Thank you Frank, Brian, David, Ann, Christine and Dave for looking and for your kind and thoughtful comments.
I really wanted input on this image, because it was a difficult one for me. There was tension between recording what I saw and experienced, and making an aesthetically pleasing image. This is a place I love dearly, the nature trail through Hosmer Grove in Haleakala National Park. It is about 7,000 feet above sea level, right at the Tropic of Cancer. The trail leads through two areas, one with only endemic plants, and one dominated by introduced trees and shrubs, including large stands of tall eucalyptus. There is a lot of deep shade, but where ever there is the slightest gap in the canopy, the tropical sun cuts through with a blinding shaft of light. That is an inherent part of the ecosystem and of the experience of being there. I obviously saw the brutally blown out highlights. I knew they would be there even before I looked through the view finder. The question was: leave them in or eliminate them entirely. Alas, I compromised. I cropped this image to eliminate most, but not all, of the hot spots. I also worked on a different version, with more severe cropping, some cloning and some burning. In one respect, it looked a bit better (although the cloning and burning were rather sloppy), but it didn't feel right to me. So I ran this version up the flag pole to see what others thought. When I have a chance, I will go back to the original and try to do a better job on the cloning and burning. I'll see if that changes my mind. For the present, however, I will keep the hot spots in to remind me this is not Vermont or Washington or Colorado, but Maui. I will be back in Maui from mid January tjrpugh mid February, and I will undoubtedly return to Hosmer. Perhaps the weather will be a bit less bright (heaven forbid!) or I will be able to find an angle that doesn't have quite as much contrast between deep shade and merciless sun. There are worse ways to spend a few hours that in the forests of Maui! Thanks again for you comments. Dan Matyola http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola On Sun, Jan 8, 2012 at 12:47 AM, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > Very nice, but maybe burn the upper right side a bit? Those hot spots are a > distraction to me, at least. > > Otherwise lovely. > > Cheers, > frank > > --- Original Message --- > > From: "Daniel J. Matyola" <[email protected]> > Sent: January 7, 2012 1/7/12 > To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]> > Subject: PESO: Forest Trail > > http://blogs.delphiforums.com/n/blogs/blog.aspx?nav=main&webtag=djm1963&entry=169 > > Comments are appreciated > > Dan Matyola > http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
