Moonlight

[HoedadKid]

I don't have a zoom lens, and tonight I wish I did. I noticed the grandness of the rising moon early this evening and was determined to capture some of it's beauty, even with my wide angle.

Instead of doing focused "moon" shots, I decided to try to just incorporate it into some late evening imagery.

Let me know what you think.

These were my two faves from the drive-about...

 

[Digital Latte]

I like the 2nd one, although it seems tilted to the left a bit. But you know how picky I am

 

[Irene]

I like the light in the branches on the first, but the wasted space below the tree puzzles me. The second shot is really nice, tho Digital Latte has spoken well about the tilt... I've never used one but I am under the impression that photographers who specialize in architecture use shift tilt or perspective control lens to control that kind of distortion.

 

[JaniceL]

I prefer moon shots like these, not just zoomed in shots of the moon. I think there is a special beauty of the world bathed in moonlight.

 

[JaniceL]

I agree with Irene about the dark area below the trees. Maybe consider cropping that out.

 

[HoedadKid]

Thanks, all.

As to the distortion in the second one, I give up with this lens. No matter what I do, at min to max focal length, I seem to get distortion which is really evident in architectural photography. If it's just a tilt problem, I can fix that in post, but the sphering is what I can't seem to shake from this lens.

So, the black area 'neath the first image- I went back and forth about it. It's the fence. This tree was poking over a frontyard fence on a neighborhood street nearby, and I shot the image crouched down low from the middle of the street. I finally decided on posting the "with" image, but I can see from the reactions to it that maybe the "without" makes more sense. I'll re-post here in a few, the "without" version.

Thanks for the comments and critiques- much appreciated.

T.

 

[HoedadKid]

Here is another version of image 1. This is a different exposure, though. Better?

 

[Snuffy2]

I dont see the tilt on the 2nd one...

 

[Irene]

Yes, the second image with the fence is better. It includes the fence post which informs my understanding of the strong horizontal base. The post also attracts my eye to a place that just happens to be the start of a lovely ark of lights leading me through the branches in an upwards gesture, right to the moon. I like that there is repeated pattern: The shape of the large tree, as a whole, is mimicked by the array of lights, and then again in the dark branches below the lights - they all give the impression of a sweeping arc towards the moon because their mass increases/rises as my eyes moves through them.
I like the warm light/contrasty texture on earth contrasting with the cool moonlight and smoothly textured clouds.
Also, I love the texture of the light play as it transitions through to the outermost edges.
This composition really works for me. I am so glad you shared it.

 

[HoedadKid]

Irene-
Fantastic! Thank you for such a wonderfully thoughtful critique. I post here on the forum not only to share, but to learn as well. I have plenty of family members and friends who who say "great shot" at anything I post online, but feedback like this really helps, and is what I'm very grateful for.

I see what you are saying about the horizontal image I posted, in comparison to the vertical version of it. Side by side, I now see what's working and what isn't. Feedback like this is really going to help my composition in the future. As much as I think about composition on a shoot, I see that I really need to put even more thought into it. When I drove by this location, the "shot" jumped out at me and we pulled over immediately. What I should have been asking myself is, why? THANK YOU, again.

Snuffy- I've run so many levels over this image that I could go crazy. What I can say for sure is that it's certainly distorted. So, I dunno.

 

[Woden Photo]

I don't see any distortion in the image. I see a slight camera tilt to the left.

Both image are good, I really like the second tree image. The only real critique I have is for the second tree shot a tripod would be helpful. It looks like the lights have a bit of motion blur.

 

[Irene]

Thank you for such a wonderfully thoughtful critique.

I am new at offering critique but have already benefited from receiving it myself. There are some generous, thoughtful photographers sharing their insights on this forum. Pops, ejones, BobH and other's I am forgetting - they've given me much to think about.
Glad to have helped.

 

[HoedadKid]

Woden- I'll mess with 2 again and see what I can come up with. Part of the illusion that is messing with my head is due to the slightly downward angle in which I took the shot. It seems to give the impression of more left tilt than there actually is. Although, I think you all are right in that there IS indeed some left tilt happening. Thanks for your insight.

As to the second tree shot- I did in fact use a tripod for this release. I might not have used a timer, though, and if you are seeing some blur it may be that I hammered the shutter.

Irene- thanks again.

 

[Woden Photo]

I was just looking at the photo again, I don't think there is any blur. I was looking at a few of the lights where they were bending around branches and It looked like blur but the tree branches are totally sharp. So my bad.

 

[HoedadKid]

All good, Woden. No worries