Jose Luis Rodriguez  


Mushrooms by Jose Luis Rodriguez

February 2019 - Mushrooms

About the Image(s)

I took this image in one of the many exploration trips that we take through the mountains of this island. I was struck by the way life is born, from the waste of other lives. As for my work I do not have macro lens I had to mount my 24mm and get closer. Since the day was gray and rainy, the color information did not add anything to the image so I converted it to black and white


This round’s discussion is now closed!
30 comments posted




Dave Edwards   Dave Edwards
(Group 51)
I really enjoy viewing monochrome images. This image has a strong contrast and the toadstools really stand out nicely. Good choice on the low perspective. Maybe remove some of the dark sky. Overall a super image.   Posted: 02/05/2019 19:50:12
 
Greetings Dave, thank you for your comment, the background is really the forest, on a gray and rainy day, there is no sky   Posted: 02/09/2019 07:32:02



Dave Edwards   Dave Edwards
(Group 51)
  Posted: 02/05/2019 19:50:14



 
Beautiful! The composition is ideal with the three mushrooms at varying heights, their light-colored tops against the dark background. There is drama/impact as well--we know these to be small mushrooms, but they appear with a majesty and strength in the image, and almost a familial quality. My only suggestions would be to experiment some with cropping in on the left and right, and the top a bit. And darkening the top, with a little (very minor) vignetting. An example attached. I also dehazed it a touch and cloned out some of the dark spots on the mushrooms, but I don't think that's necessary--I was just seeing how it would look. Great eye for finding this! It's a thoughtful image.   Posted: 02/05/2019 21:43:07
Comment Image
 
Thanks for your comment Tracy, really the crop you gave to the image pleases me and gives another strength to the composition, I really like it   Posted: 02/09/2019 07:39:20



 
I like Tracy's crop. It focuses more attention on the mushrooms. On m screen I see haloing around the top of the tall and middle mushroom.

What island is this?

  Posted: 02/05/2019 22:49:35
 
Good morning Judith, I live in Dominican Republic. I think that the halo that you appreciate is more the glow of the diffused light on the white tops of the mushrooms, against such a dark background. I'm releasing a computer these days and I'm still getting my eye on it.   Posted: 02/09/2019 07:46:39
 
Jose

Thanks for the explanation.

I noticed in your image last and this month, that you set your subject (i.e. horse or mushrooms) against a very dark background. Is this your preferred style?

I am responding to your comment on my image here. Your comment on the tonal range in my image, prompted me to further investigate and learn options for achieving better tonal range. I learned how to change colors in PS using a selection with the hue adjustment layer, the image-adjustment-color change technique, painting selectively with the brush set to white or black and altering the opacity of the layer, or just the dodge/burn/saturation tool selectively applied.

So thank you for asking the question.

  Posted: 02/09/2019 10:14:36
 
Good morning Judith, answering your question is not necessarily my preferred style, in these two images has happened that the subjects were white (horses and mushrooms) and the bottom is forest and unfocused by the open diaphragm, which led me to try with a black and white high contaste.
I use the images in the CameraRaw, (the personal ones, in the professional section I have another different workflow) Here I try to expand and remove all the tonal information, I work the colors independently, I work by zones with adjustment brush, radial and degraded if necessary and I leave them to my liking and finished. From there to PS where if something needs to be cleaned it is done very well and maybe a layer of selectable correction settings. It is also in PS where I take it to black and white, I do it with black and white adjustment layer, then it can be with adjustment layer, selective correction or degrade map, rarely carry more process.   Posted: 02/10/2019 07:22:14



 
Tracy's crop focuses more attention on the mushrooms. On my screen I see halo around the top of the tall and middle mushroom.

What island is this?

  Posted: 02/05/2019 22:50:54



 
Hi Jose, I enjoy reading the comments about the image and agree with Tracy's cropping to fit in the "Mushroom" title. But on the other hand, I like your original image more, especially the texture of the muddy soil. I'm not too sure about the mushroom though as I think they are less interesting due to the lack of sharpness. I like the lower view point that you shoot the picture too. I feel to rename the image as "Emerging" or something to describe the mushroom just out of the soil might be closer to what the picture is presenting.   Posted: 02/12/2019 22:37:18
 
Jane

Your comment on the mushroom being out of focus really made me look at this image again. Someone explained to me that mushroom images can be deceptive. Sometime they look out of focus but are not.

To me, the foreground, first and second mushroom are nicely in focus and you can see texture on the first mushroom. There is also good tonal separation and detail in the foreground.

Jose, as mentioned with the open aperture, has made the background out of focus, which further draws attention on the mushroom. He has also beautifully used light to focus attention on the lower two mushrooms.

What is interesting is his composition with an imaginary diagonal line from the tall to the small mushroom mushroom and both being on a crash point (rule of thirds point) with Tracy's suggested crop.

Jose,

Did you purposely use external lighting on the mushroom on the right side to move our eye toward it or did you create the lighting effect through editing. It appears to be the latter?

