Dunes are among my very favorite subjects to photograph, early and late light of day in particular. In this case, the last light of day was bathing the dunes in a beautiful golden light on one side, while creating cool shadows on the other.
Any and ALL feedback would be appreciated.
1/200sec, f/8, ISO 125, 120mm
Wow! I can tell from your image that not only is this your favorite subject, but you have learned it well! So beautifully presented, the composition and the capture of the light. Amazing!
Hi J Fritz, what gorgeous light and shadow in your dune image! I like the blue steel in the shadows. I would possibly bump up the exposure a bit in the deepest blacks of the shadows. The light and the curve separating the light and dark looks good to me. One small nit are the corners on the upper left and bottom left. The dunes connect right at the corners there. Perhaps if they connected near the corners that would give the image a bit more organic and natural feel to the crop. Just an idea.
That is absolutely gorgeous! It reminds me of some of Alister Benn’s dune photos.
Thank you, Vanessa 
Thank you very much, Bonnie. I love Alister’s work, so you really made my day
Hi J Fritz,
I see @Alfredo_Mora’s note about the crop, but I also think this particular crop adds an element of graphic art to the scene. I think it works as an abstract graphic art design. I also see what Alfredo’s referring to. It makes the image more organic. So, you can have two (or more) impressions from this image. Well done and quite impressive.
Thank you, David; and I agree that depending on the intended feel of the photo, different crops work. I was pleasantly surprised that the image retained its impact, even with different crops. Really like getting feedback that makes me look at my work from different angles.
Really nice image! I especially like the color of the sand, rendered in a luscious but not overdone warm tone. The slight whisp of sand coming off the top crest gives the magic element that may not be seen directly but observed almost subconsciously to give the picture depth. Congrats!
Thank you, Kevin. Glad you noticed the whisper of sand. Even though it is not very noticeable, that is one of the things that drew mw into the image.
Thank you, Alfredo; really appreciate the input. I tried a different crop, and I must say I really like it. I tried working on the deepest shadows, but remembered that was a challenge when I originally worked on the image; even the smallest adjustment, at least to me, makes the image lose its crispness, and sense of mystery.; and maybe I am simply not using the right approach to lighten the shadows… Really appreciate the feedback. I might try a couple more crops as well
Always like the suggestions here; seeing ones work from a different perspective really helps.
Hello J Fritz! I really enjoy this image, and I echo that it reminds me of some of Alister’s work (which is a great thing!) I normally agree with Alfredo about the lines striking the exact corners being a bit too “on the nose”, but I’m not sure it’s an issue here given that the image is so boldly graphic in nature, if that makes sense. It’s like it’s not even trying to appear “natural”, but rather as something else entirely, just the forms and color and luminosity and contrast (now I hear Alister’s voice in my head as I type those words…)
I do agree the deepest shadows are a bit too black, though it may be tough to adjust them properly after having made all the adjustments you have so far. I find the edges of the histogram are best dialed in at the raw stage, and I’m not sure if you use smart objects or if you’ve done anything where you can’t go back… but that really would go a long way toward making the image feel more graceful to me. I would still try to maintain the overall feel of darkness on that side, of course. I just want to be able to explore subtle detail in the deep shadows, as pure black becomes distracting.
I would also consider bringing up some of the “highlights” in the shadows (lower midtones, actually) to slightly tip the balance toward that side of the image. Again, subtle would be the key, maintaining the dark feel.
Lastly, I would consider lightening some of the blackish lit-up sand near the upper edge of the light, on the left side. It just feels a bit dingy/dirty there.
Great image, and I agree that multiple crops could work too!
For my tastes, I would leave as originally posted. Beautiful work.
For whatever reason this was my favorite of the photos I took in 2021. It just resonates in a special way with me. That said, I spent a lot of time working on it, and really needed a fresh set of eyes to look at it. I normally like to have details in both the lights and the shadows, and yet kept coming back to the darker version. I included a version with your suggestions; I like it a lot, but I think I need to work the image from scratch, as I feel the image lost its “crispness”, if that is a good descriptive. Too many adjustments can do that.
One thing in particular that I had not noticed/gotten used to seeing, was the dingy look, not only in the ULC, but the shadows in the highlights towards the LLC.
So again, thank you for your feedback; I will work this image from scratch, keeping all your suggestions in mind.
I’m happy to help, Fritz! Sometimes the result is cleaner if you start from scratch rather than applying a bunch of bandaids on a “finished” version, but I already like your revision much more, and I think it retains the original feel. So you’re heading in the right direction with it!
Thank you, Harley. Glad you like the image.
Love that final version Fritz! Exquisite.
Thank you, John!
