Kanapaha oaks

[Cheryl Slechta]

Another image from Kanapaha Gardens. The back part of the gardens is natural and looks out onto a prairie that is ringed with oak trees. I started out with my usual Orton then added a Shadowhouse texture (watercolor) blended with harsh light, then another texture with the Color blend mode. and added some grain and a slight vignette and tone in Topaz Adjust. Then I added the second texture rotated 180 degrees with another color blend mode Looks much better at full resolution - I had to post at a very low resolution.

[Dennis Bishop]

Cheryl, I love the look you achieved and the wonderful color. Those curving branches are really appealing, too. My eye keeps going to the empty space in the lower right, though. I skewed the right side and came up with this.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Hi, Dennis, I like that! Thanks!!!

[Christopher Miller]

I really like the look you achieved here, Cheryl. The texture and grain make it look very much like a splatter painting. Dennis' change looks great. Well done!

[Cary Ader]

Cheryl,
I do think your Orton effect is wonderful, somehow continuing to get better, and I would not have know about the textures had you not mentioned them. Apparently they are contributing a dimension of veracity while keeping the image in the idyllic realm.

Your keen eye is strongly evident here as well. The three main trees together form interesting lines that convey the years the trees have lived together; out of the infinite number of jumbled, unremarkable juxtapositions, you've found one that reminds us of the importance of getting out into nature more often and quietly finding its delights and benefits.

The cropping seems like a very good suggestion.

[Nick Palmieri]

I really like the composition and the effect works very well. I am debating whether a bit off the bottom would strengthen this. Nice job!

[Anita Bower]

Wonderful composition with that one tree bending over between two straighter trees. The colors work really well, though I don't think I would have thought of Oak trees, but that doesn't matter. The effects are marvelous. I very much enjoy the look you achieve via your Orton. I, too, find my eye going to the bottom of the image, especially the right. Dennis' version addresses some of this issue. A crop and darkening the bottom area might help keep the focus up in the branches. Excellent work.