A lonely tree and a cyclist, a photo from Portalegre, South

Photographer's Note

One more from Alentejo's series, taken in the begining of the summer, during our cycling daily trips, when the fields were already in yellow tones.

I was attracted by this slope and the lines of the fields and walkway, that provided a good perspective.

-----------------------------

In WS there is more photos:

In a wider angle (some photo but without crop - I wasn't sure which one to post, as I like both, but I think I like more this minimalist result);

And other taken a few moments before, with the cyclist still downhere.

goodwill, alainh, fabio_ts, Henryk_Bilor, sined, kiwi_explorer, pasternak, josepmarin, siolaw, chrisnet, papagolf21, luisafonso, Tue, jhm, cunejo200, kermit350, TeresaT, ChrisJ, atus, Jeppe, berek, elmec, syd1946, bibiweb, alvaraalto, xuaxo, manatee, ribeiroantonio, anavazao, bakes888, Elaine_Blath, Rosa_d_MonteLua, Amaz ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

goodwill (4274) 2006-08-03 5:29

Hi Ricardo,
I like it.
Simplicity at its best. Good exposure of the sky.
Well done,
Rajeev

gelor (3233) 2006-08-03 5:35

Bonjour Ricardo,
Une très belle image avec une composition très bien organisée et des teintes très agréables. Bravo
Gérard

rewshearer (682) 2006-08-03 5:35

I like the composition, Ricardo. It's simple, it's strong, it's very pleasing on the eye. Well seen and very well taken, congratulations!
Rew

alainh (33209) 2006-08-03 5:38

hello Ricardo. splend shot and an excelent picture's construction
really nice
regards
alain

fabio_ts (13696) 2006-08-03 5:41

PERFECT SHOT!!

anothe beautiful picture from you Ricardo, I really like it..
I think that the grey border does not emphasize it.. but it's just my opinion..
the photo still wonderful,
great work my friend, BRAVISSIMO!!!

ciao,
Fabio.

Henryk_Bilor (20803) 2006-08-03 5:45

Hello again
Lovely shot of the two creatures - the bicyclist and the tree ;). All well composed and nice coloured.
Now I can go for a training before the next part of my today work :).
Cumprimentos

kiwi_explorer (12209) 2006-08-03 5:55

Hi Ricardo,
Well captured and composed. I love the simplicity of this composition ... very effective. Well done.
Cheers,
Renier

pasternak (15185) 2006-08-03 5:56

Ola Ricardo, this is so nice, as you say you aimed for a minimalist shot, and it is one (although I am beginning to be tired of certain TE cliches and am trying to avoid using these words in my critiques...:) I must say I am not sure which one I like more: this one or the one where the cyclist is in the bottom. I prefer the framing in the main post, because in the WS the crop is too tight and here you show this beautiful cloud; on the other hand, the WS version is better in terms of dynamism, because there we see that the cyclist has still to climb. Any way, I like both versions!

Cheers
Alexander

josepmarin (59385) 2006-08-03 6:04

Olá Ricardo,
Excelente composición, con un cielo precioso y muy sugerente, la línea del campo que lo corta, el ciclista y el bello árbol solitario.
Me gustan las líneas verticales que forman el camino y el campo, con su gran pendiente. Una bella geometría. El ciclista en contraste con el cielo en el que se recorta es un detalle perfecto, muy bonito.
Una foto excelente, amigo.
Un cordial saludo,
Josep

siolaw (38294) 2006-08-03 6:11

Hi Ricardo,
Nice compo with the road on the side and cyclist right on top of the slope and under the tree, good choice of vertical framing
Excellent!
Laurent

chrisnet (23062) 2006-08-03 6:24

Hello Ricardo,
What a wonderful composition!
Very well composed with the cyclist and the tree,nice lighting,very good POV,great work!!
Excellent,congratulations
Amitiés
Christian

markstaples (15670) 2006-08-03 6:34

Hi Ricardo
A great shot. Despite the cloudy sky, you had nice lighting and this is obviously shot as the sun peeped through the clouds. Out of all 3 shots, I like them all but perhaps prefer altered image #3 since the tree is less central which is somehow more pleasing to the eye. Superb work.
Best wishes
Mark

dkeus31 (27739) 2006-08-03 6:39

Hello Ricardo,
A nice composition, simple and strong leading the view to the tree.
Regards,
Didier

Graal (103040) 2006-08-03 7:00

Hi Ricardo,
very good minimalism, nice composition and colours. Big frame I don't like, but work is ok.
Gr., Aleksander

