Cypress Trees and a Knee or Two

[bulldurham3]

 

[Space Face]

No 2 for me. Just looks gritter.

 

[smoke665]

In the Bootheel of MO, where I grew up we had a lot of Cyprus. I spent many enjoyable days when I was younger hunting and riding dirt bikes in an area called Dark Cypress, a 5-10 mile wide by 20 mile strip of swamp with a patchwork of old logging roads on the high ground.

I prefer the second shot, but wish it had just a tad more breathing room on the sides.

 

[PJM]

Looks like an awesome place to kayak. Nice photos. #1 for me. I just like the wider perspective.

 

[bulldurham3]

Too much crap on the sides to make it an interesting composition. If it wasn't for the 12-14 foot gators, it would be a great place to kayak.

 

[K9Kirk]

Too much crap on the sides to make it an interesting composition. If it wasn't for the 12-14 foot gators, it would be a great place to kayak.

Nice set. I'm leery about paddling around low on the water with big gators around, too. I see others doing it but my instincts yell, 'don't do it!'

 

[bulldurham3]

Keep listening to those instincts...

 

[mjcmt]

Cypress grove gives some perspective the the area. Nice 1st shot.

 

[ntz]

Hello,

I love the most the #2 ... but let me offer my vision

** first one with slightly modified colours and + sky and water reflections via Luminosity maks + added vignette (haha, really shadows and highlights tool wasn't employed this time - I'm awed by my newly gained skill of using Luminosity masks)
** second one modified curves to put it to B&W, + added there an unhealthy contrast to the midtones + added some artificial grain

 

[ntz]

Too much crap on the sides to make it an interesting composition. If it wasn't for the 12-14 foot gators, it would be a great place to kayak.

let me (rarely) disagree .. actually I love the composition of #2 and how you used the shallow DoF to work out the trash on sides .. I am 110% sure that the image will look completely different on large print Vs we're looking on that on computer screens .. that cunning shallow DoF manoeuvre was excellent

 

[bulldurham3]

Both shots used luminosity masking as well as working in channels and using NIK's SEP2 for the separation of fore to BG. The nice thing about channels is that every adjustment tool can be used with each channel...you can add brightness to a red and dull down a green, pop a yellow or add more saturation to a blue, all in the same image. Same goes with the luminosity masks...then there's the blending modes....so many tools, so much fun.