PRINTING THE IMAGE - CHRISTMAS EDITION
I use the term “we printed” liberally because, in fact, we only printed one image and that was one of Ann’s. Though, as much as she may hate me saying it, I think it’s probably the best image either of us made during our trip to Madeira. Ann has a couple of other images that give it a run for its money, and I . . . I haven’t really been able to look at my images from the trip for more than 5 minutes without having to walk away from them. But I can say that none of my images jump out at me, so I feel pretty confident that this is the best of the bunch. And, it’s quite simply amazing.
Everyone (the photographers that is) wants to go to the Fanal Forest when it’s foggy. That’s wholly understandable given not only the ethereal mood that encompasses the place in the fog, but also that fog really helps in separating the groups of trees that are there. That is one of the main reasons this image is so incredible - not a bit of fog to be had. Instead, Ann did it all with light.
Ann managed to take advantage of some rapidly changing light conditions (clouds coming in to break up the sun) and to time it so that some light hit the foreground trees, but left the trees not far behind it in shadow, while also illuminating the trunks of trees that are even farther away. The effect, ever so subtle and visible not only on Ann’s calibrated monitor as well as in the print, is a three-dimensional quality that is mesmerizing. The light raking the ground shimmers and the light hitting the foreground tree makes it glow.
As with all such images, it was much more difficult to reproduce than to experience it with the eye. The reality was that there was a large open field in the background that was brilliantly lit (i.e. a bright streak that ran across the middle of the page) that Ann had to subdue, lest it grab the eyes away from the tree. And the light hitting the upper parts of the subject tree was obscured by branches on the sunward side of the tree, and needed to be lightened just a bit. However, none of the adjustments was too dramatic and flowed as much from the differences between digital sensors (or film) and the human eye as anything else. The hard work had been done out in the field - the finding of an elegant composition and an awareness that the light could produce something special.
And something special the print is. Bravo Ann!!!