Chris Reinecker
October 2026 - Remains of a Giant
About the Image(s)
Early morning on a volcanic outcrop in Arizona. This tree somehow was able to grow on the volcanic rock finding some crevices to reach water. 21 mm f11. Still work in progress.
8 comments posted
Chris, wonderful image. You have captured so many different textures and have a great range of shades within the image. My only thing you may want to consider is how to eliminate the one root that is cuts on the bottom right. I am wondering if we would gain a better composition and sense of size if you used a portrait shape rather than landscape.
PS: Your Showcase Image: The Wonder of Color is joy-filled! Congratulations Posted: 10/06/2026 01:13:14
PS: Your Showcase Image: The Wonder of Color is joy-filled! Congratulations Posted: 10/06/2026 01:13:14
Thank you so much. I think you mean the root on the left that touches the bottom border? Keen eye for sure I'll try that. Obviously the contrast was very low overall given the early morning diffuse light - cropping may help indeed. I play around with that as well. Cheers Posted: 10/06/2026 13:50:24
Chris, I think the early morning diffused light adds to the power of this image. It subtly removes the distration of the woods in the background. Posted: 10/07/2026 20:48:48
Great image with a story. The remnants of the tree emit a solitary, sad mood. It is well suited for black and white. Good tonal variations and texture throughout the frame. I like your horizontal crop, but I would tighten the crop a bit on both sides. The large roots lead my eye to the tree stump. Nicely composed. Well done, Chris. Posted: 10/10/2026 21:38:13
Thank you Barbara. This is the entire frame no crop. I am often too much attached to the original composition. But I just tried your suggestion and it focuses the image even more on the tree. The path on the right is indeed too much empty space. Posted: 10/11/2026 02:17:08
I like the diagonal composition of the surface root that leads one into the image. The darker foilage in the foreground also take me into the image. There is an organic quality of the dead root still clinging to the ground. Posted: 10/21/2026 01:20:56
The contrast between the root and the mist in the distance helps this strong composition . Perhaps it would be even stronger if the root came out of the bottom left corner to create a better diagonal. Also, I don't think the variation of tones is up to your usual standard, but you do say it's in progress. Posted: 10/27/2026 15:27:02
Thank you Robin. Yes this is a very challenging capture. Almost no contrast originally given the low diffuse light. Need to work on my editing skills for this one. Have not yet given up on it though. Posted: 10/28/2026 13:48:42