# Three Trees at Sunset



## vipgraphx (Feb 14, 2012)

Took a walk today over by my house and saw these trees that looked like it would make for a good composition. It rained today and snowed for a bit which is very unusual. Once it cleared up I decided to take a stroll as there was nice clouds in the sky.




three trees at sunset cropped by VIPGraphX, on Flickr


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## Dominantly (Feb 14, 2012)

Just one quick observation- I find the yellow around the lower part of the tree to be so strong that it kind of blends it all together with the ground.


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## vipgraphx (Feb 14, 2012)

You  realize that the grass covers the base of the tree. I did not do any alterations in color in this image so What you see is what it looked like.


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## Dominantly (Feb 14, 2012)

Grass looks like it goes up about a foot a two. Then you have the branches that come out and break up the view of the trunk.

Frankly it just doesn't work for me, but I'm just one opinion.


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## vipgraphx (Feb 14, 2012)

I see what your saying but I am not about to go and take my weed whacked and branch cuttersTo clean up that area, Hahahahahaha.

I like the composition in this image so I can live with that area.


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## cgipson1 (Feb 14, 2012)

Dominantly said:


> Grass looks like it goes up about a foot a two. Then you have the branches that come out and break up the view of the trunk.
> 
> Frankly it just doesn't work for me, but I'm just one opinion.



I agree! If the photo was desaturated a good bit, it might look like it was real! Might even be interesting! As it is.. maybe if I was stoned out of my gourd, I might like it.. but I doubt it!

VIP..Tone it down, if you want anyone to take you seriously! HDR is nice, and has it's uses.. but NOT EVERYTHING needs it!  Tone mapping.. the same.. especially if too strong!  You turn out an occasional nice image... but a lot of them are hideous! IMO, of course!


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## Bynx (Feb 14, 2012)

This is probably one of your better images. You have captured that golden hour nicely. It might be blending in with the yellowish color of the weeds around the tree, but thems the breaks. The Saturation is just a tad too much for a realistic look, but compared to the last images you have been posting its closer than any of them. I hope a time comes that you can tone your shots down so they look more like 3D image eye popping eye candy. As they are now they are just too unnatural looking. But then cgipson has just said the same thing.


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## vipgraphx (Feb 14, 2012)

Sorry dude I don't live in a black and white or gray scale world. My world has color.It's cool if you don't care for it and I do not expect everyone to like all my work. If I do 20 imagesAnd 1 is a keeper than that's cool with me because along the way I amLearning how to do other things that helps me  that I can apply when needed.Maybe not everything needs HDR to you and I can respect that however I enjoy so much that when I go shooting I go with one intent to HDR the world.


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## cgipson1 (Feb 14, 2012)

vipgraphx said:


> Sorry dude I don't live in a black and white or gray scale world. My world has color.It's cool if you don't care for it and I do not expect everyone to like all my work. If I do 20 imagesAnd 1 is a keeper than that's cool with me because along the way I amLearning how to do other things that helps me  that I can apply when needed.Maybe not everything needs HDR to you and I can respect that however I enjoy so much that when I go shooting I go with one intent to HDR the world.



I think you are Whacked... but I can respect that!    lol!


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## vipgraphx (Feb 14, 2012)

Bynx and cgipson1

Its not that I can't tone it down its just at this point I like the rich/saturated colors. I probably will evolove. As a graphic designer I have always put out color rich graphics and it has shown in my work for many years now that I think about it. That is probably why I apply that to my photos. Its a force of habbit. Toning it down will take some time to get use to. 

here is the image with some desaturation and removing some red out.



three trees at sunset cropped desaturated by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

Looking at my camera settings I shoot in vivid and have adjusted the colors to be more saturated in my camera. Perhaps this is why when combined with HDR it amplifies it. I may try adjusting the settings back to normal and see what that does.

Of course I want to be able to produce photos that many people will appreciate. I have to be the first one and when I see the image above all though I like it something in me wants to through some color at it. I also understand that it is important to reproduce natural looking images. So as I move forward with HDR photography I will make a sticky note and place it on my monitor to remind me natural sells......

I can always do two renditions one in fantasy land and one in reality.
*
EDIT : 
*used orginal image and desaturated image and layered the images with a 75% opacity on the desaturated layer so there is some color...



three trees at sunset layered by VIPGraphX, on Flickr


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## Dominantly (Feb 14, 2012)

vipgraphx said:


> Bynx and cgipson1
> 
> Its not that I can't tone it down its just at this point I like the rich/saturated colors. I probably will evolove. As a graphic designer I have always put out color rich graphics and it has shown in my work for many years now that I think about it. That is probably why I apply that to my photos. Its a force of habbit. Toning it down will take some time to get use to.
> 
> ...


I like this one a whole heck of a lot more.
But then again I am a bit of a desaturated junky, so I guess I am at the opposite end of the spectrum as you.


