What changed: Cropped from the too and left, burned the LLC pool, a bit more dodge and burn to ad contrast and line in the tree angle, added texture and clarity to the trees to darken them a bit.
Added after receiving feedback from the community.
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
This image was taken on a recent trip through Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs. It was a very overcast, yet bright day. The clouds gave an almost eerie feel to this desolate sight. I particularly loved the skeletons of trees that had been taken over and left in the harsh mineral landscape. I decided to make this image black and white to add to the desolate feel.
The original image was more expansive. I cropped it in to bring the first tree to the LLC then used a radial gradient filter to add some light that hopefully leads the eye from that corner through all three tree skeletons. Highlights were lowered (many thanks to everyone who has been helping me with this:o) and areas burned to help enhance the 3 dimensional feel. I also took down the texture and clarity a pinch to take away some of the crunchiness of the ground.
Feedback Requested
Any suggestion are welcomed. I did some burning in the curves of the BG mountain to add some dimension. Is the darkness of it ok or should I lighten it a bit? I know that typically brightness in corners are not good, but in this case, in the LLC that’s where I want the eye to start and then move diagonally. Does that happen? Is there anything else I can do to help with the mood of beautifully desolate?
Technical Details
Camera: NIKON Z 8
Lens: NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S
Focal length: 80mm
Shutter speed: 1/2000s
Aperture: f/8
ISO: 320
I was drawn to this image for its stark and desolate landscape. I agree with your choice of black and white. It’s somewhat haunting, yet the moving water gives it positive energy.
Hi Holly,
Very engaging as a black and white image. The skeletons of trees does give it a kind of haunting feel, as do the raised “arms” of the trees. They seem to be calling out.
You mentioned bringing the first tree into the LLC. Did you mean LRC? Lower right corner? Just want to make sure I’m understanding your strategy.
I like this a lot as presented, and I would love to see the full frame. To me, the lighter ponding of mud or water in the lower left corner pulls the eye, and as a result, it competes with the trees, which I see as the primary subject of image. I’m wondering if we could bring that area more fully into the frame or perhaps crop more of it out.
I’m thinking something like this might keep our eyes where you want them, but then again, if we get too close into the crop, we lose the sense of the trees being in a desolate kind of place.
I’ll be curious to see what others suggest. But, yeah, if you are willing to show the full frame, we might be able to see the options. Or we can just celebrate a wonderful image as it stands here now
Than you for your comments and wonderings. I and adding two images…one full frame, the other a vertical shot that I haven’t touched in processing. I chose the landscape orientation because I thought it gave desolate feel more. Do you agree, or does the composition of the vertical make for better composition
This is an interesting image and I think your choice to make this a B&W was definitely the direction to take this scene. I do like the diagonal created with the grouping of the three tree skeletons as they direct the eye into the image. I like this as presented, but I can also see a twofer here. I am not trying to muddy the waters for you; pun intended ; but I think a crop from the top as well as the right and left sides would place more of a focus on those dead trees because they are the star of the show. I hope you do not mind, but here is a revision with what I was thinking. I also added just a little contrast. This is just my opinion of course.
Hello Holly. I like the B&W conversion, the diagonal line of the trees and the vantage point you’ve taken this from to keep the top of the trees from intersecting the bottom of the foothills. I would probably crop a little from the left to get rid of the empty space and make the trees more pronounced.
I like the linear arrangement of the skeletons and convergence of their line with the demarcation horizontal line. I like the contrast between the dark mountain and the light sand, and the balance provided by the black skeletons.
Captivating image, and I think your choice of black and white is the correct one for this. I think I recognize these trees and may have photographed them myself at one point, although that’s been many years.
I particularly like the focal length you chose, I think it helps bring the background mountains more into the image. The idea of the leading line of trees is also working very well. I too like the crop suggested by Ed, as it deals with that hot spot in the LLC.
