The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
I feel that the overall composition was successful and that this is a unique impression of the canyon. I don’t know what could be improved or else I would have done it. That’s a strange question.
Creative direction
My vision was to create tension and mystery here. I wanted that darks to be dark and yet have enough tonal variation to be interesting. Another words, for the dark area to be mysterious. The white areas I wanted to be tense and alluring at the same time. Almost exotic.
Specific Feedback
All of the above. This is one of the darkest images I have ever made. Did I go too far? Is it light enough to look dark and yet still retain interest?
Technical Details
GFX50R, 45-100mm, f/11, focus stacked
Description
This was part of a workshop that I signed up for. The canyon is so full of potential images that I fell behind from the group and started to shoot immediately and never caught up again. This workshop was designed to promote creativity and this is about as creative as I got. This image was the last one made during the 2 hour session at Marble Canyon and the light was actually quite low by this time.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
This ticks the tension and mystery boxes well for me, so I think you were successful. My initial thought was intrigue about what the white stuff was and what’s lurking in the shadows; it’s an image that makes you really want to view large to dive into the details. It also has mystery in that it’s hard to gain a sense of scale.
My second thought was that this was a rough caricature of lightning, almost a natural petroglyph of sorts.
I find several things intriguing, and maybe that’s intentional to add to the mystery you note you were after. First, your composition leaves large borders of dark on the left and the bottom; I think that works well. Second, that you didn’t use the full dynamic range here and elected to keep the whites somewhat subdued.
I know that over the years we’ve agreed to disagree about a frame for every image, but this is an example where I struggle with it. The frame is large and bright, and it closes my pupil down enough that as I explore the image I want to put my hand up to block the frame so I can better appreciate the image itself. Because of that, I would say it is too dark for my taste. Without the frame though, I think it’s just right.
Hi Igor, What a marvelous image you have shared with us. I love the dark blue grey tones and the sgrafitto like seams of lighter rock. Very well seen and processed! I disagree with John about the framing. When you print the image (big please!) the borders and matting should be white. Why not here?
Deeply jealous of your opportunity to study with Guy Tal in Death Valley. Guy Is a wonderful writer and teacher. I hope to get out to the desert next year…
Igor, I like this one a lot. Like John, I think the way you used only light and dark tones is very effective.
As for frames/borders, the tone of the background can strongly affect how we see an image. It makes sense to me to exercise some control over that variable. I almost never do it but it makes sense.
With this shot, a case could be made for an almost black background.
I really don’t care much about the shade of the border as long as there is one. It’s part of the image because the boundaries determine the shapes near them and shapes are part of the composition. We’ve had this discussion before here at NPN.
Hi Igor,
The slightly darker border works better for me as well. I think that lets the viewer focus on the dark canyon walls instead of being drawn to the border. IMO you succeeded in creating tension as well as mystery with the dark walls and the diagonals of the white lines. I like this as is, but I could also see it with a crop from the left side to get rid of that rectangular darker patch of rock. For me that doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the scene and it would place those white lines a little closer toward the LLC. This is intriging; nicely done!
Dear Igor Doncov,
thanks for posting this image. Its graphic qualities are striking and, to me at least, essential. When I downloaded the image, I experimented with different lighting on my monitor as well as different lighting in the room where my monitor is placed: The image takes on different appearances depending on these factors. Lighting conditions are always important, but I rarely see an image where it makes such a huge differences. I wonder how it could be presented as a print: It has a huge potential.
I think this image would make an impressive print. One cannot fully appreciate it as a small image on a computer screen, it’s only when looking at the intricate detail of the rock in the largest file that the beauty becomes evident. I could see myself spending some time in front of a large print and fully immersing myself in it.
I often think of Guy and Michael, I’m glad to hear they 're still sharing their vision and expertise with others.
Thank you for your comments. I’m quite proud of this one because I feel I pushed my boundaries a bit here. Actually, I pushed them in some other images as well but weren’t as successful.
You’re right. I won’t be able to print this for another 6 months so don’t know how that will work out. It might be challenging and look different on paper. Even for the monitor it was not a small dunk. The background needed to be dark yet well defined. The white needed to stand out from the black yet not be blown out (emotionally electrifying).
This is really interesting and very beautiful and no I don’t think it’s too dark. What I like most is the way you composed it so that the white lines in the top right are cut off by the edge of the frame. This adds tension to the image and brings it up a whole new level.
On a side note, I’m envious you got to partake in a workshop led by those two fine gentlemen. I love their approach to photography that they’ve both been a huge inspiration to me.
It’s like Stone Lightning, Igor. Nicely done. I knew you’d find some good things in the canyon doing it your way. If anything, I’d suggest cropping from the L to remove that dark blob at the lower left edge - it pulls the eye.
Visionary Photo Workshops was a collaborative affair and will not continue without Guy (my own workshops and tours will). As you experienced, much of the classroom content is based on Guy’s studies and his abilities to combine disparate fields like art and science into usable frameworks and cohesive classroom discussions. I appreciated you being part of our last group, Igor! Thank you.
I really enjoyed that workshop. I had read most of Guy’s books and almost knew what he was going to say. That was good because it let me ask questions to try to expand on his ideas. This image was the last I made on that hike. I felt out of my comfort zone with this one and was grasping for something I had a vague notion of. So that was satisfying in a perverse sort of way. I knew that I wanted to create something from the marble veins I saw everywhere but it wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be. It took 2-3 hours to figure out what the issues were and how to solve them. And a lot of stumbling around. And some luck.
