New Life

At the base of an almost dead tree, a new life grows.



When I first saw this small tree growing out of a dead tree, I see a new life fluorishes.

In this picture the idea in my head was/is to play with the contrast between the green of the new tree and the brown/red color of the ground that dominates the scene... and to make the shadow and the trunk of the almost dead tree part of the picture. My idea is that the reddish ground, the shadow and the form of the brown (dark) trunk lead the eye to the green small tree.

I took several pictures of this, under different lighting condition in the span of two hours I guess, cause I wanted to get the shadow of the trunk of the tree that I like. The light is really harsh (it's noon when I took the pictures) I also tried it when the cloud was covering the sun, waited for the sun to move further west so I can get different shadow...but this is the one that I like.

I took it using my 30D, 24-70 at f/5.6, ISO 200 at 1/160 and white balance adjusted with WhiBal card.

Critiques and comments are really welcome.
Thanks for looking,
bob

Hi Bob

I like the idea and share the wonder, but at present this isn't working for me. It may be that I'd prefer a lower and closer shot, but also I think you actually need softer light to allow the texture of the dead stump and the delicacy of the new growth to be seen.

Mike

Thank you very much Mike, and I'm sorry for this late respond... life got in the way

I tried closer shoot but it only showed a new tree growing at the base of another tree. It didn't show that the other tree is dead and that a new life emerges from it. But ... looking at my picture again, I think this one doesn't show it either.

I thought about it and I would guess it's because the viewer can not see if the tree is a dead tree or not .... in my picture the frame cut off the top portion of the tree, so viewer can only see part of the tree and can't see the whole dead tree.

I'm still learning to "see" and to convey my idea ... I've ever taken pictures like this before, so you guys please bear with me
Thanks again Mike.

Bob

Bob,

Maybe combine several pictures in a balanced composition. Then you can have a wide landscape showing the dead tree and repeat the regrowth larger. It will take some thinking but it's worth spending some effort to project, what's essentially your internal idea, into the image you will present to the world.

Asher