Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
Title and image together: where does this take you?
Other Information
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Image Description
Found during a hike at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The boulder suspended between the cliff walls struck me as a metaphor, and then I saw the face.
Technical Details
The processing has focused on anthropomorphizing the wall of rock. I know that’s probably not a word… Finding the right amount of dodging on the boulder has been a challenge, as well.
For those that care: 1/500s, f/11, ISO 280. 105mm Nikkor Z Macro lens.
All post in LR; border added in PS.
Specific Feedback
Is the image engaging, or fleeting? Clever, or lame? Clear, or obfuscated?
Away from that crevice, though I doubt that the rock will come down very soon, Gary. It’s an interesting image and a very cool find, Gary, but it actually triggers my inner engineer and I spend my time trying to figure out a good way of freeing that poor stuck rock.
My initial reaction was along the lines of punching through an obstacle. (That caught rock almost looks like the fist of those Transformer kids’ toys.) Going back to the title after viewing the image, I definitely get the caught between and a hard place, but probably wouldn’t have come up with a thoughtful rock.
Nice job on placing that rock in the thirds, and I like the counterpoint the hole in the right rock face provides.
Interesting technique to add some texture to the frame, I can’t remember seeing that here before. I’m not sure if it adds or subtracts; I’ll have to stew on that one.
Great shot with a great apt title. I like the processing especially how you’ve high lighted the “caught” boulder. Just my personal preference, I’m not crazy about the dark frame and the way it seems to bleed into the image.
My first thought was I want to pick up the rock and put it in the hole. Definitely an interesting find and it could be used in so many scenarios to tell so many stories or to make so many different points. Good call on going B&W with this.
Gary: Aptly titled and what a great find. Your comp does bring out the face. And BTW, anthropomorphizing is indeed a word and a spelling bee challenge . Well done. >=))>
My initial reaction is that this is a very interesting photo, and the object stuck in the crevice forces me to stop and really look at it, to determine what it is. It initially looked to me like some sort of basket. I like the detail in the rock, as well as the horizontal lines going across both rocks (in the top portion of the photo).
Hi Gary,
What a cool find. I really like the lack of scale or direction in this image. I have no idea whether I am looking upward or downward. Perfect call on making this a B&W as it only adds to the mood. This also has a nice range of tones and I like the luminosity of that trapped rock. Now I am wondering how that rock came to reside at that particular spot. Very nicely done.
I really leave the thoughtful face on the right. The dark moody image gives a sense of serious contemplation and maybe even worry. The little silver of light definitely looks stuck there and its small size definitely gives a sense it is stuck there. I like the title as it leads you directly to your vision and what you saw here. The only thing I would have changed, if it was my image is change a little the luminosity of the two rocks to diffrentiate between them. I know the shape in the middle needs to be the darkest park but to me the rock on the right (the thoutful one) is the most significant and I wish it was a little more distincitve from the other. I see faces everywhere so for me it was very clear where the thoughtful rock is but for others it might not be as clear so maybe dakening the other rock a little would help direct the eye. This is of course just my impression. But I was drawn to this image immediately because of these probing eyes.
Gary YES !!! When you see something like this, Photograph it. Great shot and perfect in B&W. I love the contrast and the simplicity. You really captured your vision and made a great Image. !!!
. Well done. >=))>
I’d like to do something about it.