The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Enjo farm is in semi-desert mountainous region in the Western Cape province, South Africa. Farming is hard — ostrich farming here has given way to outdoors tourism. Some goats had taken up residence in the ruined farmhouse and sheep yards. The only sound being the strong, dry winds whistling through the open portals and cracks of this lonely homestead.
Specific Feedback
I would like advice on processing issues - handling shadows and black balance, highlights from sun-bleached sky.
Any other advice that comes to mind please.
Technical Details
Sony RX100M6. 1/160 sec, f7.1, ISO 320. Processed in Lightroom.
Very interesting photo and even more so with the backstory you included. I think the composition is well done and draws my eye through the image. Wonderful details throughout. You could maybe brighten the building in the foreground and bring out the details a little more. The sky doesn’t bother me.
I’ve done stuff like this from time to time. I like the repetition and the framing. Reminds me a lot of the Led Zeppelin IV album cover. The view back to the hills and sky adds a lot of depth that just looking to the grass wouldn’t. Sunbleached sky is appropriate here to me since it indicates the harshness of the weather and how hard it would be to make a living. Luminosity balance is a tough one - our eyes crave contrast, but too much in the darks/shadows in a very bright scene like this just looks weird. To my eye it looks reasonable and realistic even if I know you softened the highlights. Nice textures throughout.
Marian, windows make fascinating framing for a story. The two windows are even more interesting. The shadows are well-defined. I have only one minor observation. The ground through the 2nd window could be darkened just a little to make it less dominant. I am not sure how much darker you can make the sky. That might help balance the picture as well. I don’t know if the histogram would allow more color in the sky. This is a fascinating picture. Thanks for sharing it.