  Posted: 02/13/2019 19:41:03



 
Good morning Jane and Judith, look for the original image to refresh my memory about it (it's 2014), really this shot with a f: 10 with 24 mm, a distance of a foot or a bit more, with the depth of the field very reduced, so the mushroom further away if it is out of focus, the lighting is overhead, a large gray cover of clouds, providing a soft lighting.   Posted: 02/14/2019 05:23:55
Comment Image



 
Good morning Jane and Judith, look for the original image to refresh my memory about it (it's 2014), really this shot with a f: 10 with 24 mm, a distance of a foot or a bit more, with the depth of the field very reduced, so the mushroom further away if it is out of focus, the lighting is overhead, a large gray cover of clouds, providing a soft lighting.   Posted: 02/14/2019 05:23:58
Comment Image



 
Thanks for showing me the original with the lighting.

As I look at images, I am now starting to focus on lighting and how it is used to enhance and create impact.

The reason I asked is that the couple of mushroom images I photographed were taken on a hiking trail with opaque overcast light. To achieve a lighting effect I used a graduated filter. It is wonderful how you were able to rely on nature itself to produce the beautiful lighting.
  Posted: 02/14/2019 09:16:37
 
Judith

When you go out to take pictures with friends, I always have a sun scrim, a bouncer, an umbrella and a flash. Nature does not always give us an optimal light and less in this Caribbean sun to hard   Posted: 02/15/2019 16:42:55
 
Judith

When you go out to take pictures with friends, I always have a sun scrim, a bouncer, an umbrella and a flash. Nature does not always give us an optimal light and less in this Caribbean sun to hard   Posted: 02/15/2019 16:45:06



 
Excellent picture using monochrome to advantage. I would perhaps prefer the 'horizon' either a little lower so that the middle sized mushroom's cap was entirely against a dark background; but it is very much a matter of taste.   Posted: 02/16/2019 06:35:20



Dr Isaac Vaisman   Dr Isaac Vaisman
(Groups 4 & 15 & 58 & 59 & 72)
Hola Jose, y me encanta la tierra del Merengue... (I love the land of the Merengue Dance !). I like your image, specially your very low vantage point. You did not point out your metadata except the lens of 24mm, usually very sharp and with a great DOF which prevents you to blur more the background. I also like you B&W interpretation of the image. As stated by others, there is a lot of empty space. I cropped it differently than Tracy, but keeping the foreground which is interesting. Also lowered the brightness and added some clarity for more detail.   Posted: 02/17/2019 15:53:59
Comment Image
Peter Newman   Peter Newman
(Groups 20 & 79)
Hi Isaac,
Your version creates a totally different mood image. To my sick mind, the log from which the fungi are growing looks like a dead alien.   Posted: 02/20/2019 14:20:16
Comment Image
Dr Isaac Vaisman   Dr Isaac Vaisman
(Groups 4 & 15 & 58 & 59 & 72)
Now that you mention it, I see what you mean..   Posted: 02/25/2019 10:50:31



 
I like Issac did to the mushroom. I think now it's sharper and more texture seen from the big mushroom. Judy, I see what you mean about halo created by white/brightness in the image.
As the composition, I like Jose's original better as it gives the feel of distance and room to breath. Maybe just a minor cut on the top to get rid of the lighter layer.   Posted: 02/17/2019 21:26:15



Peter Newman   Peter Newman
(Groups 20 & 79)
Hi Jose,
Your low angle shot gives the mushrooms a nice dramatic look. The negative space is part of the image and enhances your subject. I played around because that is in my nature: to my eye the space to the left of the 'shrooms was not contributing to the overall image; a 1:1 crop was used to preserve your concept of dominance of the 'shrooms; I fixed a blown highlight in the larger mushroom by moving the white exposure slider in ACR a smidge; in an attempt to sharpened the OOF mushroom the image was sharpened using the high pass filter at 2.7; since to me the detail in the forest detracted from the main subject I added a layer, changed the blend to overlay, and reduced it's opacity by 50%. Note that when I submit any dark image to a PID competition, I put a very thin white stroke around the image so that a judge can easily separate the image from a dark background.   Posted: 02/20/2019 13:45:43
Comment Image
 
Peter

Can you explain again what you meant by "the detail in the forest...I added a layer". I understand about changing blend modes and opacity on layers. But, I was not sure what type of layer is it you added?   Posted: 02/20/2019 18:16:44
Peter Newman   Peter Newman
(Groups 20 & 79)
Judith,
I was referring to the dark images in the forest. To my eye I simply like them a tad darker.   Posted: 02/20/2019 18:38:48
 
Peter

I understand that but what type of layer was it?   Posted: 02/20/2019 19:31:18
 
Maybe the dark color layer? How did Peter do it I have no idea.
  Posted: 02/21/2019 00:43:16
Peter Newman   Peter Newman
(Groups 20 & 79)
Hi Jane, I am answering from memory. IIRC I duplicated the layer, changed the blend mode to overlay, and reduced the opacity.   Posted: 02/22/2019 13:21:05
Peter Newman   Peter Newman
(Groups 20 & 79)
Hi Jane, I am answering from memory. IIRC I duplicated the layer, changed the blend mode to overlay, and reduced the opacity.   Posted: 02/25/2019 10:44:34
 
Hi Peter, now I see how you destroyed my love of the muddy soil. I have to put my head back to the mushrooms. LOL. Good cropping, even though I think the left side is a little bit too tire, but at least it makes audience only to think of the mushrooms. :D   Posted: 02/21/2019 00:40:59