Here is another from my archives. It’s an unusual composition and I’d love your opinion if it works or not. Also, any other comments or suggestions are welcome.
f/16 0.3 sec Canon f/4 70-200 EF lens at 138 mm
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Tony, I think this makes for a interesting composition. The juxtaposition of the rock formations against the mountains and sky creates a strong 3D effect. The zig-zag of the ridges helps move my eye across the scene. I also think the wedged round boulder creates some dynamic tension within the image.
I wish there was slightly more breathing room below the rock formation in the LRC, I think it’s important to show the base of that formation, just wish to see a little more ground there. I also think the sky feels a bit unbalanced, with the cloud in the ULC looking so different from the rest of the sky. I’d suggest a crop from the top, taking away about half of the distance from the mountaintop to the frame edge.
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Hey Tony…this is a compelling scene to be sure. To my eye, the action is at the edges of the frame. I like the balance of the mountain peak in the distance and the foreground boulder on the right of the frame. This is echoed by the darker cloud above the peak and the lighter cloud above the right sided boulder. However, the action is all at the periphery of the frame. This leads to some visual tension or discomfort as my imagination wishes to see more of what’s unseen at the edges and the middle of the frame serves as visual negative space, further encouraging my eyes to seek the edges of the frame.
Conventional teaching is to keep the viewer within the frame rather than draw them towards the edges and out…but we all know what “rules” are for.
At the end of the day, I’d be uncomfortable putting this image in my “portfolio” for the reasons stated above, but find the scene to be extremely interesting nonetheless. Hope this helps…
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Some good critiques above, Tony. I am in agreement with all things said about the composition. But I want to chime in saying that your processing looks spot on to me. It evokes a very relatable emotion of being in Alabama Hills for me.
Tony, beautiful elements, but I would echo the comments above. I would be inclined to crop about 40-45% off the left and make the image all about the foreground rocks and sky, with the far ridge as a fine middle ground.