Photo of the Day Contest
 
Gnarled by Benjamin Mercer
Friday, 8th February 2008

Gnarled

by Benjamin Mercer

A gnarled and wind battered Willow tree, located next to the River Stour, near Flatford in Suffolk. This is my favourite tree, one I have tried to photograph many times before. This is my best effort so far, taken about an hour after sunrise, just as the early morning mist was starting to burn off.
Equipment: Canon 350D, Sigma 18-125mm, Cokin 121S grad
Benjamin Mercer
Graphic designer and keen amateur photographer. Will have a go at photographing anything, but primarily interested in landscape and seascape images.

Gnarled by Benjamin Mercer was photo of the day on Friday, 8th February 2008. It is tagged , , . You can leave a comment below.

33 Comments

a.

8th February 2008 at 1:16 am

Wow, this is one of my favorite earthshots yet! That old gnarled tree is amazing! Beautiful job, Benjamin!

kml

8th February 2008 at 1:53 am

Beautifully captured – what a story that tree must have!

IRA

8th February 2008 at 7:24 am

simple and mindblowing.

Anurag

8th February 2008 at 7:26 am

Your best effort is really that – damn good.
Really like the way you have composed the shot by using the lovely cloud formations in the background.

8th February 2008 at 7:36 am

A feeling of drama, good.

8th February 2008 at 7:42 am

Excellent !

john

8th February 2008 at 7:54 am

everything flows from left to right and upward going from bottom left to upper right. Good composition

8th February 2008 at 8:30 am

what the others said, Superb!

8th February 2008 at 8:52 am

I really like it. Good composition, perfect subject, lovely colors and a very nice sky.

8th February 2008 at 9:20 am

That is a very well balanced shot. the colors complement each other almost blurring from green to blue. The mist is in perfect and the tree is just perfect it creates an effect as if it were stamped in place.

Caroline

8th February 2008 at 9:35 am

Absolutely amazing

8th February 2008 at 11:34 am

Very nice, reminds me of my local countryside.

8th February 2008 at 11:52 am

Well framed and exposed, a great shot.

Majid Beshkar

8th February 2008 at 12:46 pm

Really fantastic, Benjamin! What is “Cokin 121S grad”?

Astrid Kelly

8th February 2008 at 1:45 pm

Well done Ben – its great to see a UK shot.

Tom Brooklyn

8th February 2008 at 2:47 pm

Quite an unusual tree, and a fine time to take a snap with that mist and sky.

Renee

8th February 2008 at 3:48 pm

Very excellent photo Ben! It looks so unusual but i really like it! :)

8th February 2008 at 4:35 pm

Wow, a great sight. The tree is most unique.

Aloria Browning

8th February 2008 at 5:22 pm

This is an AMMAZING shot!

Absolutly astounding!!!!!!!

laurens

8th February 2008 at 6:25 pm

what a magnificent tree!! and photo ofcourse:P

Yasmin

8th February 2008 at 6:54 pm

Congratulations on your best effort…it’s a great success.

Jimmy Hendricks

8th February 2008 at 7:35 pm

The willow looks like one of Treebeard’s old comrades. I am reminded of the fantasy artwork of John Howe. The mist, the morning light, the orientation of the clouds…. everything conspires to give this tree its magical presence.

8th February 2008 at 9:10 pm

Great composition… reminds me of O’Keefe.

8th February 2008 at 10:21 pm

Thanks everyone for your comments, most kind of you :-)

I’m pleased with how this came out, but now I’ve invested in a wide angle lens I’m anxious to go back and have another go!

Sue Gagnon

9th February 2008 at 12:36 am

Your patience has paid off triplefold with this one! The striations captured from the clouds are so interesting, and you have achieved perfect placement therein with this photograph. Impressive tree coupled with beautiful cloud formations=GREAT SHOT!! This is well deserving of Shot of the Day. :)

chamorro 4rm guam.

9th February 2008 at 1:18 am

PEACE SHOT! great job.

Andrew

9th February 2008 at 4:47 pm

Looks like a scene from a surrealistic movie (The Fountain anyone), I love this scenery.

10th February 2008 at 6:47 pm

I am positively impressed – excellent job

11th February 2008 at 3:39 pm

Incredible Shot…
Wonderful composition…
Great Job… :)

12th February 2008 at 6:11 pm

The tree looks like a living creature; I wonder how old it is,

Su

7th February 2009 at 7:22 pm

this is an awesome shot, you do have to do a double take to make sure it is all tree. congrats

25th September 2009 at 5:54 pm

Wow, what a trunk on that one.

su

19th February 2010 at 9:03 pm

Another wonderful earth shot, our planet is just great and so diverse.

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