Gerrit (62042) 2006-08-03 7:43

Hi Ricardo,
you waited until the right moment and then evrything is there. Fery good.
Regards, Gerrit

papagolf21 (152607) 2006-08-03 8:52

Bonjour mon ami Ricardo,
J'ai regardé avec beaucoup d'attention les trois photos, votre choix de publication me semble le meilleur ! En effet, l'effet de perspective et des fuyantes sont judicieusement mis en valeur dans cette composition. Les autres photos ont également leur intérêt, mais pas aussi intense.
Bravo !
Amitiés.
Philippe

feather (51130) 2006-08-03 9:24

What a dilemma; I've been flicking back and forwards comparing each one and can't make up my mind. I think I prefer this one .. and yet...Do you know why I'm finding it difficult, because I'm distracted by the frames. That should tell you something....
Yes I think this was the right choice, but I think maybe you should re-think the frame. My opinion is that if you want a big frame, then white is the only way to go after first putting a black border of no more than 5 pixels to hold the image in. But frames are such a personal choice.
Kath

maki (0) 2006-08-03 11:47

Hi Ricardo,
Lovely POV with the lonely tree and this biker. Nice perspective leading us to this hill. Great Alentejo colours. I'm only not sure about this frame, the size is good but the colour is not, but it's only my taste :)
regards,
maki

luisafonso (862) 2006-08-03 11:53

Excelente foto Ricardo. A composição é excelente. Também o são as cores, o céu, as linhas diagonais que nos guiam até à árvore. Muito boa mesmo. Não gosto muito da cor da moldura... Prefiro preto ou branco, não vou lá muito com outras cores.

Tue (92312) 2006-08-03 13:10

Hej Ricardo,
This photo has a very strong composition I think. The path and field leads the eye nicely towards the top of the slope and so towards the tree and the cyclist. The clouds are a good background here and I like the colour contrast between the top and bottom of the shot. Good work!
Hilsen,
Lars

jhm (211736) 2006-08-03 13:12

Hi Ricardo,

I find your altered image 1 the best of the pictures, but too this here picture is absolutely not bad, very pleasant for looking, excellent composition too!
Thanks for sharing.

Have a nice evening,
John.

cunejo200 (7281) 2006-08-03 13:14

Hello Ricardo,
Truly a beautiful photo. Bravo.
Danilo

kermit350 (9016) 2006-08-03 13:42

hello Ricardo, compartilho o teu ponto de vista este ciclista junto de esta árvore dou uma boa escala de medida, esta cor amarela extremamente é espalhada de momento, mesmo nnós, no entanto um país ou chove muito começa a cobrir-se desta tonalidade amarela queimada, o colorido deste a tua fotografia e caminho paralelo às culturas forma uma perspectiva extremamente agradável, este azul do céu degradado de cinzentos está super, bem cordialmente

cjmm (4479) 2006-08-03 15:15

Olá Ricardo,

Esta é maravilhosa e va para os meus favoritos. Penso que o cropping ajudó com que a composicáo tivese muita mais forza.

Tambén gosto da imagem original, mais penso que você fez o mais certo. A distribuicáo dos espacos terra/céu é ótima.

(A única cosa que eu tería feito diferente é o frame, no meu caso, acho que este é um poco intrusivo)

Parabéns Ricardo!

Un abrazo amigo desde Sao Paulo!
Carlos

devimeuxbe (58557) 2006-08-03 16:48

Hi Ricardo
I really like this beautifull composition. The bicycle, the tree, it's wonderfull and the light is great.
I am just disturb with the grey border; i find it too large.
However the picture is wonderfull.
Bertrand

leo61 (0) 2006-08-03 16:52

Hi Ricardo!
Verry good composition!!
Nice brown tones and good lines in the foreground and the tree and the cyclist perfect placed at the horizon.Both give a good contrast with the sky.The tree`s shadow at the track is also good for your composition.
Regards,Leo

gilou530 (34) 2006-08-03 17:49

salut ricardo
wouahhh super photo, elle en jette celle la, simple mais super bien fait avec ces belles couleurs et le chemin qui nous mene sur l'arbre et le cycliste, bravo...
amitiés
gilbert

TeresaT (10806) 2006-08-03 19:11

Olá Ricardo,
A simplicidade no seu melhor.
esta imagem está excelente...muito boa mesmo.
A árvore solitária e o ciclista estão estratégicamente colocados na composição.
E vejo que aplicaste a famosa regra de 1/3 de chão e 2/3 de céu, que normalmente resulta sempre bem.
Bom...como já levaste tanto na cabeça por causa da moldura...eu nem sequer vou "bater-te" mais, mas devia ;-)
Beijinhos
Teresa

