What technical feedback would you like if any?
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
1 Like
I like this shot a lot. I wanna be there. The only thing I would have the urge to see if it would improve it would bed to see what it would look like if the cut off top of the left tree was massaged a little to have it stop before getting to the top edge. By the way, where are we, here?
I thought the same thing about the tree when I reviewed the photo. This photo was taken on the road to Obstruction Point up from Hurricane Ridge in Washington State.
Larry,
I’m going to assume you were attracted to the low hanging clouds/fog over the valley, which when one is standing there can be quite dramatic. The clouds are almost a bit ominous, like you’re about to get drenched…
I would agree about the top of the left tree. My rule of thumb is, if you’re going to cut something off, do it with purpose. Here, it looks like you probably didn’t consider it at the time of capture (understandable given the scene before you.) But it’s just one of those cases where it’s simply an eye magnet.
Compositionally, while I like the general comp with the framing of the scene by the two trees, the comp kinda makes the eye ping-pong between the two. Alternatively, a 4:3 crop eliminating the left tree could work too; still retaining the stormy and ominous sky. The summer wildflowers are a nice addition although they don’t seem to be the primary focus of the scene.
Processing, colors look good.
Lon
Larry, I think the overall composition here does a good job of exploiting the concept of “Depth” The crisscrossing ridge lines are placed in an interesting maneer, and the placement of the trees and the ominous clouds above do work together to create a nice sense of depth. As @Lon_Overacker said, the processing looks good, the sky is especially well handled on your part.
Another issue with the tree tops is that they are so dark, due to either using a physical Grad ND filter, or something like the digital Grad Filter in Lightroom. If you use Lightroom’s filter, you can try the Range Masking feature within the Grad Filer which allows you to darken the bright sky, but not affect things like treetops. This creates a more natural look. But if you use a physical Grad, there is not much you can do about it.
My other comment relates to the flowers. The more distant flowers (especially on the left) are a nice secondary element that adds something to the scene. But the closer flowers on the right are large enough that they become a more primary element. This is subjective, but for my taste they partially block the view down into the valley, and become something of a barrier. I would have tried instead to move to the left, or stepped in front of this near flower patch, to reduce their prominence.