The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
The Huntington Gardens in San Marino, CA has an amazing collection of cactus, roses, themed areas and an incredible library. This was an intimate scene that caught my attention with the little white pincushions and the giant barrel cacti. I decided to post both versions and ask which you like better.
Specific Feedback
Not sure about the little colony of upright cacti on the right side. I thought about cloning them out, but decided to just tone them down to mute their impact.
Technical Details
Samsung SM-G781V cell phone camera, f2.4, 1/120 sec, iso 50, 7 mm with flash on.
I like the composition a lot, Ed. The partial clump on the right doesn’t bother me, so I could go with either one. I don’t know if you shot this in Raw or not, but either way, you might see if you can pull down the highlights just a bit on the white tops of the pincushions.
Thank you Dennis. I didn’t realize until about half an hour ago that my cell phone would actually shoot in RAW. Great to know, just a little too late for this one.
Yeah. My last one wouldn’t with the built in app, but I found out I could download a camera app with a lot more features, including that one. Kind of stupid of the phone companies to use such a limited app when better ones are available.
Ed, I like the composition with the colony of cacti on the right. I also noticed the areas on the tops of the pincushions. Wow, I wonder if my cell phone will shoot in RAW. I doubt it. It is not a high-end phone. Thanks for sharing this intimate landscape.
Ed: I like both versions with maybe a tiny preference for the one without the little bunch on the right. What I find fascinating on the shot without the cacti is the level of detail in the underlying bed. Was that AI generated or did you clone in manually? However it was done I’m impressed with the result. Really good find and good luck on your return trip. >=))>
@Bill. Thank you for the compliment. My wife showed me how to do the clone. 1. I selected the white cacti on the side with the little clump using magic lasso and the free select features. I kept the edge definition a bit soft. Then right mouse click and layer via copy. 2. I used the clone stmp tool and took a sample of the lava rock on the left. 3. I made a new layer from the BG in case I didn’t like the results. 4. I stamped the lava rock onto the BG copy until it covered the clump of cacti. Then merged the layers.
