Stewart Savage
December 2025 - MEDITATION
About the Image(s)
The University of California, Davis has an arboretum which includes a small redwood forest. I came across this Buddha statuette contemplating the existence of trees. The statuette was resting on a tree stump which was next to a felled tree. A peaceful and thoughtful experience.
For this photo, I converted to B&W, worked with the contrast and B&W color mixer to enhance the statuette and darken the background elements. Also did a bit of retouching to remove a few distracting bright spots in the background and blemishes in the foreground.
4 comments posted
Stewart, really like this image. Like the Buddha being offset to the right and the cut of a tree to the left making it a very balanced composition. B&W is a good option and the lighting accentuates mood. Well done. Posted: 12/04/2025 17:33:08
Stewart,
Good story. I like the depth of field in this image. The leading edge of the stump is soft and the background is great. Makes it easy to focus attention on the statue. Nice image. I like it! Posted: 12/06/2025 19:18:24
Good story. I like the depth of field in this image. The leading edge of the stump is soft and the background is great. Makes it easy to focus attention on the statue. Nice image. I like it! Posted: 12/06/2025 19:18:24
The leading line from the left goes directly to the Buddha. The background stump provides another layer to the story. Although you did not provide any shooting info, I see a shallow depth of field. If the stump is part of your narrative, then I'd consider a greater depth of field to get it more in focus. The lighting looks like it was taken in the shade. It is a little flat. You may consider adding some side light from the left. I like the placement of the statue and its visual weight. The conversion to B&W seems appropriate. Welll done! Posted: 12/08/2025 21:30:55
Love it. Takes me back to my days of travelng in the orient Posted: 12/15/2025 15:54:38