Jan Handman
November 2026 - Untitled
Original
About the Image(s)
The original photo was taken with my iPhone from the passenger seat as I was traveling through the Oregon Cascades. I liked the silhouettes of bare trees against the sky, but when I looked at it later, it seemed depressing realizing it was a forest fire that created the scene. In an effort to accentuate the artistic structure of the trees, I used the Distressed Efex app to add some interesting texture and give the trees a softer look. The app also has a feature for adding birds, so I used that to fill some of the empty sky space, but I reduced the opacity a bit to fade them into the background.
2 comments posted
Hi Jan and welcome to the group! Your image has a bit of an eerie vibe - appropriate for Halloween. A foreboding feeling - not a forest I would choose to wander into. I like the addition of the birds - they create some interest in the sky. Regarding your processing - to my eye the image feels a bit over-processed (the trees have almost a crunchy appearance) - and the texture that got added to the sky feels unnatural/artificial/blotchy. I prefer the trees/sky in the original capture. Few years ago I drove through an area that had been decimated by wild fires; scary how the landscape changed and looked barren. The remaining tree stumps were charred. Welcome! Posted: 11/01/2026 20:19:11
Welcome again.
My favorite aspect of the photo is the angle. I feel like I'm looking up.
Your edits are very artistic. The end result looks more like a painting than a photo. Posted: 11/01/2026 22:12:01
My favorite aspect of the photo is the angle. I feel like I'm looking up.
Your edits are very artistic. The end result looks more like a painting than a photo. Posted: 11/01/2026 22:12:01