This image of a fallen palm tree was taken on Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Ga, at sunset. I deliberately chose to shoot the beach side, facing the ocean, to capture the soft pastel hues of twilight reflecting on the water.
I used an ND filter to create an ethereal effect on the waves, enhancing the serene atmosphere. Although the beach is known for its iconic driftwood trees submerged in water, this fallen palm tree stood out as an interesting visual element for me.
Editing was done in LR and PS. Highlights, shadows, hue, saturation and luminance were adjusted. I also used denoise in LR and cropped the image to remove some of the empty sky. Additionally a few of the dead palm fronds were cloned away from the horizon.
This round’s discussion is now closed! 8 comments posted
Larry Treadwell
I'm a sucker for these minimal style images. I really like the simplicity of this. I like the diagonal line of the tree and how you so carefully kept all the root from breaking over the horizon line created by the sea. I'm even more excited about how the tones of the tree are mirrored in both the water and the sky as this sort of ties everything together. This belongs on the white wall of an office or bank. Really eye catching and lots of impact. The pastels are wonderful.
My only negative comment is that I wish the bright wave in the lower left corner was not there. But I'll completely overlook it since the image is so nice. Posted: 07/09/2024 18:13:37
Barbara Gore
Thanks for your comments Larry. The left lower corner is sand which can easily be toned down. Posted: 07/23/2024 19:07:18
Michael Jack
I was looking at the image thinking about comments and then read Larry's. My comments would have been almost exactly the same. My only add is I think you nailed the shutter speed. This is a wall-hanger for sure Posted: 07/09/2024 22:32:21
Barbara Gore
Thanks for your comments Michael. Posted: 07/23/2024 19:07:43
Arne Skinlo
I love your picture, Babara. The composition is spot on with the diagonal line of the tree and the root is not touching the horizon. The shutter speed is long enough to blur the sea and at the same time short enough to keep the details in the tree sharp. If I should give any advice, it would be to darken the sea slightly, particularly in the foreground to create a contrast to the tree. Posted: 07/23/2024 05:24:04
Barbara Gore
Thanks Arne. I'll take a look at your suggestions. Posted: 07/23/2024 19:08:41
Diane Ferdig
This is a lovely serene image. I like the soft pastel colors. And the soft water, well done with the ND filter and extended shutter speed. Agree this would make a nice framed image in an office. Posted: 07/24/2024 17:23:18
Adi Ben-Senior
B, I love the long expo and the presentation of the tree. In addition the Larry';s perfect comment Im a bit side tracked by the white spot on the bottom left. Posted: 07/25/2024 14:10:03
