What’s all this crop?

In my photography I've started thinking about "how I can make things look longer or taller."   I think the right crop might be the answer.   The two photos today are examples of my pursuit of this idea.    I've always loved vertical landscapes which comes from my interest in vertical Japanese woodblock prints like the ones by Utagawa Hiroshige.    I think the particular crop in these two photos,  which is a vertical 16X9, creates this effect nicely.   It makes the main subject of tall trees look even taller in my mind.  It "heightens" their already magnanimous stature.    I also used various textures and effects.   

What I find really funny is that the main tree in the photo on the left is significantly smaller that the tall tree in the photo on the right.  It's more of an overgrown shrub, actually, that is about 12 ft tall compared to the large tree on the right which must be about 50 ft tall.    But again, I think the crop really goes a long way to lengthen this tree.   Hope you enjoy.  

What do you think?  Is the crop pleasing to your eye?   Or is it just too much?

Winter Fire & Snow

Well by now you’ve noticed a trend in recent post. My best intention is to post a different “holiday” themed song every day through Christmas.

Today’s selection is WINTER FIRE & SNOW sung by Irish vocal group Anuna. They first came to prominence is a stage production called Riverdance. This song is one of many songs on an album, that I believe is long out-of-print, also titled WINTER FIRE & SNOW.

sunday verses #14

3 MORE HAIKU 


Framing seasons three
Winter starts and ends the year
Annual bookends

***

A breath of warm air
She comes around the mountain
Chase Winter away

***

She pushes forth life
Her pungent verdant bower
Earth's labour's give birth

SUNDAY VERSES #13

3 WINTER HAIKU

Winter ice on trees
glitters like festive tinsel
under morning sun

***

When days are shorter
fiercely blows the winter wind
piling snow in drifts

***

Frigid air on skin
Persistent chill burrows deep
Winter wet and cold

sunday verses #6

POEM FOR LATE AUTUMN (*composition date unknown most likely sometime between 2007-2009)

Skeletal beauty
Parade of bones
Rooted in mire
Grasping heaven

A bridge between divine and profane

Waiting for winters blanket 
Redemption in white
Covering past sins
Peace and rest in a season of sleep

*while I don't remember when this was written I do know it was inspired by a line "snow falling, falling like forgiveness from the sky" in the song "Darling Christmas is Coming" by Over The Rhine from the album SNOW ANGELS (2006)
https://youtu.be/IinpwBPwRZI