Description: This a picture I took on a recent trip to southern Israel. I loved the big beautiful red rocks which reminded me of the parks in utah and I tried to find a tree I can use as a frame for them. It took me a while to find the angle to shoot it and I am not sure I got it right. Sunset also just started so I had to control for the exposure and try to get the colors in the sky. It has all three of the primary colors so I thought it can fit this week’s challenge.
Specific Feedback Requested: Would love feedback on the composition - whether it worked or it gets the viewer’s eye out of the picture and on the post processing - is it too dark and is there anything else I can do to improve its look. Thanks.
Pertinent technical details or techniques: This is my new sony a7c camera, 17-28 lens, 27mm, f/11, 1/40 sec, iso 320. Tripod and shutter release. Some post processing to crop a little and bring back some of the colors in the sky.
Is this a composite? (focus stacks or exposure blends are not considered composites)
If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.
Tamar, I’d say that the tree and the wash are the main focus of this fine desert view. I like the fallen trunk leading in from the side and the darkness of the distant mountains lets them play a nice secondary role. It looks like you may have done some general dodging near the center where the soft purple of the distant mountains is notably brighter than in the same mountains to the left. If your software will let you, that something that can be handled by dodging through a luminosity mask. If you’re not familiar with luminosity masks, there are lots of internet sites that describe them and their uses.
Thank you. Just to make sure I understand, you are suggesting I dodge the right side of the mountain so they are as dark as the other side of them, right? Yes, I can definitely use a luminosity mask in photoshop instead of the radial filter in lightroom that I used for doing only one side.
I agree with Mark’s assessment of the far horizon. Once again I’m struggling with the white balance on this one. It looks quite magenta to me even considering the time of day. A nit-picky thing with the composition is the convergence of the rock formation with the hills behind. If you could have gotten a little lower or higher you’d have more separation. It’s one of the things that drives me nuts in my own shots, so it sticks out at me a lot, lol. Funny how we have our peeves.
I like the dry wash as a leading line, but feel the tree is a bit heavy considering the backdrop. Did you by chance take any shots from further back with a telephoto? That can often change the proportions of different objects and has interesting results.
The different brightness in the far mountains doesn’t bother me, but I agree with @Kris_Smith about the color balance. The red channel is a little bit blown, that might cause the color cast. I’ll upload a slightly different image. Although the clipped channel cannot be saved, without the raw file.
The “nit-picky thing” about the rock formation and the hill is something that happens to me often as well. I’ll try to avoid it, if possible, but too often I don’t give it enough attention in the viewfinder and the surprise is seen at home.
Nice to see a scene from the Negev region. More than half a life ago I worked a few months in Israel, made some great hikes there (and in the Sinai, which was occupied area then), although I don’t remember where exactly.
