Adrian Lewis

SOMERSET LEVELS 148 – A TREE’S REFLECTION (MONO)

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Misty morning on Tadham Moor; 10 Apr 2014.

A typical Levels scene.  The water-filled ditch forms the boundary of the grassy field on the left of the shot.  Immediately left of the prominent tree,  a little bridge across the ditch allows access to the field.  The actual field gate is barely visible, at the left end of the two short lengths of fencing left of the tree.  These short lengths of fencing prevent animals in the field from edging around the sides of the gate, and so gaining their freedom via the bridge.

A single track, tarmac road, Totney Drove, is just out of sight on the right of the shot, at the top of the low bank immediately right of the tree.

I was first attracted by the tree’s reflection, but I also like the thin mistiness, both back behind the tree, and above the water in the ditch.  And the cloud above the tree helps the composition, being far preferable to having featureless sky there.

D700 with 70-300 Nikkor at 70mm; 200 ISO; Silver Efex Pro 2, starting at the Full Dynamic Harsh preset.
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27 comments

  2. From my standpoint, this is one of your recent best, Adrian. I’d love to see a subtle border to gently accentuate your inclusion of brilliant highlights and deep shadows. This one really pulls me in and compels me to stay there.

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    • Gary, thank you very much for your kind words, I’m very pleased that this gets to you that much. I’m pleased with it too – and I very much like taking landscapes into black and white. I suppose this is quite a formal shot, isn’t it, quite a formal composition.

      I usually use borders – thin, dark ones – only to define the edges of pale shots that might otherwise disappear against this blog’s white background. But you may have a point about using a border here – that’s food for thought – thank you! Adrian

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    • Thanks for your first three words – I know their meaning, my friend! I’m glad that you like the shot, I’m do too – and I love taking scenes like this into black and white.

      I’m just back from the north. It went ok, could have been far worse, but he is a very sick man. Against all the odds, we managed to make some headway on the new will he is set upon. I hope your problems are ameliorating. ATP xxx

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    • Thank you, M – I’m pleased you like it! Someone else has mentioned the gate – and looking at it, I agree that it adds to the shot – I’ve tried putting my finger over it, and something is lost.

      I’m just back from “oop north”. It was alright, it could have been vastly worse – and in a strange way it was a bit of a change, a break. I’ve written quite a few tweets. I hope you’re fine, my friend. A

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    • Thank you very much, Andy – yes, timeless, there’s nothing of modernity here, except maybe the mass produced fencing on either side of the (unseen) field gate. Do you know this part of the world – have you ever been down there? Adrian

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      • Never actually been to the Levels. Another sadly lacking part of my education. Used to travel down to Weston a few years back when my daughter lived down that way, but it was always a drive through on the M5 and nothing more.

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    • Thank you very much, Carrie! I’m pleased with this picture too – I love taking landscapes in this out of the way, little part of the world. Thank you again. Adrian 🙂

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