(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
A view of the Cheshire Plain fron the sandstone rocky outcrop at Alderley Edge, Cheshire. The Plain is mostly dairy farm land. A reworking of a shot taken a couple of years ago.
There are a few things that make this image very appealing. The outcropping and the collection of trees in the FG is very captivating (I think they would make some really good subjects to photograph as well) and I really like how the FG is related to the BG. There is a nice feeling of depth here. You have got some really nice clouds, too. These puffy clouds are not usually my favorite, but for whatever reasons, it seems to work really well in this image. What immediately got my attention is the horizon. I would rotate the image CCW by a few degrees. I would love to see a little more at the bottom to show just a tad more of that rock outcropping if you have some rooms to play there.
Nice Shot Ian, I really like the puffy clouds, dappled light, wonderful colors and textures. I agree with Adhika about the horizon.
Thanks for the comments, Adhika and Blake. Have made some adjustments, I think along the lines you suggest.
I saw this the other night and wanted to comment on it.
This is the sort of landscape that was quite common until the last century but has gotten out of vogue, replaced by images with stronger design elements. But artists in the past painted many such scenes. And you can see why.
There is the obvious love for the land and the settlement. Viewed from up high we see a settlement at peace. You can feel the love and pride of the viewer for his homeland. At least, that’s how I see it.
From an artistic and technical point of view: I think the foliage on the left came out very nicely in tonality and color. There is a 3 dimensionality about it. And then the eye drifts off to the distance. An interesting point is that the rock in the llc is very important to the composition even thought it’s small. An area of bare earth would work against you.
P.S. Your rework is significantly worse than the original.
Ian, this is a very pleasing pastoral scene, the dappled light on the farmland is quite lovely. Your composition creates a great feeling of depth, and is very effective at pulling the viewer’s eye into the image. While the CCW rotation helps, I have to agree with Igor that some of the other changes to the rework are not as successful. The rock in the LLC is very important, but IMO the rework adds too much of the rock shelf in the LRC, I prefer the original composition that you had (except for the rotation). And I think the lower level of contrast in the rework washes out the color in the sky. I would just take the original and rotate it, and leave it at that.
