A Quick Visit to Monk's Wood for a Retake

I had recently received my developed film from an earlier trip to Monk's Wood. I liked one image a lot but I got sloppy with the focus and so what could have been a really good image is mostly a disappointment. So yesterday evening I thought 'I'll go back for a quick trip and try and re-take that image'. The light looked promising that afternoon but I got of to a late start and by the time I parked the sun was well down. I quickly donned the gear and rushed off. 

I arrived and the sun had washed off the meadow grass and was creeping up the trees on the edge of the meadow. They glowed with an intense orange while some clouds picked up the light as well. I rush over to the subject tree and see what I feared had happened. In the intervening week the wind had stripped the leaves of my tree! 

Not wanting to get skunked I found an aspen and thought I could catch some of the glow of the setting  sun as well. I worked fast to compose and focus the image. The bright sky meant either a GND filter or negative film. I opted for Ektar 100. I made the first image in the fading light at f32 2/3 at 3" meter exposure 5 seconds with reciprocity. 

Looking at the camera after this I could see it was a mess of contortions from movements to keep everything in focus. I saw I could recompose and simplify this. I took the next photo with most of the light now gone. f32 2/3 8" metered 15" with reciprocity.

Image Reviews

I am not really happy with either composition. I think neglecting to have the bases of the the foregrounds trees in the image causes the whole image to float. The first image obviously has the light from the sunset going for it. However the foreground aspen loses out as a point of focus. Reversing the light situation would have been better. Being there an hour earlier might have made a big difference.

I stalked the area with vibrant glow of trees all around yet could find nothing I could make work. Time to head home.