish moss hanging down. The fisheye lens might've exaggerated it.

[Mark Fuge]

Nice image and application Dennis.

We have plenty of that around here, as Cheryl knows! Our trees were covered with it last year, but we removed what we could as it was too much. It's back again this year, but not as heavy.

Like the effect, nice image.

[Paul Lagasi]

I see it now, yes zoom blur effect, this would not have been my first choice but you are a whiz with effects and textures. Well done Dennis

[Judy Howle]

I like the composition and all the different textures in the moss and foliage. Nice work with the filters and effects!

[Rachel Hollander]

Well done Dennis, I like the tones of this and the comp.

TFS,
Rachel

[Nancy Bell]

It makes me think of ice crystals. Guess my head is still in winter! I really like the abstract composition with all the lines and monochromatic shades. And the tree trunk holds the image together nicely. Well done, as usual!