Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction
Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
Although visuals are essential to me as a photographer, the emotional aspects of photography are of even more interest to me. So what do you feel looking at this scene? How would you describe the atmosphere? Does this make you think of a story, true or fictional, and if so, what is it about? Thank you for your thoughts.
Other Information
Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is.
Image Description
Finally, we made it to France for our belated honeymoon. After checking into the house, we walked the twenty minutes to the sea and I could smell it. I could imagine it and just a few steps and I would see it. The sea, which always makes me think why I don’t live on the shore. Which keeps me humble. And sane.
Technical Details
Too impatient and so excited to finally walk on the beach, I only brought the phone. So this is an iPhone 11 photograph. 1/570 sec at f/1.8, ISO 32 at 4.25mm. When I came back the next day with the DSLR, everything had changed and the photo wasn’t there anymore.
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I get a feeling of loneliness, as if everyone has left the beach, having gone down the path between the grasses. I don’t get a feeling of anticipation because, to me, the grasses and the sand are pointing down, not up. And the overall muted tonality is somber. It’s a lovely photo.
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After reading your description, I can see why you would feel anticipation to finally get to France and the beach! And how you could anticipate walking over the dune to get to the beach. Even knowing that, though, it still doesn’t say “anticipation” to me. But, it’s your photo and I’m sure you’ll look at it in the future and have fond memories of that moment.
This caught my eye right away and I love it! I can hardly believe it was from an iPhone – the tonalities are wonderful, as is the framing. (Maybe I need to upgrade my 7…) And it is so typical and disappointing that the next day it was completely different. I love the texture of the sand that seems to have had a small avalanche, and how it merges into the sky. The vignette at the bottom is wonderful!
I’m not good on feelings or emotions but it does feel like a blustery, bleak day at the beach. But it invites me to scramble up the slope to see what is on the other side.
Two small nits and an idea: maybe burn the lighter area on the left border in the grasses, and touch out the light streak in the clouds. And then – what about darkening the light area in the clouds right at the top of the sand – so it matches the sand below it and the darker cloud above it. That would really make the top of the sand merge into the sky, which is close to awesome as it is.
But this is a spectacular image as is!
I’ve seen this before. I always think of hair on a head rather than grass on sand, when I see this. I’m not sure why I make that association. I think that may be due to the way it’s cropped. Or it might just be me. Actually it kind of does look like grass. I agree that it doesn’t have some of the qualities you associate with grass. Grass seldom has a downward direction. It’s an intriguing image for sure. I think it has pychological potency but that’s just me.
Bonnie, thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts. The title of the photograph as well as the story or feelings behind it don’t have to be and mostly can’t be what you see in it and feel looking at it. I see that you had an emotional response to it and since you had that, I feel that my photo was successful. Thanks again.
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Diane, I can’t believe you are not good at feelings or emotions. Whoever can appreciate the beauty of nature and spends time trying to capture that is experiencing and creating emotions, I think.
Thanks for your insights and suggestions on editing. I edited the image on the iPhone 11 using Snapseed, so I didn’t do any brushwork, because that basically sucks on a phone screen using a finger. I’ll do some more work on this photograph now that I’m back from France and I will keep your suggestions in mind. But I felt that the image the way it is was authentic and honest, so I posted it.
It could be hair. But it would be thick, rough hair like from a beard. Like a fisherman’s beard. And of course that’S “just” you. I do love your thinking, Igor. And please do elaborate on the psychological potency. Thanks as usual for your comment.
I should have said my first reaction to pictures isn’t usually emotional – it’s usually about tangibles such as visual balance, framing, contrast, color/tonal harmony – things like that. If that is all good, then I can get to the emotions. If too many of those things in an image are not good, I won’t bother to try to look beyond them. If they are all good, as in this image, my first emotional reaction is simply delight in viewing a lovely image. But surely the emotions an image brings up are so different for different people. Yes, this evokes a chilly gray-day feeling. Then it reminds me of a couple of areas on the California coast, and one from Denmark, which I have explored with friends at different times, and the memories are very happy – but this particular image is so visually stunning that it quickly rises above those emotions and pulls me back into it on its own merits.
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Holger, I love this image! It feels like peaceful solitude to me. The grass, left and right, appears to be calmly holding the sand path in its “arms.” The composition is stunning. I know that Diane made some suggestions. She may be a little more observant than I am tonight because it (in all its wonderful black and white glory!) looks fine to me.
Now that I’ve read your blurred-out area, it makes even more sense. I remember the peace I felt on my honeymoon. I may be reading more into this than you intend, but it is what I’m seeing and feeling. Thanks for sharing this wonderful image! PS I’ve said it before, but I’ve really come to believe that what’s important in photography is one’s “vision”! I worry less and less about which camera I’m using — one of my DSLRs or the iPhone. 
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My first reaction before reading any of the comments is that I’m wondering where I came from (what’s behind me as I am walking up this path) and I totally get the title of your image as I am anticipating/wondering what’s up and over the top of the climb. With this being black and white with a somewhat downcast feeling, I’m not sure if it’s anticipation I feel or if it’s a little bit of fear as well not knowing what’s on the other side. However, it’s certainly inviting and open although it looks like a path that’s not well traveled. No foot prints. Now I’m wondering what you are anticipating. Off to read your story. Oh, there is a little white streak in the ULC if you’re interested.
Ok, I just read your intention. I didn’t see that one coming. I thought this was near the beach as is typical of this type of grass and of course the sand but I thought I was heading away from the beach. Interesting. I had it backwards. I totally get why the anticipation now. Good one. Just goes to show, the best camera for the job is the one that you have on you.
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