Dreaming

Hi John - I'm looking at a B/W monochrome image that is almost certainly an infra-red shot. There are no shooting details available. The image shows a large tree in full leaf on the left hand side set in a rural landscape with fields, a dirt track, and, in the distance, further trees.

Given the monochrome nature of the image, the tonal range appears very good to my eye, with jet black sky on the left veering to dark grey on the right with near white clouds superimposed. A more balanced grey scale is achieved in the tree and the rest of the landscape. If anything the overall tone may be about 1/2 to 1 stop too dark, but the mood of the piece is enhanced by its present setting.

The sharpness of the image is difficult to assess given the size and display, but looks at least adequate. I don't know what techniques have been used, but some local contrast enhancement may have been tried.

The composition of the shot is, in my opinion, excellent. The main subject, the tree is placed on a "third" vertically, with the horizon line (trees) on roughly a "third" horizontally. It is surprising how well this arrangement works, time after time. The dirt track acts as a lead in, and takes the eye around to the right and the background tree line. From there the tree line brings the eye back to the left and the main subject. On the subject of the trees, the principal one is balanced by those in the background - a touch of rhythm and harmony. In addition, this gives the image a feeling of real depth.

If there is a negative criticism, it would arise from DeviantArt's insistence that originality is a key issue in critiques. As I've said in other reviews, I don't buy that. A photographer can't be greatly original in everything he or she takes. In this case, the technique, composition and general mood outweigh the need for originality. Overall, to my mind, an excellent image with high impact and quality.

David