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Questions to guide your feedback
The words means nothing but all the words sound kind of like that here in Hawaii (my first trip).
What is your reaction to this light and dark approach?
Other Information
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Image Description
I’m not sure why but all of my images are turning out to be of this nature. The wind blows steadily here so focus stacking is out of the question. I had to use a high SS to freeze the action. Depth of field becomes an issue and I had to resort to subjects in a fairly flat plane.
Technical Details
GFX50R, f/11, iso 3200. tripod, etc.
Specific Feedback
The composition is pretty basic in that it follows the rule of thirds. Is this too simple?
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Igor, I love the light on the leaves, in the varying levels. The greens and yellows against the black BG is very effective. The main plant, the brightest, provides afocus point for the eye.
I’d suggest maybe cleaning up the edges of the image a bit - the bright area along the upper border, and much of the stuff along the lower border doesn’t add anything and, to me, is a distraction.
A really nice image under difficult condotions ! Looking forward to more from the islands.
Igor: My initial reaction is very positive. I like the disparate textures of the ferns and the large leaf plant and the light is very nicely handled. The small plant in the RLC could go and I think this would be stronger. The smaller BG stuff doesn’t bother me but that RLC intruder does pull my eye. I think the different stages of the ferns is very pleasing. If they were all the same the image would be good but the splash of yellow is a big plus IMO. Nicely seen and captured. >=))>
Gorgeous! That palm leaf with some color is absolutely 3D! The others make a very pleasing repetition that makes it stand out. The Ti plant is probably the subject but its friends make a very complementary group. I love the dark BG. I’d be tempted to darken the smaller Ti in the LR corner.
Soak in some of the atmosphere over there for me! It is such a special place and I have been frustrated to no end trying to photograph there.
My reaction is “tropical,” which is kind of fun because so much of your work is not. The shades of green and the various textures are a pleasing combination.
Excellent! The light - color variation - on all the leaves is wonderful, as is the light/dark you asked about. Not sure what you mean by “approach” - is that because you were seeking out light/dark scenes? Whether you were or not, the results work beautifully. You have a great balance between the light and dark.
I would agree with some comments about darkening even a shade more the leaves sticking up in the LRC. Looks like they’re already a bit dark relative to the others, so maybe there’s not much to be done there. RE: misc clutter at the bottom. Not an deal breaker by any stretch. If anything, I suppose some targeted blurring could work to help emphasize depth (of field?)
Even though the palm on the right is striking, at least for me it’s the shiny plant on the left that anchors the scene and supported beautifully by the palms.
Well seen and photographed. I too
Dang it, John stole my exact first impression! Definitely “tropical”. I can also see that this is not your usual fare… but only because of the location you’re in. Actually, I find the composition and vision to be consistent with your work. Which is always engaging and thought provoking.
Without reading the others comments I think that the different temperature and colors shades of the leaves help the subject to dominate the scene. I like less the copy of the subject in the BRC because it weakens the role of the subject. Furthermore a good cleaning in the foreground doesn’t hurt.. Having said that, for me this image is beautiful.
Wow. This is interesting. I actually brightened the small plant on the right in order not to have that large black space which I felt would unbalance the composition. Now I have to think it over. Has anyone darkened it and actually seen the results? I’ll do that. Sometimes what you think it will be doesn’t end up that way. Lots of times.
I am very drawn to this picture. It immediately brought to mind the paintings of Henri Rousseau - something about the vibrance and textures of the foliage, particularly those big fronds. The plant in the lower right corner doesn’t quite work but I agree with you, if nothing were there it would feel like black hole. I wonder if it would help to bring down the brightness a bit and maybe play with the hue so that colour-wise it is more aligned with the fronds than the plant. In any case, a very striking image.
I like the comparison to Rousseau. There is something unnatural about it. It’s so stylistic. It’s too precise to be natural. I don’t know how to express it. It’s more of a representation of the natural world than the actual reality. I’m working on similar ideas here now.
@Diane_Miller I was blown away by the vegetation here. I’m including an iPhone image of my rental so that you get an idea.
