The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I’ve been going through my archives and found this one that I never processed. It’s from one of my winter trips I used to take between Christmas and New Years every year (a great time to visit the Southwest). It was the first time I visited Antelope Canyon, on December 26th, so the light making it down into the canyon was very limited. I came around a curve and this one spot was lit up with such a beautiful glow. I also liked the nice play of light and shadowing on the wall on the right.
Specific Feedback
I’d appreciate any feedback you may have. I think on this one the light and shadow are the big part of the image, so particular opinions on that would be most welcome. I know the sides are pretty dark with little detail, but I left them that way, as I thought it framed the image (and it was rather dark in the lower reaches naturally). I also liked that it presents Antelope Canyon a little differently, much more moody and more subdued colors.
Technical Details
Canon 1DS Mark II, 17-40L @40mm, 2 seconds, f14, ISO 100, tripod
Scott: I like this a lot. I tried to go to the canyon in the winter once and was thwarted by the tripod regulations (I had one but my wife did not, even though she wasn’t going to be doing any shooting) but that’s a whole other story. I did eventually get back but it was summer and the light was really bright in some places and overpowering and my HDR skills were pretty non-existent at that time. I especially like the tonal range. The only suggestion I might consider is to crop some from each side but not get rid of all of the dark areas. Overall a beautiful scene nicely captured and presented. >=))>
Scott, I too like this a lot. There are bits of texture and color in the darkness on the left that coordinate with the blue/magenta colors, just right of center. I wonder about just a touch of dodging to let those play a larger role. I too would be inclined to reduce the amount of blackness on the right, but not eliminate it.
This is a beautiful image. The colors, textures, and patterns are lovely. I do suggest that you change to aspect ratio to 1:1 (square). While I see your point about the dark areas, they feel like too much and are distracting. Using a square crop would preserve enough of the contrast, but not dominate the real subject areas.
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I’ve been going through my archives and found this one that I never processed. It’s from one of my winter trips I used to take between Christmas and New Years every year (a great time to visit the Southwest). It was the first time I visited Antelope Canyon, on December 26th, so the light making it down into the canyon was very limited. I came around a curve and this one spot was lit up with such a beautiful glow. I also liked the nice play of light and shadowing on the wall on the right.
Specific Feedback
I’d appreciate any feedback you may have. I think on this one the light and shadow are the big part of the image, so particular opinions on that would be most welcome. I know the sides are pretty dark with little detail, but I left them that way, as I thought it framed the image (and it was rather dark in the lower reaches naturally). I also liked that it presents Antelope Canyon a little differently, much more moody and more subdued colors.
Technical Details
Canon 1DS Mark II, 17-40L @40mm, 2 seconds, f14, ISO 100, tripod
Hi Scott,
The light is flat out gorgeous as is the subdued color palette and the lines and textures in the sandstone are a real treat to savor in the large version. I like your idea of having the darker walls on the right and left sides act as a frame for the image although I could see reducing their dominance a little bit. I played around with some crops and my favorite is a square as it allows you to still have some of the darker edges. I hope you do not mind, but here is a rework with what I was thinking. This is just my opinion of course. This image is very nicely done.
I’ll be the contrarian here and say that I like the darkness on the right and left, especially in Ed’s variation. I like his crop, but I would also crop off the top. I’m not loving the “flame-shape” touching the top edge there. And I think by cropping it down from the top, we can explore the curtains at the edges of the grand show in the middle.
Maybe something like this, just a quickie screenshot.
Well, it seems unanimous , a square crop it is! I did the crop and took a little off the top as Marylynne suggested. Thank you all for your helpful suggestions!
Good job on the square crop. It’s out of the box. Too many people do the same thing in antelope Canyon. Yes, their images are all pretty nice but I like your approach.
I actually like the composition in its original form, but do think the edges are a bit too dark. I bet a horizontal graduated filter on each side, to lighten the shadows a tad would work well. I do love the midtones this! Maybe a tad to the left on the highlights. It is a different composition than what is normally done there, and that is a very good thing! Nicely done!
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