A Journey Through the Gum Forest Photo

Photographer’s Note

To get to Murrays Beach on Jervis Bay you have to park your car, and walk about one and a half kilometers through the Gum Trees of Booderee National Park. This is one time that the journey can be as pleasurable as the destination. The path is an easy one through this beautiful Gum (Eucalypt) forest, with ferns and other plants covering the forest floor. The smell in here is incredible and if you are lucky you might even spot the odd Wallaby.

These trees are different from those I grew up with, in North America. You can see bark on the lower trunks, while it has flaked off on the upper trunks and branches. The trees are healthy, this is just the Eucalypt way of meeting late fall or winter. The leaves on these trees don’t fall, the bark does.

You can read more on this area here: http://www.walkabout.com.au/locations/NSWJervisBay.shtml

Workflow:
I follow a generic workflow now as outlined in my Bio.
Details and differences to this are as follows:
Shot taken at 17mm, ISO 250, f/6.7, 1/60 sec
Overlay layer with 5% opacity white brush used for dodging
Saturation increased incrementally +10 on master, (to match web colour – proof colours with shot)
Curves adjusted - slightly darker, (to match web colour – proof colours)
Saved at 64% quality for 196K ( This is the lowest quality level I have ever saved on TE. With this kind of detail a 200K limit is just not enough for this size of posting – a 300K limit would be a nice improvement )

ifege, wishlist, gracious, mvdisco, jusninasirun, zeca, MLINES, jhm, bakes888, mumek, pboehringer, jaywalker, BWJ has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ifege (1551) 2008-06-03 19:56

Hi John - The "bush" (forest) at Murray's Beach is beautiful and you've produced a photo with good composition. My only suggestion would be for a little more brightness to let the detail show though more.
Regards
Ian

ribeiroantonio (21723) 2008-06-03 20:17

May experience say that it is quite difficult to photograph inside the forests due to the complex light conditions. I have tried several times and never been satisfied with the results. My photos always come out being on the dark side and loosing detail.
I believe you have here the same type of problem even if you managed good areas with a nice light.
Antonio

bracasha75 (21618) 2008-06-03 22:33

Helo John
Beautiful almouts untached nature and beautiful light andf shadow play here
Very good one
TFS
Cheers,Braca

gracious (20017) 2008-06-04 0:58

Hello John,
This is the sort of place I like to explore with my camera!
beautiful lighting here with a great displayed of light and shadows!
the exposure is true to it's origin!
many thanks for the sharing
cheers
Tony

wishlist (4133) 2008-06-04 4:01

Hi John,
as far as I can tell on my terminal I can see details in the shadow area and the balance looks pretty good. This is a beautiful path to walk, especially if through it we can reach the beautiful Murrays Beach you presented last time. Probably a tricky shot to take, but you did very well and the feeling is to be sorrounded by the vegetation and the scent you described in your useful note. Good job!
Thanks,

Igor

p.s: this is your 100th. Congratulations man!!! ;o)

skippy007 (6781) 2008-06-04 6:07

Hello John, I've tried similar shots without success, tomorrow I will get another opportunity & will take it, will see what happens.
I think you have managed the difficult light conditions well, the sky is grey, the light not too bright & showing detail, the shadows not too dark & also showing detail. Interesting little path leading you into the bush. Captured as it is without the harsh contrast that I find myself with.
A natural looking Aussie bush scene with gum trees & bracken fern.
Well done
Thanks mate.
Santo

mvdisco (11342) 2008-06-04 6:59

Bonjour John,
Beautiful picture of the forest at Murray beach, great colors and details , lovely light and sharp picture , Excellent POV. well done.
My compliments
Michel

jusninasirun (10054) 2008-06-04 10:09

Hello John. I like the way you let the diagonal lighting catches the tree trunks and lush green forest shrub. I gives beautiful contrast and pleasant glow to the composition. The beaten path is useful and you have drawn it well in the perspective. Well done and thanks for sharing and I am also tapping on your suggested PP skill bit by bit. Best regards. jusni

Waylim (10689) 2008-06-04 18:01

John, Now your taking us into the deep forest, what's going to happen next. I won't complain that it's too dark. Because I could be wrong again. Great details with so much to look at. As busy as it is there's a nice composition with the trail leading us into the dark jungle. And as dark as it is there is a lot of details and texture to each indeviual tree trunks. Thanks again, John.
Way

zeca (20024) 2008-06-04 20:12

Hi John!
Its not easy to shot forests and I saw your photo a little bit dark when I saw the thumbnail, but when I opened it I realize that its exposition is very good, showing nice details on the branches and a little bit from the way between the trees. Beautiful capture! Well done!
Regards,
Zeca

pablominto (39884) 2008-06-05 5:18

Hello John,

They are so impressive trees, and a forest so unlike what I'm used to!
Interesting light situation bringing life to the scene, and I notice the path taking me further into the mystery...
Good colours, well composed presentation!

Greetings,
Pablo -

emka (21131) 2008-06-06 23:02

Hi John,

Very brautiful photo of the gum forest. Good composition and colours. Nice mysterious light.

regards

Malgorzata

jhm (81659) 2008-06-07 0:41

Hello John,

Alomst a image out of movie you play excellent with light and and shadow.
I think a wonderful place for a good strolls along the narrow path between the trees and green vegetation.
very well composition and nice presentation too.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

bakes888 (18055) 2008-06-07 1:55

Hi John. Looks like a great little walk, beautiful forest. I have planted a row of Aussie gums on the end of my land for the birds, but they grow so quick here I will have to fell them before they get unmanageable and plant something a little slower growing. Beautiful photo. you have handled the light well and composed with good balance. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

alftrek (2693) 2008-06-08 18:21

Hi John, I can see that this is a very carefully crafted photo. The lighting conditions is well controlled so that the white sky does not cause excessive glare/distraction to the viewers. The contrast of light and shade on the trees is very interesting without sacrificing on the details in the FG.
Alfred

mumek (17464) 2008-06-09 4:52

Good morning John!
Great shot from the park.Excellent play of the colours, light and shadows.Wery well seen and done
best regards
ziggy

pboehringer (770) 2008-06-09 12:13

John,
a quite challenging environment to take pictures. The high range of light with deep shadows and direct sun exposed areas makes it extremely difficult to get the right balance. The other difficuly is obviously the compression to less than 200kb as you pointed out in your note.
The first problem of light management I have the feeling at the monitor that I'm right now that the image turned out to be too dark. It could be the monitor and I wish I could do some changes here with curves and levels but I don't have photoshop on this PC.
The compression issue? Well, I don't think that the administrator will ever change it to 300 or even better 400 ...
Peter

crckt (6963) 2008-06-11 13:36

HI John,
This looks like a great place for a stroll. A little on the darker side, but it seems like you did it purposely.
Thanks for sharing,
Shaeri

jaywalker (12186) 2008-06-13 15:40

Hi John, A wonderful photo in this forest, the light has been well managed & I the green ferns really add beauty to the picture, sharp & brilliantly composed kind regards Wilson.

BWJ (1771) 2008-06-19 18:56

Hello John,
The angle from which the picture was taken gives an excellent sense of perspecitve. Lgihting was just perfect to reveal wonderful shadows and textures. This is a classic!
Warm wishes,
Betty