Rousseau indeed!! This scene is astounding – I LOVE this sort of tropical vegetation! I’ve only been there a few times and never with the time and weather I wanted for photographing the vegetation. The Botanical Garden in Hilo is to die for.
A subject like this is so difficult to compose and yet this is so beautifully balanced. What makes it perfectly balanced is including that small plant in the LRC and not reducing the yellows in that leaf just above the small plant in the corner. Both offset the black hole in that corner really well. Really good of you to see that. I would have had major troubles composing a scene like this so I give you a ton of credit for balancing everything. The light and the dark work off of each other in this image and is very pleasing to me. Yes, there are the mentioned twigs below the main plant but can easily be cloned out if it bothers you (it doesn’t really bother me that much) although that one vertical twig down there is very bright so you might want to burn that or clone it out. All I can say is that this took exceptional vision to pick out and compose.
Now on to see what you said: OK, I think the lack of depth of field is actually helping this image. It reduces the background clutter and yet retains sharp details where you need them. Not at all a problem for me.
I have to say that I agree 100% with @Diane_Miller about Hawaii being a very difficult place to photograph but maybe what I need to do is focus more on the smaller scenes like this one rather than the larger grand scenes that I have tried to get in the past.
@David_Haynes So here’s what I’ve learned so far during my stay (besides that Hawaiians seem to love Spam).
The light is difficult here. It’s either raining or there is harsh light. There is no in between. It goes from one to the other in minutes.
The wind blows constantly (which keeps the mosquitoes off) so that everything is moving. You need a fast shutter speed and forget focus stacking.
Tropical rainforests are harder to compose than our temperate forests. That’s what I found. The problem is that there is a mishmash of plants growing together. There are no spaces. One plant grows within the other.
Contrast is a problem because plants form dark clusters separated by bright light, even in nondirect light. If you compose within the cluster you get small hot spots everywhere.
The botanical garden at Hilo is amazing. But its purpose it to show off as many plants as possible. There are unnatural arrangements of plants. The best option there was to do Georgia O’Keefe abstract compositions targeting specific closeups. But the plant is moving.
The best strategy I came up with is to shoot in the shade. I targeted plants that have a natural sheen to them and used that for tonal range.
As with any new place it takes time to get a feel for it. A sense of what is the essence of the place. The big scene landscape is not obvious to me. There are numerous large stands of eucalyptus here so much of the island has been transformed.
I think you absolutely nailed why it’s so difficult to photograph in Hawaii. Every one of your points is an issue but number 4, the hot spots, are pervasive in every single image I’ve ever taken there. Even in shade. There is such a high dynamic range to almost every image that it makes it very tough to not only compose an image but to get detail in blacks and whites.
I hope you are enjoying your trip and share some more of the island vibe. I congratulate you on this image.
Hi Igor, I like this image quite a bit. You do a good job of applying your tendency to simplify to a very non simple place. The tropical forest is certainly a shift from those used to more temperate or desert environments. Bret Weston worked in Hawaii several times towards the end of his life and the Hawaii portfolio and the scattering of images from there in the various collections are a great example of working successfully in that environment.
I can usually identify your images by the thumbnail, @Igor_Doncov but this one threw me. Probably because it isn’t rocks. That said, I love it and it is very much your style of photography. The subtle sheen on the background plants is so nice and I love how they not only frame the brighter foreground plant but are also darker, providing a wonderful contrast.
Hi Igor,
Your light and dark approach works just fine for me. The different shades of green compliment one another and I find the light on the leaves to be quite lovely. I think you managed to strike the perfect balance with the shadows as I can see some detail in those darker areas. My only suggestion would be to slightly darken that one plant toward the LLC. You always seem to do these type of intimate scenes so well. I have never been to Hawaii so I am looking forward to seeing what you come back with.
Hi Igor. My initial response is totally positive. I love it. I do think the plant at LR is distracting and perhaps some tidying up along the lower edge. Overall I find it really beautiful.
That said, I love it and it is very much your style of photography. The subtle sheen on the background plants is so nice and I love how they not only frame the brighter foreground plant but are also darker, providing a wonderful contrast.