Angshu (56760) 2006-08-03 23:37

Hi Ricardo

What a photograph! The perspective is great to catch the upward slope of the road & the surroundings. The elevated hill provides a wonderful unobstructed view of the tree against the blue sky. The cyclist is wonderfully placed..wonderful split second timing on your part for catching him in this exact moment. To me it’s a Perfect Shot…except the big frame. Your photo is too good for anything to be added to it for effects…that’s my opinion though
Regards
Angshu

bantonbuju (51815) 2006-08-04 2:52

ola ricardo,
think i know the ciclyst :-))
good decision to crop and burst colours and contrast, not the best light during the height of the day but you did very well with it;
the other version is alos quite good (the earlier photo);
best wishes, j.

jinju (14265) 2006-08-04 3:35

Wow,

Ricardo, this is superb. Iseal framing. I wouldnt have done it any other way at all. A simplelandscape but the inclusion of the person makes it so much more.

PixelTerror (0) 2006-08-04 4:08

Ola Ricardo,
I like here the field graphism and the simplicity of the image that focuses the eye at once on the two elements, nice as well to see the tree throwing shade onto the cyclist, with the heat I can imagine it's for sur no luxury to get even such a tiny cooling.
Have a nice week end,
Jean-Yves

sergio1 (12152) 2006-08-04 4:50

Hi Ricardo

Magnific pov and compo. I like the scene to the cyclist. Good lights and depht too.
Thanks for share
I come back in two weeks.
Sergio

ChrisJ (171818) 2006-08-04 7:27

Ola Ricardo

I like the diminishing linear perspective converging on the dual vanishing point of the lone tree, & solitary cyclist. Obrigado!

atus (15878) 2006-08-04 7:53

Hello ricardo,
very well captured fantastic shot from a great pov with excellent dof and perspective. I like a lot the vertical format and the simplicity of the pic. The only one thing I'm not convinced of is the grey colour of the frame, but it's only a question of taste. Tfs and have a nice WE! Friendly regards.
Attila

ben4321 (9875) 2006-08-04 8:27

I really like this shot Ricardo, although in my opinion the composition could do with a bit of tweaking. The tree is a bit too central in the frame for my taste, and I would have preferred it if the left edge of the road was running out of the bottom left hand corner. Having the road in this position would also have had the effect of moving the tree further to the right. Like in your original shot in fact, although I can see why you cropped it. Perhaps a further crop is in order, I'll do a quick WS.
Despite my picky comments, I really like this shot. Well done.
Cheers,
Ben

[workshop] [compare] +

jmdaoudal (82) 2006-08-04 10:56

You have here an occasion to show the good "coup d'oeil" you have, there is only one second the bike will be thère before going the other side of the hill.... May be you have been waiting having decided the framing, expecting the camera will work :-))
This one is a very good composition
I like it
Jean Michel

Jeppe (18654) 2006-08-04 17:39

Hi Ricardo

Some kind of a deja vu - I seen a similar photo on TE - long time ago - wonder if its still there. A fine composition with a good and simple motif.

berek (50518) 2006-08-05 1:34

Ola Amigos,
I like this lonely tree with the person. you caught very good perspective with path.TFS. have a nice weekend.
Berek
my overall evaluation -> :-)))

rosaline (0) 2006-08-05 3:34

Impressive Ricardo
And the lonely biker adds a nice touch to the scene as well. The almost minimalist style is wonderful as we can actually see more and absorb the scene fully. The warm, yellow based tones are pleasing and the sky is in good proportion. Very stylish.
Aubrey

Vato_Law (12732) 2006-08-05 5:54

Olá Ricardo,
Tive aqui a ler as criticas e fiquei sem perceber se o problema é da moldura ou da cor, mas já sabes... não te dês ao trabalho porque ninguém vai recompensar o teu trabalho, cambada de ingratos :))). Quanto à foto, gosto desta perspectiva ascendente com o caminho em terra a guiar os olhos até ao ponto mais elevado. Gosto tmb das linhas verticais, e dos contrastes da imagem.
Bom Trabalho! Ah! Já agora tmb não gostei lá mto da moldura :)

Um abraço
Paulo

carper (96) 2006-08-05 8:47

great sho Ricardo,
a fantastic shot, wel taken point og view, good quality and very important nice to look at, very good image my friend.
gr. jaap

elmec (12210) 2006-08-05 12:59

Rello Ricardo!
Such an amazing composition!
Great composed and framed!
Best regards!

