The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I hope we aren’t tired of autumn images yet.
Specific Feedback
Many of my fall images tend to be somewhat chaotic like this. I always doubt if they come across the way I think. So, I guess that’s the feedback request, is the chaos ok?
Technical Details
Nikon Z8 +100-400
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Vision and Purpose:
Conceptual:
Emotional Impact and Mood:
Composition:
Balance and Visual Weight:
Depth and Dimension:
Color:
Lighting:
Processing:
Technical:
Hi Julie,
I never tire of autumn foliage images, especially ones like this that feel naturalistic. To me, chaos is totally natural, and therefore perfectly okay. In photography, we so often try to find form, order, some kind of focus, and in this kind of image, we have form and focus, without order, which just sounds like life to me.
Form–the trunks and their natural arrangement and slight variation in angles
Focus–the bright leaves in the middle.
Hi Julie,
I myself never tire of autumn scenes, so I hope you have more to share. I love these types of images, so yes the chaos is just fine for my tastes. This is busy, but it is so well organized with the trees spread out across the frame and the grasses anchoring everything. Of course the soft warm light is absolutely gorgeous and very inviting. This is beautifully done IMO.
I don’t see chaos in this image at all. For me, those three main tree trunks anchor the image perfectly and give this a lot of order and structure. I don’t think I will ever tire of autumn images especially if they’re as beautiful as this one is!
I think you’ve handled the chaos very well here Julie, which is hard to do with woodland photography. The three main tree trunks in the front offset the ones behind them since they are brighter and warmer than the background, and the color of the leaves is a nice touch.
Not too chaotic for me. Just fine. the trees spaced out across the frame are a solid base on which to build the rest of the composition. The lighting on the 3 FG trees and the yellow leaves make a strong focal point. Is the vignette natural or done in post?
Thank you so much everyone, for your thoughts and kind words! I very much appreciate the input. @Michael_Lowe : I didn’t so much add a vignette as I brought out what was happening already, but yeah, that would have been a bit more darkening in the shadows and a bit of a lift where the light was. I also shifted the color and darkened the foreground grasses a bit as they were a bit too green and distracting. I hope it looks natural and not like I added a vignette willy nilly. Let me know!
There is often understated order in apparent chaos. Such is the case here. The warmly lit trunks and the leaves set the scene and allow the chaos to fade into the forest.
A lovely warm comforting image with rust reds through to auburn. I like the vigneteed feel to it which appears as if a very natural fall off of light toward the edges of your square frame. I like it a lot.
I do not find this fine image chaotic at all. You have found a way to reflect the quiet stillness of fall, particularly in an autumn in which (at least where I live) the colors are muted and, as you state, rusty. The image is anchored by the three illuminated tree trunks; your dodging and burning focuses attention of the golden leaves framed by those trees. I think the square aspect ratio also balances the image. Very nicely made.
I’m not sure I would call this chaos or not. Yes, it’s quite busy and there is a lot going on in the small scene but to me, chaos indicates things randomly going in all directions with no apparent order. That’s not the case here. Nearly every trunk and branch is flowing in the same direction taming the busyness and creating some order. Even the grasses in the foreground are all running the same direction. The colors are really rich and natural looking and this just feels real to me. It doesn’t feel enhanced in any way. The light hitting the orange leaves in the upper center of the frame and the five trunks adds great pop to the scene and the fall off of light on the left and right edges only enhance that feeling.
I would dodge that one bright spot on the trunk in the URC about 1/4 of the way down as it definitely draws the eye. It looks like it’s missing some bark there making for some harsh light. You could also crop down from the top to remove that dark, almost black branch that is running out of the corner of the frame or try and clone it out if you are ok with that. Other than that, I think you nailed this one.
@David_Haynes Ah, yes, thank you for pointing that bright spot out. And the suggestion to remove the black branch brought my attention to the fact that I have a really bad removal in that area I need to fix. THANK YOU! @Robert_Betka@Ian_Cameron Thank you so much for your kind comments! I appreciate it!