The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Had the opportunity to go with a friend to the Badlands in SD. Seems there are an endless number of compositions there. Hampered a little by smoke from a Canadian wild fire but that cleared after a day or so. It did give some interesting mid day lighting on one day. No stupendous sunrises or sunsets but interesting skies nonetheless. Got a bunch of experience with 14-24 as I used that a lot.
Oh I like this, Mario. It’s at once simple and complex. This color palette looks so peaceful and I really like the pale end of the spectrum here. The light in the ULC clouds looks a bit at odds with the softness elsewhere in the image and I maybe giving it a go to harmonize that area would be beneficial. I really like the spot of sun just below on the hills though. Nicely spotted and composed. The Badlands are really awesome. Did it rain at all? Badlands gumbo is so hard to deal with!!
Wonderful composition – I love the wide-angle perspective! The gradient in the sky is fascinating, with lighter clouds on the right and darker on the left, with the sky itself the opposite.
Mario, this is one of my favorites from you yet!!!
Let’s start with what I love…that texture in the foreground is amazing. The larger leading lines, the smaller cracks…that is special. I think you’ve also done a really good job of maintaining a realistic balance between the foreground land and the sky, the luminosity is believable.
The two things I would consider:
The bottom left and right corners have a different color than the rest of the foreground. If you’re so inclined, I would consider painting them with a bit of color to try to match the rest of the foreground.
The patch of redder hills off to the left feel a bit brighter than the rest of the scene, I would consider burning those down just a hair.
The texture and earthy colour of the badlands looks fantastic. For me my eye tends to be drawn to the bright sky and away from the patterns of the dirt. I think that this might be because there is a lot of contrast between the ridge-line and the bright sky in the ULC. I’d experiment with taming the bright brights a touch.
Lucky you with no rain. When it rains, if you walk on any of the ground like in your shot, it cakes up and sticks to the bottom of your boots like nothing I’ve ever seen. Eventually you get huge clods of it and you can’t walk properly. I literally had to scrape it off with sticks and on the edge of curbs. Even after hosing off my boots, traces remained. That stuff is so sticky.
Ahem, sorry. Back to your shot. I really like the improvement you made while keeping the rest of the photo basically as it was. The color gradations are superb!
Wow, this is superb! I wouldn’t change a thing. Your composition is super, with the way the triangle formed by the clouds mimicking the triangle of the foreground hill. And that mud texture!! The sky is striking, also - I love the gradation from dark clouds/light sky to light clouds/dark sky. Really well done.
Hi Mario, I don’t really have much to add other than to tell you that I really like this. The reds of the earth contrast really nicely with the greens in the background and I love all of the texture emphasised by the side light.