syd1946 (1167) 2006-08-05 13:28

Hello Ricardo,
As a composition is simple as a picture is great.The lonely tree,the amazing color contrast between earth and sky and most of all the moment that you capture the cyclist near the tree gives the absolutly fine result.Handle of light also is very succesfuly.Splendid work!
Have a nice weekend,
Thomas

bibiweb (8) 2006-08-06 2:02

Hi Ricardo,
Excellent composition and colors. The cyclist really seems to be alone in this world.
Have a nice Sunday.
Brigitte

jbweasle (9393) 2006-08-06 11:18

Hi Ricardo, a lovely composition showing the peacefulness of this open place. Sometimes it may be lonely but sometimes solitary activities bring a tranquil feeling impossible to achieve any other way.

alvaraalto (42804) 2006-08-06 16:35

Hi Ricardo,
Excellent study to find the best composition. Each pictures has its own strong points. Looking for the right diagonals often gives some tension in the image. Also the framing is very important here. I’m not yet sure which I like best. I have too look some more times for that.
Groet Rob

xuaxo (6854) 2006-08-07 5:31

Olá Ricardo,
Quando vi a foto e vi que já tinha muitas críticas pensei: vou só criticar a moldura. Depois vi que já levaste na cabeça por causa dela. Mas também li que não te importas, que é para te lembrares. Então vou dizer exactamente o que pensei assim que a vi: esta moldura é uma lástima, principalmente por causa do exagero das bandas verticais, capaz de estragar a fotografia.
Quanto às fotos (propriamente ditas, sem molduras) do WS, prefiro esta.
Francisco

manatee (4668) 2006-08-07 13:29

I like the picture, you have another to lloks like that, I like the sombination of the guy and the tree, just two objets in the pciture this is more poetic.

Good composition

pat0500 (21561) 2006-08-08 4:30

Bonjour Ricardo,
Excellente photo et bon point de vue où le vélo donne une bonne note à l'image(en parlant de note tu as oublier celle de mon moulin..:-)...Ce n'est pas grave).Il y a déjà eu beaucoup de vue sur les arbres mais celle-ci est très bien réalisé.Bravo pour la mise en page aussi..!
Bien à toi.
Patrick.

ruisc_pt (11594) 2006-08-08 6:57

excelente POV and work..photoshop.
:)
Rui

ribeiroantonio (22730) 2006-08-08 21:54

Certamente que esta tua foto apareceu durante os dois dias em que estive mais ocupado aqui em casa e por conseguinte passou despercebida.
Mas, o que não se faz no dia da romaria, faz-se ao outro dia!
Gosto muito desta imagem do ciclista solitário perto da única árvore incluida na composição. Tudo na foto nos leva ao ciclista e à árvore. Vi também as fotos do WS e, para ser sincero, gostei da do ciclista no início da subida. Está muito bonita.
Bem, e já agora, mais uma “porradinha” por causa da moldura. Podia ser melhor. Como já viste nas minhas fotos, tenho feito alguns ensaios mas agora estou a ficar com a moldura branca e um traço fininho a preto entre a imagem e o branco.
António

john_c (24666) 2006-08-09 10:59

Hi Ricardo,
Well composed and seen from this excellent low angle POV. I like the lines here leading uphill, which also denote slightly varying hues of beige and brown. There is a lonely ambience here that is accentuated by the stark landscape, the lone cyclist, and the solitary tree. Very fine work, Ricardo. Its a keeper.
John

prumod (8300) 2006-08-10 9:38

its very nice ricardo...
single tree, single man at the edge of the horizon...
take care
pramod

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2006-08-11 10:10

Hi Ricardo,
One of the finest landscape compositions I have seen in recent times. This one with its simple theme but magnificent execution has me floored. Straight to my favourites.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

xavshot (69835) 2006-08-12 7:00

Bonjour Ricardo
une excellente photo. Pas grand chose a été dit par rapport à ce qui a été déjà ecrit. C'est une belle compo avec une excellente lumière.
Bravo
Xavier

danyy (0) 2006-08-15 11:43

Salut Ricardo,
Un arbre solitaire a toujours été un sujet de prédilection pour une photographie.
Ce site en propose d'ailleurs pas mal et ce genre de photo a quelque chose respectueux dans sa simplicité.
Un tel arbre est non seulement beau mais il symbolise aussi la solidité et la longévité.
Difficile de cadrer autrement.
Une belle réalisation
Bien à toi,
Daniel

keribar (43841) 2006-08-18 11:52

What an interesting and outsansdin picture Ricaredo.

Well done, and I suggest you use it in a photo contest.

