Lower Owens River, 2007

Love it! Excellent job Richard.

I like this...it's a nice composition. There is an almost pastel like quality to the color which isn't ridiculously saturated. The question is whether or not it's about color. I'm not sure this is....it could have been done beautifully in monotone as well. That said, it's a fine photograph.

Am in agreement with Alex and John. It's an excellent photograph with wonderful subtle colors (the more I see of the Fuji 160S, the more I like it), and; it could have as easily been done as monochrome, and worked just as well. I think I gets down to a matter of how you feel about what you are intending to shoot in any particular circumstance.

George

I too like the subdued colors. You are also much braver than I; I am always scared to put trees and other vertical elements dead centre and avoid cutting off the tops. I often like those compositions, but do not do it myself.

I love the colors but everything seems to centered. The tree or the horizon needs offset, or both.

The colour tones are nice, not garish or too subtle. However, I have to say I think it would have made a better B&W photo - mountains in the background, grasses on a gentle curve around the water in the foreground...just my 2 cents but there you go.
Have you tried taking 2 separate holders, 1 with colour film and 1 with B&W, shooting the same scenes and looking at them side by side? Could help with your dilemma.

I am glad to hear that I am on the right track in terms of color. I know I would rather have subtle, muted colors rather than super saturated color ( a la Fuji Velvita ) There isn't anything I dislike more than the Joe Cornish/Jack Dykinga type color landscapes ( I actually feared my previous color posting was venturing dangerously close to that edge).

As for shooting the scene once in color and once in B&W: I feel the subject needs to be handled differently when done in color. Color poses it's own formal requirements that are often much different than b&w's tonal requirements, and it is something that can not be altered much after the fact (as apposed to the possibilities when printing b&w).

As far as the composition here is concerned: I feel it is the most personal aspect there is in photographing, and there isn't anything anyone can say that will change where I stand or where I put my edges. I feel comments like "it is too centered" are based on conventions or perceived rules of composition, and I have moved past that. Now when I photograph I react with what I know, what is on the groundglass, and what I feel, and that is the only way to move forward.

It is the subtle gradations of colour that make this successful to me. The only thing that bothers me about this photo is the cropping of the tree - the top bothers me.

Matt

I agree with Matt King - the cropped top of the tree is very frustrating and distracting. I'd also like to see the print a scoch darker. But that could just be a scanning/monitor issue. This could also be a good shot done in a vertical, to give the tree a bit of breathing room.