The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I took this view along the Firehole river in Yellowstone’s upper Geyser Basin as part of David Kingham’s workshop on night photography. The big steam cloud is Castle Geyser erupting with lighting from the road construction work. The lights on the hillside are from the Hotel and Visitor’s center. Some Luminosity processing lets the Big Dipper show as if I had used a fog filter. There was a lot of air glow (both red and green) in the sky so getting the sky color “right” was a challenge.
Until I read your description I couldn’t make out the light sources, and even though they aren’t natural, you used them quite well. The sky looks reasonable to me - I find night sky photography to be very loose in what is acceptable and open to more artistic preference. The BD stands out nicely without looking too forced, but I wonder if bringing up some white/exposure on the very bottom of the geyser plume might smooth things there as the change is quite abrupt. Just a thought on a knock-out photo.
Hi Mark,
that looks great. In general, I like the big dipper very much. And you’ve incorporated it nicely into your composition.
The rising steam creates a mystical atmosphere. The fog filter effect you added to the big dipper fits the mood perfectly.
Maye, I would get rid of the satellite trails. And I would darken the lit geyser a tiny bit.
That looks like a very interesting area to shoot. And the workshop sounds like a lot of fun.
Yes, very cool and a great subject. The ambient light is well-balanced and the Dipper is brought out nicely. I’m with @Kris_Smith on wishing the light on the geyser was softer at the base – an easy fix. The greenish airglow might be mitigated a little with some Selective Color on the sky.
Star quality in the corners looks good – is this the EF 16-35 II? My copy is horrible.
Very nice, Mark! I wondered what you were doing back there I love all the steam plumes in this and would like to see them brought out more while balancing with the lit plume. Here’s a quick and dirty example of just doing some burning and dodging in Photoshop. The Wacom tablet certainly makes this easier.
@David_Kingham , dodging the mist plumes is a great idea that enhances the character of the location well. I’ve done that in the repost, but not using a Wacom…, just many, mini brush adjustments in PS.
Soooo cool, Mark!!! It is something I will probably never see at night, so I am enjoying this. I like what @David_Kingham did too. I use my Wacom tablet all the time. Can’t image editing without it anymore.
Love this image! I’ve tried to shoot near here in the past but it was April and the cold temps made it too foggy to get much. Love your final edit there with the enhanced fog. The foreground lighting is pure magic. Nice work.
I love all the steam plumes in this and would like to see them brought out more while balancing with the lit plume. Here’s a quick and dirty example of just doing some burning and dodging in Photoshop. The Wacom tablet certainly makes this easier.