Holly, I’m very familiar with the upper terraces at Mammoth and these three snags, having photographed them when they were surrounded by colorful runoff and watching the area change regularly over nearly 20 years. Going to b&w is the right approach here and it does show how desolate and barren the dry terraces are. The contrast in shape, luminosity and texture with the slopes of Everts Mountain in the distance looks good. I agree that cropping (like @Ed_Lowe’s version) so that the tree trees cross nearly all of the frame is the best way to emphasize the snags and the dry travertine flats around them. It’s interesting that the full frame view feels a bit more desolate, I assume that’s because the snags are a bit less prominent with more of the flats showing, making the view more about the entire area and less about the snags. The vertical feels too constrained, although it does emphasize the three snags.
Holly, I’m very familiar with the upper terraces at Mammoth and these three snags, having photographed them when they were surrounded by colorful runoff and watching the area change regularly over nearly 20 years. Going to b&w is the right approach here and it does show how desolate and barren the dry terraces are. The contrast in shape, luminosity and texture with the slopes of Everts Mountain in the distance looks good. I agree that cropping (like @Ed_Lowe) so that the tree trees cross nearly all of the frame is the best way to emphasize the snags and the dry travertine flats around them. It’s interesting that the full frame view feels a bit more desolate, I assume that’s because the snags are a bit less prominent with more of the flats showing. The vertical feels too constrained, although it does emphasize the three snags.
Lots of great discussion above Holly and “desolate” definitely fits here. My vote would be for @Marylynne_Diggs version, but with the background brightness about halfway between her version and yours.
Thank you @JacekZielinski@Jonathan_Cothron@John_Williams@Michael_Lowe@Mark_Seaver@Ed_Lowe@Marylynne_Diggs for all of your thoughts and suggestions. I really like both cropping ideas. My initial intent was to convey the desolate feel of the scene, hence the wide shot, and yet bring out the skeletons of the trees. Soooo…in keeping with that, I cropped a bit more but left some of the space to the left. I also did a bit more dodge and burning (including the pool in the LLC so it’s not so bright) and added more contrast to the trees. Is this working? Anything else to enhance?
Hi John,
Interesting note: I didn’t touch brightness at all, but I’ve noticed a shift when I download, crop, and post. I do these things in Windows photo to avoid bringing any of it into my LR catalog,
Any idea why that might happen? Windows making its own tonal changes?
Wow Holly, this is a very compelling image. Not only is a great nature story being told, pictorially this is a terrific image.
Great job on the revision. I think this is the best revision that’s been posted. I really think your original crop worked perfectly. I think the “Rule of thirds” weight with the background ridge and the rest of the desolation is well done.
My first impression actually was that of a flood or a wash; for some reason I see motion as if these snags are being carried away in a flash flood or something. Perhaps it helps that I’ve never been to this location, so I have a clean memory slate I’m reacting with…
Also a great job on the b&w processing. I actually have no nits or suggestions! Wonderful imagery
Ah, this one is interesting. @holly1 posted the image in the Gray Gamma 1.8 colorspace, and your version is in sRGB. (I suspect that you have Windows set to save in sRGB when saving a jpg.) I’m not a colorspace expert, but I believe sRGB is a gamma 2.2 colorspace. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that means the “middle” gray will be very different between the two.
@holly1 because browsers vary in their ability to show other colorspaces correctly, it is always safest to convert your images to sRGB when posting here. To my knowledge, all common browsers show sRGB similarly. (Again, someone correct me if I’m off there.) When I view your image in Photoshop, which does take into account the Gamma 1.8, it looks very different then what I see when viewing it in Google Chrome. To make sure we viewers always see what you intended, it’s best to always post in sRGB.
Thank you @John_Williams and @Marylynne_Diggs for bringing this up. I noticed my images are darker when I post. I work with sRGB when processing images. Not sure why it concerts when i save as a jpeg. If you happen to know what is happening and how to change it, that would be very helpful, but I will play with it and see if I can save the joeg in sRGB things. Thanks again!
; but I think a crop from the top as well as the right and left sides would place more of a focus on those dead trees because they are the star of the show. I hope you do not mind, but here is a revision with what I was thinking. I also added just a little contrast. This is just my opinion of course.
