Alex_Pine Tree Needles & Pine Cones

I took this photo a couple weeks ago in March when I went out to take photos for our winter remnants spring anew assignment. I took many photos and I think this photo was among one of my good photos I took. I like this photo for many reasons. First thing that I like about this photo is the lighting because the light source is coming from above the branch on the right frame of the photo. I like how the lighting is casting through the pine needles because it makes the green needles have multiple shades of green and it also makes a color contrast between the darker green needles which aren't lit completely by the sunlight compared to the bright lit needles. I also like how the depth of field in this photo is somewhat shallow because it makes the photo easier to look at and it reduces most of the visible distractions around the photo. I also like how the needles aren't in complete focus because it makes the photo have more tones to it and it also allows the photo to have more dimensions to it as well. I also like how the blurred out blue sky peaking out in the background mixes with the pine branch because it makes the photo have a smooth feeling to it. I also like how some of the well lit pine needles are because it creates a sort of glowing/sparkling effect to the photo which makes the photo more interesting to look at. I also like how the most focused branch of pine needles is in the center of the photo because it keeps your eyes directly into the photo rather than looking off to the side of the photo to look at the main focus point. I think with the different light shaded tones on the pine needles adds more variety and appeal to make this photo interesting to look at. I also like how fuzzy the background is because it makes the photo have more natural shapes and patterns to smoothen the subject of the pine tree branch and the pine cones. I think with having some of the branches beside the main focused branch or behind the main focused branch out of focus makes the photo have a deeper perspective and it adds more depth to the photo as well. I also like how the blurred out branches and tree trunks in the background are because it makes them look thicker and wider when they are blurred out and unable to see clearly because it adds more patterns to the photo. I also like how the pine needles aren't all facing the same direction and perfectly aligned with each needle perfectly because it adds more variety to the photo. It also adds more attention to the viewer because it allows you to look more closely at the details in the photo as a whole. I also like how the branches are lit because it allows you to see the tiny textures of the pine needles and the small details of the needles as well. The lighting in this photo was crucial for this photo because it brought in the most color tones and details to see clearly. I think if this photo didn't have multiple varieties of light exposure amounts the photo wouldn't have as much variety and contrast to the photo, and it would make the photo less interesting to look at. I also like how the blurred out branches and objects in the background of the pine tree branches are because you can see more variety of color as well. The patterns and directions of the blurred objects in the background being in all different directions and shapes adds variety to the photo. The only thing I wish I could have changed in this photo would have been to have some of the pine cones to be less overexposed because it slightly washed out the color tones of the pine cones, and it made it more harsh a little bit. The other thing I wish I could have changed in this photo would have been to not show part of a blurry pine tree branch on the bottom left corner frame of the photo because it slightly distracts the attention of the main focus point in the photo, but not significantly. I took this photo on my Nikon D3200 with natural lighting, without flash, using my zoom lens, auto iso speeds, auto focus adjustments, and auto white balance settings.