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## vipgraphx (Feb 14, 2012)

Dominantly said:


> vipgraphx said:
> 
> 
> > Bynx and cgipson1
> ...



I prefer the one with the two combined...for what its worth it all helps in the end!


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## Bossy (Feb 14, 2012)

<3 the mixed one of the 2! ​


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## cgipson1 (Feb 15, 2012)

vipgraphx said:


> B*
> EDIT :
> *used orginal image and desaturated image and layered the images with a 75% opacity on the desaturated layer so there is some color...
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/vipgraphx/6879323497/
> three trees at sunset layered by VIPGraphX, on Flickr



Nice!


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## Bynx (Feb 15, 2012)

This is probably a bad example to screw with the colors because of the golden hour you took it. Your first example is just a tad too vibrant but at the same time it captured that strong golden glow that really plays with the colors. If it wasnt shot at that time your combined last image is really good, but lacks that magic look of the golden hour. Your composition is pretty good and under some circumstances Id say it was a hanger. Its just not that interesting to me, but really shines in certain aspects like illustrating perspective and it illustrates Rule of Thirds nicely. Your statinging that your camera is set to Vivid and then you punch up the colors explains a lot with your posts. Here is your original post with just tad selective color and saturation done to it. I may have even gone too far because of that really nice gold color that is in play.


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## vipgraphx (Feb 15, 2012)

Bynx- Not bad. Yeah before I started shooting HDR I had my camera settings adjusted as I did not do to much post processing on images of this nature. When I did portraits I had another user setting so I would pretty much toggle between the two. It just dawned on me last night that perhaps that could be the case. I will have to see how making the changes back will have a positive or negative outcome. Or is it just my force of habbit. I think we all have our own unique style and thats what sets us all apart from each other. If we all did everything the same than there would not be a variety in this world. I am not trying to use excuses in no way but feel that we have to be happy and confident in our own work. Sure there will be many of folks hate what I do and on the flip side there are many that will love what I do and same goes to everyone. I am not here on this forum to say what I do is the only way its just my way. I think one thing has been consistent is I like rich color in my images. I also like realistic images. I also love certain images that have less color. I think about one of your last postings of the city scape. You had two one at sunset and one at night. As much as I love color and the night time had way more color the sunset one was to me the best. It had a silver-ish feel and my eyes really enjoyed looking at it. What I need to take from all this is try to have a nice balance that compliments my interest to better myself but not change my vision. That change should be on my own. I am learning more about composition and that is where I really need to keep focus on at this point so when all said and done I can have a better winner to trash ratio.

With that said as always I appreciate all the CC. After really looking at this photo I think it needs to go two ways. One is a little less saturated and a bit more color in the sky to balance it OR dark and gloomy because these trees are not the most beautiful trees and quite gloomy-ish. Nonetheless I still like the composition.

Here are my final results. I took the time to spot heal out all that distraction in the background. I think it paid off.

In the world of color




tree amigos by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

and the world of darkness




tree amigos gloomy by VIPGraphX, on Flickr

and just for fun




goodvsevil by VIPGraphX, on Flickr


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## Majeed Badizadegan (Feb 15, 2012)

I think if you worry less about defending yourself and justifying your choices, and spend more time listening to the collective voices here that are trying to guide you to become better, you will improve faster and produce a product that you are proud of that others will also enjoy.


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## vipgraphx (Feb 15, 2012)

Rotanimod - I do listen thus the edits. Not sure if you read all my replies but, with what people have said I have tried to look into what I am doing. I think I figured some of it out. I also do not want to be a robot either. I have to pick and choose the advice that will help me evolve. No one here is perfect and just like I have seen many photos from people that I do and do not like I expect the same with mine. I am trying to develop a style that I enjoy taking. If I spend to much time trying to do what everyone said guess what there will still be another batch of people that will not like that either. You can not please everyone! One must start with themselves and quite frankly I do like what I do. Is there room for improvement yes and I know thus why I take the time to re edit. I even tried different camera angles as mentioned. If you do not see that I am trying than I am sorry but what more can I do to prove it. I am not looking to start a battle with you or anyone and I will keep on clicking. Some may like it some don't, some may say useful things and some may try to be the photo police as they are the end of the rope in photography. I am not hear to please those people just here to learn and grow and have FUN doing it.

Really don't know what more to say than that.

look at this site

http://www.hdrspotting.com/

I really enjoy these bold color and what not. I know that many of those photos are at a higher level than mine and I hope to be able to get there at some point. That site has many HDR's that I like and the style is similar to what I would like to do. I just came across it today and thought it would be a good place to help some of you better understand what I like. To each his own right.

Hopefully you see photos on there you can appreciate and if not no harm no foul.


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## Bynx (Feb 15, 2012)

This is really a great shot. It can be played in so many ways.


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