Good Job - Say RRRooon to the cats for me. Good purrs !

russte (0) 2006-08-19 14:50

Hi Ricardo, I think this has to be my favourite of your 200 posts. An inspired decision to wait until the cyclist was level with the tree before releasing the shutter. It emphasises the symmetry between the furrows in the earth and the cycle path beautifully, a symmetry that is only broken - to good effect - by the shadow of the bush on the path. The light is wonderful and the exposure is first class. Excellent. Stephen PS Thanks for the kind reference to one of my critiques of yesterday ;-)

cam (9043) 2006-08-27 13:43

Hi Ricardo
You are right about the perspective,and the strong contrasting colors.A minimalist composition that has everything to please.
I prefer the cyclist at the top.
Charles

anavazao (5592) 2006-08-28 16:29

olá amigo,
enquanto andas pelo Alentejo eu vou comentando as tuas fotos he he he!
Esta está muito fixe acho que foi cortada de forma muito inteligente! Gosto das cores e perspectiva!
Fica bem Ana:)

napdsp (744) 2006-08-29 18:13

The composition is good. The mood is amazing. The exposure is just wonderful -- seeing every detail including the texture of the cloud and golden ground. Very well composed. TFS.

bakes888 (18499) 2006-09-12 5:44

Hi Ricardo. Excellent photo. I love the minimalist composition also, I think having the road lead the eye right to the main subject is a stroke of genius also. Well spotted and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

banyanman (7797) 2006-09-12 16:36

How did I miss this one before, Ricardo - it's a great shot. But actually I like the one in the workshop with the cyclist in the bottom of the frame even better. Ben's alternative crop with the tree a little off centre also works well - there are so many variations of composition that you can achieve from this POV. One that you didn't post but would have been great in my view, would be the same framing as the one with the cyclist at the bottom, but shot when the cyclist was at the top of the hill. But I still like the minimlaist feel to your original post. Cheers . . . David

balatrek (7455) 2006-09-17 17:31

Hola Ricardo,

Bellísimo paisaje con el que has creado una fantástica fotografia, me gustan los contrastes entre cielo y tierra, sublime elección incluir al ciclista en la composición, un gran trabajo!

Saludos

José

Elaine_Blath (8471) 2006-09-30 14:54

Hi Ricardo,

hey this a fantastic picture! Minimalistic, and yet full of atmosphere...well done!

Take care, Ivana

Brendon (289) 2006-10-15 9:12

Simple theme, elegant landscape composition...everything is right with this scene. You have provided a great contrast between the brown tilled land and the aqua blue sky which is seperated by the cyclist and tree.
I know framing is per the artist, but the grey tone does nothing in my opinion for the tremendous photo you have shown (possibly smaller and a colour more in line with the subject)...and that my friend is the least of our problems. So with that; Kudos, a green smiley and an added favorite!
Brendon

ajflala (117) 2006-10-20 9:58

Adoro a simplicidade desta foto, o contraste das cores esta 5 ****. Muito boa!!!

Rosa_d_MonteLua (1508) 2006-11-15 13:49

Olá Ricardo!
Estive de visita ao teu portfolio, e adorei descobrir esta foto!
As cores são fantásticas pois oferecem um contraste bastante rico à vista(a côr de palha em conjunto com o azul acinzentado do céu). E o teu POV colocando a árvore no centro da composição é magistral! Gosto da luminosidade e da definição.
Bjs e obrigada pela partilha!
Rosa

paura (25802) 2006-11-22 6:17

Ricardo,
Excelente composição com elementos bastante básicos. A delimitação da colina como horizonte na passagem das cores ficou muito bom!

Um abraço

Paulo

rajiv_077 (1412) 2007-05-21 7:43

Hi Ricardo

You capture very good pictures of this area's. All in workshops picture is really good, This is also good and placment of cycleker is good. Compostion is excellent, sky colour, land's colour is very attractive and most attracting thinkg is that tree in this picture.

cheers

rajiv

pablominto (53746) 2007-07-01 1:05

Hello Ricardo,
The lonely tree theme is always attractive!
Here we find additional spice in the biker and the large sky...
Very well composed image, all elements are good and nicely put together!
Greetings,
Pablo -

apucci (1020) 2007-11-15 3:49

Beautiful compposition Ricardo. The capture of the blue sky give the landscaspe a good contrast of colors.
Well done,
Andrea

jmdias (115072) 2009-02-07 5:56

ricardo

bel simples e muito bonita esta foto. gosto especialmente do diálogo entre a árvore e a figura do ciclista, as linhas da estrada seguindo para o céu e o contraste de cores é outro ponto forte. lindo trabalho, saudades do alentejo

abraços

jorge

Amaz (11475) 2009-09-16 12:19

Bela captura, Ricardo!!
Excelente composição e boas cores!!

Ótimo registro, amigo!!

Um abraço,