The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
~ October 2020
I don’t mind storms at all. I love that first snow of the season, especially if it happens while camping. You go to sleep with stars twinkling across the vast expanse of Yellowstone‘s night sky. Their presence is comforting despite their distance. At some point in the night, a gentle roar makes its way through the pine trees as the wind makes it way through the forest. The soft pattering of raindrops arrives shortly thereafter. You go to sleep as the storm softly sings to you a lullaby. Later on, there’s a marked chill in the air. You pull the covers up over your ears and realize that it’s no longer raining. A magic hush has fallen over the forest. The drops of liquid have transformed into intricate six-sided crystals of unimaginable beauty. It’s Fall in Yellowstone! Storms are a photographer’s friend so we climbed out of bed and ventured out to see what we could see! I’m not sure it gets much better than golden aspen trees, and blue sky frosted with new snow from a passing storm.
Specific Feedback
I’m not sure if the fallen Aspens become less leading line and more distraction. I accentuated the Lodgepole Pine trunks a bit. Does that look ok? I tried to order up more snow, but got gypped with just a skiff
Technical Details
This is a 2:3 crop of a 6 image pano shot with the camera vertical at 18mm.
Nikon D850
Nikon 18-35mm
ISO 64, f/11, 1/40th
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Wonderful composition of a fascinating scene. The fallen trunks are striking leading lines and definitely not a distraction. They are especially effective because the pines form a triangle and the more prominent aspens are at the center. The clouds even have a subtle element of leading to the center. Very well-seen!
Are the fallen aspens and the missing lower limbs on the pines the aftermath of a fire?
Thanks @Diane_Miller . I think the fallen trees are just the result of age. There’s a seasonal pond here. Where I’m standing in this photo odd under water in the spring. I think the water is what prevents the usual sort of staggering of younger stress at the edge of a lodge pole forest. They don’t usually have a lot of low branches, but they’re usually more filled in with younger trees.
Nice image. I think the pano view exaggerates the perspective of the leading lines. You could crop out about 40% of the sky to further that exaggeration maybe.
Paul, the downed trunks are an integral part of this image, leading the eye right to the red (and other) trees. I initially thought that losing any of the sky, as Igor suggested, might be a detriment, but - seeing the pano crop now - I have to agree it’s an improvement on an already-fine image.
As nice an image as it is with its luscious blues, greens and oranges, I wish there was more to the image that would impart that chill and frosted new snow feel though I am not exactly sure how you would do that other than omit that line from the well written description. For me, it is more a sign of autumn showing its first colors…and on that note, a rarity for me, I would like the orange tree to be more centered. I like the symmetry and the leading lines from the downed trees that direct my eye to the tree (bush), but with its position, my eye tends more toward the skewed pine in the tree line to the right side of the frame. I might also be tempted to crop it about a 1/2 inch off the right side to add more emphasis to the symmetry.
Paul, this looks great. The fallen Aspens make fine leading lines. (Railroad tracks converging quickly… ). The Aspen colors are set off well by the Pines. You’ve got an interesting mix where the trees are almost centers, but not quite. While this is fine as presented, I too could see cropping the top half of the sky, if you want to go pano.
). The Aspen colors are set off well by the Pines. You’ve got an interesting mix where the trees are almost centers, but not quite. While this is fine as presented, I too could see cropping the top half of the sky, if you want to go pano.