Bring the vibes

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
1

Kristen_SmithOctober 17, 2023_1174897.jpg
Kristen_SmithOctober 17, 2023_1174897.jpg2000×1545 2.19 MB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Another from my morning in the fog. This is a little later when the sun was higher and burning things off. It was a little tough getting a composition that worked with all the elements, but I like how this one fades off and only hints at the trees in the mid-ground. Because it was brighter I decided to emphasize that aspect and lean to a more high-key processing approach.

Specific Feedback

So, about this crop. I played with it a bunch and went with this for a couple of reasons. With the group of photos it varies the ratio and also it has almost equal sky to cattails and I think that works. What say you? I have more room on all sides, more to the right than left, but it’s there. I thought that emphasizing the main tree came across with less room on its opposite side, but I’ve been wrong before. I can post the fuller frame if you like.

Technical Details

Handheld

image

Lr for the crop and a shallower S-curve with brighter highlights than usual. Also added a touch of exposure, calibration panel to lift colors, some sharpening. Texture added with a linear grad to just the cattails. Horizontal flip.

2 Likes
2

This works for me – very well!! There is a lot of interest in the varying sizes and coloration/tonalities of the trees. There is also a nice eye movement from the little FG tree that provides a transition from the cattails to the trees. I go to the larger yellow one then enjoy the rhythmic variation in the midground trees, then land on the nicely subdued BG. There is a lot going on here but with a very nice structure. I completely agree about the amount of sky balancing the cattails. DOF is perfect for my taste and the high key approach works so well!

3

Thanks @Diane_Miller - this one is a bit more vague in the elements of composition, but it was pretty foggy so I think it relies a bit more on imagination than information.