New Year, New Growth

After a week it was back to equine pursuits today.  Not for me more riding, rather helping L to cross the road after her riding companion was taken ill.

As ever, while waiting for her return I pootled around in the woods, looking for a suitable subject for my camera.  I popped up to see this oak, a project of mine from last year, to see how it was doing.  It was pleasing to see new oak leaves covering the branches, a sure sign that it was in rude health and still fighting its corner amongst the taller pines.

I wanted to recognise its achievement of surviving another winter but as ever a normal shot of it struggles to make it stand out from the background of the other trees.  So I stepped back some distance, changed lenses to a telephoto and attempted to isolate it by taking a multi row panorama with a shallow depth of field.  I took way too many shots to make sure I'd got the whole scene, 71 in total, but when I came to processing at least I had everything I needed.  Next time I will be more scientific in my approach, but as I was shooting hand held, I wanted to make sure.  

It took an age to stitch in Photoshop, but after leaving it overnight, it proved successful.  I'm not sure that the resolution on Blipfoto does it justice, but the amazing clarity at full resolution on the computer screen certainly helps to isolate the leaves and trunk from the background.