How I Did It:
This was taken at the Dark Hedges location in Northern Ireland. It is a long stretch of old trees which lean together at their tops forming a long avenue of trees with a road down the middle.I noticed this tree had a growth that looked like a huge lizard with a gaping mouth, climbing up the tree. I guess it had been cut off at some time in the past and the core had rotted away leaving the open 'mouth.' The whole tree is shown in the 'Original' file (Dark Hedges Tree, Co Antrim 220913-038) Taken in September 2022 on my Lumix G9 with the Leica 12-60 (24-120 equiv) lens at 60 mm, exposure was 1/50 at f/8 and ISO 200. Back home I cropped in close (not the same file as 'Original) and enhanced what I saw as the Monster. I also applied NoNoiseAI to sharpen it up a littl
4 comments posted
R Gary Butler
This is the perfect example of picture that can be cropped to perfection. For me the details you were able to bring out in the "monster" were incredible. My eye keeps dwelling on what appears to be the under throat as well as the claws of each of the front feet. One of the many traits of a good image is it makes the viewer stop and ask themselves "what is this?" Again this is what this did to me. Nicely done! Posted: 12/04/2025 17:08:39
Vella Kendall
Wow that is scary. As Gary said "a perfect crop" The green vines coming off the body add to the drama and gives a pop of color. It is well exposed and executed. Posted: 12/05/2025 18:13:28
Dr Isaac Vaisman
Guy, here the limit is your imagination. You can create many critters out of this abnormality in the tree. It is like scar tissue after a wound, or just a malignant growth on the trunk. Thanks for showing the whole tree to put things in context. Sharp. Posted: 12/07/2025 23:05:24
Erik Rosengren
Guy, many people look but don't see, you don't have that problem. As Isaac stated, showing the whole tree puts your image in good perspective. The image is sharp, offering good color and tells a story. As Gary stated, when the viewers ask "what is this" you have gained their attention. Remember our visit to Arizona when we judged for Nancy Sams, then enjoyed a photo outing together. Your December entry reminded me of Nancy. She was one of the best at making something artsy out of obscure objects. Merry Christmas to you and Paula. Posted: 12/16/2025 21:56:31
