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 felt the light was very good but was a challenge for the camera’s dynamic range. I did my best to bring back that early morning light in the edits.
I guess my biggest questioning thought for my edits here are: how I handled the light (too much/too little) and details with color, shadows, etc.
Creative direction
My creative vision centered around bringing back that “magical” lighting that I saw.
The colors, soft lighting, and glow.
Specific Feedback
Handling any changes to lighting.
Handling any changes to shadows.
Level of detail good?
Overall aesthetics and quality of the image.
Technical Details
Fuji X-T5 21.5mm (32mm full frame)
1/4s f5.0 ISO125
Word of explanation: Please excuse the copyright info on the image. I pulled this down from my Flickr account because I have no access to my desktop computer as I am in the middle of moving.
Description
Spent a week last December photographing Joshua Tree NP with my Philly buddy Michael H.
Unsure of what to photograph on this early Dec 17th morning…then the light broke through.
Found a place to pull the car over and just kept composing and shooting for 45 minutes.
Health tip: kneeling on the ground in Joshua Tree NP you will pick up needles
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I like the overall feel of this photo. The glowing clouds in the sky and the light from them giving everything that pink glow is great. I especially like how some of the brush is highlighted with backlighting. The “light path” down the middle of the photo leads the eye into the scene nicely.
And no worries about the copyright, I think most of us here understand the need for it on the internet.
The contrast between the bold colors and the silhouetted landscape creates strong visual impact, and I imagine this must have been an amazing moment to witness in person.
What Works Well
Epic Sky– The cloud formations and color transitions are dynamic and striking, adding drama to the composition. Who doesn’t love a good show like this!?
Good Use of Leading Lines – The desert path subtly draws the eye toward the Joshua trees and horizon.
Strong Subject Potential – The Joshua trees are positioned well and could be emphasized even more as focal points.
Some thoughts on improving it:
The sand and desert plants have an unnatural magenta tint, likely from the strong color grading applied to the sky.
A selective white balance adjustment or reducing magenta in the shadows would help restore a more natural look.
The sky is incredibly vibrant, which makes for a powerful scene, but it may be pushed a bit too far.
Try dialing back the saturation slightly, particularly in the reds and magentas, could help bring more balance to the composition.
The foreground elements do not feel as purposeful as they could be. The brush and sand are somewhat chaotic without a clear anchor. A stronger composition could possibly be achieved by getting closer to the Joshua trees and using them as the dominant subject, allowing the sky to act as a dramatic backdrop rather than taking over the entire image.
Thanks for the observations Matt. All those things were swirling around in my brain but had not crystalized completely for me. This is very helpful. I find for me that when I have some dynamic light like this, dialing in the edits where they look just right is harder and will take more practice and finesse.
It’s super hard, right!?
And, I don’t know about you, but when the light is THIS GOOD it’s really hard to focus on what the subject should be, and often the sky tricks us into including a lot of it when it doesn’t necessarily help the overall composition. It just becomes a photo about amazing sky/light (which isn’t a bad thing but it also kind of just overshadows the rest of the entire image).
