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A Tree on the Beach


A Tree on the Beach
Photo Information
Copyright: Francine Malo (NinaM) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 655 W: 0 N: 1623] (5300)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Black & White
Date Taken: 2008-05-28
Categories: Seascape
Camera: Leica V Lux1
Exposure: f/11, 1/250 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-06-22 9:21
Viewed: 481
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I have been absent last week and, once again, I missed a lot of your great postings. There is so much talent on this site, I sometimes wish days would be longer and my timer stretchier so I could discover all the ones I don't post comments on, yet whose postings are so interesting­. I always discover newcomers or, surprisingly to me, people who have been here for a long time and that I didn't know about. This is amazing and I really wish I could see everything.

I am still posting a picture from this small island called Île Verte. It's amazing how many shots I took and how many I am working on and how many I want to share with you. The place is so inspiring, I could have spent the whole summer there and come up with even more pictures all more beautiful one after the other one.

One thing that amazed me was everything we could find on the beach that the St.Lawrence had rejected on the shores. Usually, I go at public beaches and everything is being cleaned up but it's not the case there and the amount of trees, branches and plants rejected on the shores surprised me. Trees and branches were the most obvious.

This tree here was really fascinated because it seems to have spent a lot of time either on the River's bed, or it has travelled miles and miles to reach the coast. Or, maybe it has spent many many years licked by the tides on these rocks. Whatever happenes, I was amazed by the line spiralling all around the trunk, a carved work of beauty and speaking of nature.

I played with the picture a little bit to finally come out with an "almost" black & white picture. I kind of liked the very washed-out colours (some are still remaining and can be seen a little bit on the right side) repeating the washed out trunk of this tree. I desaturated it to about 90% and pulled a little bit on the Vibrance option in Lightroom 2, the recent beta version that I like very much. I also added blacks and highlights in the Levels. I really like the result and I wonder what you might think of it.

This is the story of a tree, once a seed, with its travels carved all along its trunk, just like a story, on a rocky beach in the St.Lawrence River. It sometimes witnesses the breath of whales, the playful swims of the seals and the beautiful flights of the gulls. Its silence is amazing when one thinks about all it says.

Hope you enjoy!

Francine
Shot at ISO 100
Cropped about 1/4

P/S I have to go to lunch now, I'll be back for my comments to your beautiful postings. Thank you!
boreocypriensis, Argus, eqshannon, Adanac, CeltickRanger, jaycee, Jamesp, JPlumb, ramthakur, Heaven, jeanpaul, MMM, marhowie, goldyrs has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Francine,

Excellent and also fantastic landscape capture from a small island, Île Verte. The tree trunk on this rocky beach and your notes are excellent as usual my friend. TFS.
Cheers,

Bayram

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2770 W: 151 N: 7984] (24857)
  • [2008-06-22 13:44]

Hello Francine,
For me the central attraction is the tree trunk with its twisted grain showing what a struggled it had when alive. I also like the light on and the sky makes a fine backdrop from this fine low POV. A piece of artistry, the reduced colour is a way of making it more basic in its expression.
TFS this fine image,
Ivan

I can see we share eyes....You know just the right time for a conversion and somehow you as I did discover how well this camera work sin Black and White...Fantastic...I wish we could spend some time learning about these different places....same camera!
Bob

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1111 W: 1 N: 4518] (15132)
  • [2008-06-22 19:28]

My Dear Friend Franchine,
An outstanding image from your wonderful trip with splendid contrast and beautiful scene. Magnificent work Francine, thank you for sharing.
Rick

bonjour Francine

superbe image de paysage, étonnant de voir-là un arbre mort,
superbe POV et superbe DOF avec la chaîne de montagne de l'arrière-plan,
j'aimes beaucoup ta convertion de l'image en noir et blanc,
j'aimes les noirs et blanc car selon moi, les images
en noir et blanc apportent plusss de punch à l'image
comme dans ton image ici, TFS

Asbed

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  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1911 W: 8 N: 4976] (16095)
  • [2008-06-22 21:24]

Hi Francine,

I've never been a black and white fan - probably because I remember when that was all there was. But this is so effective that you have swayed me. A wonderful shot with all kinds of contrasts. The lines of the tree vs. the shape of the mountains. The dark shades vs. the light. A superb composition - leaving so much of the sky and the clouds creates both atomosphere and depth. Great job!

Jane

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1305 W: 0 N: 5107] (15234)
  • [2008-06-22 22:38]

Hi Francine

A beautiful and unusual composition. The low POV of the tree is very effective and contrasts well with the form of the rocks and the lenticular-cumulus clouds. I also like the way that you have included part of the river.

James

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  • JPlumb Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 644 W: 160 N: 894] (2837)
  • [2008-06-22 23:21]

Hello Nina, very nice textures seen in this shot of the tree on the beach. This works well in these black and white / grey tones.

Thanks, John

I like the black and white tone of this landscape picture, Francine.
Even more than that, I like your lyrical note about the tree. You are a natural writer, no doubt.
The picture is beautiful as a composition, once again emphasizing the fact that B&W is a strong mediuem in terms of photography as an art form.
Well done and thanks for yet another great picture from the island.
Ram

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1068 W: 26 N: 3206] (11487)
  • [2008-06-23 3:03]

Hi Francine,
i too have been aaway from TN for a while, so have some catching up to do also. Really like the mood you've created here using the monochrome, it reminds me of something out if a sci-fi movie. Composition and POV are both great, well done!
Paul

Hi Francine,
What's really nice is the untouched feeling your landscape photo gives... Very natural peaceful and b/w effect pulled off nicely..
Well done!!
:)
Jane

  • Great 
  • Heaven Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 535 W: 90 N: 1030] (3797)
  • [2008-06-24 13:17]

Hi Francine!

What an expressive and emotional picture! I believe the subject is ideal for a black&white conversion, and you did it very well. It especially was a good idea to leave a small percentage of the original colours. This makes this picture an outstanding one. It's so fantastic how it goes from the hard contrasts of the foreground to the smooth tones at the horizon.

Beautiful...

Kind regards

Markus

Hi Francine

Belle présentation de ce joli paysage cotier,les couleurs et la nettetée sont très bonnes, belle composition car la prise est vraiment parfaite .Il sembleimmence cet arbre
Au revoir et félicitation ....JP

Hi Francine,
The image has a noteworthy "starkness" about it, accentuated by the use of B&W.
I too find the trees spiraled exterior interesting, fashioned by a combination of the elements, and it's inherent physical makeup..
Has a lonely mood I think..Well sometimes anyway ;}
Howard

And here I was thinking that I was the tree all along!Aren't we all, my dear friend Francine? Don't we all just have to swim with the current? I guess I'm depressed, but right now I'm feeling that life is a big compromise!
A lovely shot, and to use a figure of speech, the note is beautifully 'personalised', as in, made into a person!
Very well done, my friend!
Goldy

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