Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
I was fooling around with ICM, using an Arizona ash tree in my back yard for subject matter.
Any and all feedback would be welcome. ICM isn’t my strong suit.
I consistently used a two-second exposure and adjusted the aperture and ISO as needed. Also used a polarizer to slow the exposure down.
Don, these are cool ICM shots! Out of the three, my favorite is the second one. I like the cool tones in the trees with the golden leaves. You could try dodging the section of leaves in the center to bottom right quadrant.
Thanks, Alfredo. I also think the second one is the strongest.
Don,
You’ve inspired me to play around in my own back yard as well - just yesterday and I may post soon.
I mostly agree with Alfredo and I too like the 2nd one best. It just seems so much more balanced and cohesive. Sure, recognizable as a tree and leaves, but you’re achieved a painterly result, which works quite nicely. Most times I’m not a fan of the tall format, so perhaps cropping out the brighter orange up top could work as an alternate. But if you don’t want to crop, maybe just burning down that ULC a tad.
I like the 1st as well, although the WB seems a bit warm. You might play around with cooling this and also consider a square crop (my personal preference for ICM’s - don’t know why… )
The 3rd one just seems a bit disjointed. I like the texture and painterly look of the leaves in the bottom half, but the ones up top are bright and of different texture due to the highlights. But that’s part of the fun and experimentation with the ICM. Lot’s of iterations - a few work, but most of the time, many don’t. I’m sure you’re finding that out! So keep at it!
Lon
Thanks for the comments, Lon. One advantage of photos like these is that we don’t have to travel for hours to a picturesque spot. 
