The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Joshua Tree National Park is about 90 minutes from my home, so I visit with the camera in all seasons. Last December, I saw something I’ll probably never see again: Ocotillo cactus, responding to late summer rain, covered with leaves one usually only sees in spring, and these leaves had turned from green to orange and red. Combined with the seasonal yellows of the hardy, desert Cottonwoods living in the creek beds, it made an irresisible (and quirky) fall color scene.
Specific Feedback
I want the subject to be the distant, yellow Cottonwoods, but spent most of my time shooting the Ocotillos. Does the composition work? It was recently suggested (politely) that I suffer from Landscape “pingpong” syndrome – my images force the viewer’s eye to bounce back and forth between subjects. I guess that’s better than Landscape “pinball” syndrome, but either way, it probably needs fixing. Thanks.
Technical Details
Nikon Z6II, F11, 1/800th, ISO400, handheld. Routine desert scene edits – punched up contrast to improve sky and over-all pastel drabness.
Hi James.
That Ocotillo is quite bold and demanding of attention. I think it overshadows the yellow trees in the background. The strong lines of the cactus also divide the photo into a noncactus and a cactus side. Possibly for another time in a similar situation getting closer to the Ocotillo and shooting with some of its branches on either side of and framing with fall trees between them? I think also a crop in trees and the cactus could help too. Being up in the midwest its always interesting to see desert colors.
Ocotillo can display fall colors? Who knew?? But I’m glad you found out – I think it’s a lovely image and doesn’t make me bounce – the two small lower branches of the Ocitillo may help, by pointing at the Cottonwoods. The trees are also comfortably nestled in a very pleasing little draw, which keeps them from pulling my eye away from the interesting part. A nice image to explore.
Thanks Diane. I’m sure I could revisit the yellow Cottonwoods, but I doubt I’ll ever see the Ocotillos in fall color again. I do have a lot of other shots of just the Ocotillos.
I like the composition very much. I think the ping pong effect is more apparent when the two subjects are far apart and the eye jumps from one to the other. Here we go from fg to bg. I think there is some of that because there is no transitional midground but it’s hard to say because once you define it then you become obsessed with it and perhaps see things where they are not. I spend quite a bit of time around these Ocotillos. One thing that stands out for me is how dark you’ve rendered them. I recommend raising the black point and the shadow slider as well. Perhaps they look this way due to contrasty light.
Regarding their orange colors. It’s a yearly phenomena where I live in Baja but it happens in reverse. Desert plants become green in the fall with the arrival of rains and orange in the spring before losing their leaves for the hot dry summer. A really good way to shoot ocotillo leaves is backlit. If you get a second chance.
Thanks for this coaching and encouragement Igor, as well as some good ideas. I guess I’ll have to go out to Joshua Tree again in December to see if this seasonal Ocotillo color is more common than I thought. As for the backlit treatments, I wholeheartedly agree, and shot quite a few that day.
