The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
I found this log with rocks on the beach near Parksville, Vancouver Island BC. I probably would not have photographed it but I was on a photo workshop with Adam Gibbs and I was paying attention to small scenes as well as larger landscapes. The photo has been in my Vancouver Island folder unedited since earlier this year. After spending a little time with it, I decided that I liked it enough to submit for review.
Feedback Requested
I wasn’t sure about the 16x9 crop, so feedback would be helpful.
Alice: This is a great find. Whenever I’m in a driftwood field I always like to look for similar opportunities. I especially like all the texture in the wood and the rocks are the perfect focal point. The lighting on the wood is pretty special as well. Most excellent. >=))>
[Crop] This is a fantastic image. I look for this sort of thing all the time on the beaches around home. The wood’s texture is fantastic, and the pebbles’ color is great. I think a 4x5 crop helps to reduce the darker wood on the left and right of the frame. (But I am a fan of a 4x5 crop) Great subject and great image.
Hi Todd, thank you for your input and suggested edit. I like a 4x5 crop too but I’m not sure with this image. I wanted to give enough context that it was a log but maybe the crop keeps the focal point front and center.
Thank you
Alice Wilson
What a great found, I just love these type of images.
As the title says, the story here is the unusual collection of rocks coming to rest in the hole in the tree trunk. IMO, you do not need to show that much of the tree trunk to tell that story. Instead you could zoom in and show the stones, and the nice area around the hole, in more detail.
The more calming crop 1:1 would emphasize that the stones have come to a rest.
I agree upon that for this type of image placing the main object in the centre works very well.
Alice, the colors in the well rounded pebbles and their placement in the log look great. Finds like this are always fun. As I was looking, it seemed to me that a 4x5 crop would work well, although I’d move it a bit left of where Ola put it. Something you might try with the full view is a bit of dodging along the left edge and on the sharper part to the right. That would add a bit more interest throughout the frame. Right now the luminosity focusses most of the attention on the knothole and the pebbles.
Thank you Mark, I see what you mean about the lighter bits on the left side and right. I’ll take another look and make a decision about the crop.
Alice
Hello Alice, as always great input from the critiques. I looked at your last revision.
The whirlpool effect of the wood really draws me into the subject and the way the rocks are positioned appear to continue the whirlpool. I am really drawn to this image.
Very well seen - love the blues in contrast with the textures of the wood, smooth vs rough, blues vs browns.
IMHO it would work well centrally in a square format as you have tried - but I would also consider moving the hole to be left of centre in a rectangular crop like Todds crop in particular .
