Arik Gorban
July 2026 - In The Rain Forest
Original
About the Image(s)
This picture was taken in Washington state. I liked the texture on the old tree trunk and the ferns.
I made global tonal adjustments in ACR. In Photoshop, I swapped the red and blue channels and made some final tonal adjustments during the conversion in NIK Silver Efex Pro. I swap the red and blue channels even when my final image is monochrome. I created conversion presets that work best after I swap the channels. The Canon G10 was set to ISO 100, f3.2, 1/100 sec, EV -0.33.
9 comments posted
Arik
You saw this scene of the forest floor correctly. The ferns have so much texture and offset the other plants.
My thought is to dodge the ferns as many as you can discern in your image and the cut out in the trunk so they stand out and then burn the adjacent plants to help the ferns shine. I think this will help the vision you had when you hit the shutter
Emil Posted: 07/01/2026 15:10:03
You saw this scene of the forest floor correctly. The ferns have so much texture and offset the other plants.
My thought is to dodge the ferns as many as you can discern in your image and the cut out in the trunk so they stand out and then burn the adjacent plants to help the ferns shine. I think this will help the vision you had when you hit the shutter
Emil Posted: 07/01/2026 15:10:03
Thank you. I like it. Posted: 07/01/2026 16:39:23
Arik, natural scenes can be so complex, detailed and interesting. However, for me, I find it challenging to compose such scenes; so, I agree with Emil about bringing out the ferns. A gentle vignette might accomplish similar results, if that's what you wish to create.
Posted: 07/01/2026 16:10:12
Posted: 07/01/2026 16:10:12
Thank you.
Posted: 07/01/2026 16:39:38
Posted: 07/01/2026 16:39:38
Very interesting post processing. What advantage does color swapping offer when your final image is B&W? Posted: 07/01/2026 17:55:15
Thank you. Since I try many of my pictures in both color and b&w, I start with color processing and then the b&w conversions. Therefore, my conversion presets, that I created in NIK Silver Efex Pro, work best with an already-processed and swapped color images. You don't need to swap if you don't use presets that rely on it.
Posted: 07/01/2026 23:32:49
Posted: 07/01/2026 23:32:49
Hi Arik,
My first thought when I saw this was that it looked like it shot close my neck of the woods and it turns out I was right!
I love scenes like this but they can be a real challenge to process well. I like your version, but I have to agree with Emil that the ferns and other foliage need brightening. Posted: 07/02/2026 16:40:11
My first thought when I saw this was that it looked like it shot close my neck of the woods and it turns out I was right!
I love scenes like this but they can be a real challenge to process well. I like your version, but I have to agree with Emil that the ferns and other foliage need brightening. Posted: 07/02/2026 16:40:11
This image shows how detail in the tree trunks contributes, compared to my own image. However I would echo the other comments, and have the trunks just a little darker while still preserving detail, and the ferns whiter. It's said the eye goes to the area of greatest contrast, and right now that would be the trees and foliage upper right. So by using contrast I think you could direct the eye through your scene, which is quite beautiful. Posted: 07/03/2026 15:03:53
Very nice forest scene. I agree that the texture and feel of the tree bark and ferns are ideal for this type of scene. The only thing I can add that may not have been said already is to create more depth by darkening the tones in the foreground left and right and then lighten towards the center background. This will draw your eye into the scene. I often use an inverted radial mask to create this illusion and also the the Darken/Lighten Center in Nik Color Efex Pro. Posted: 07/08/2026 02:00:33