Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
I took this photo on my trip to the French alps in April. It was one of those shots that I wasn’t sure of at first.
Looking at the screen at home, I started to like it, even though technically I am still not sure of what kind of potential I got here, if at all.
It practically has no depth, no main object and very little colors. It’s an abstract, and at the same time it’s not, because you can clearly see that it’s some kind of waterfall.
While editing I added some atmosphere at the top to give it a sense of height and directional light. Still not sure about it.
What a unique scene! I’m intrigued by the shapes, colors and the trickle of water (might be much more than a trickle because scale is difficult to discern in this image for me), all of it so unique because I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
The brown areas look like some sort of dried vegetation but clearly that’s just a wild guess. Maybe it’s some form of fungi?
It sounds like you’re open to editing examples and I read a comment you made on another thread where you were suggesting to do some light painting. Some people aren’t open to such things and I just want to respect that.
It’s more difficult to see the potential in our own images but it seems easier to see the potential in others images for some reason.
Anyway, I’m not sure if the example edit below is a step in the right direction or not but it’s a direction I felt might be worth exploring.
I did some color enhancements via a “Selective Color” adjustment layer in Ps, then I used a couple of “Exposure” adjustment layers for dodging and burning, then took it into ACR to create some narrow elongated radial gradient masks with mostly just increased exposure for the adjustments.
I feel like it did help create the illusion of overhead light cascading down the face thereby creating a bit more depth and definition.
I like the concept of this image and I’m glad you posted it! I am always open to viewing images from places that I may never see in person.
BTW, I included your original so you can toggle between the two.
I at least hope this might provide or provoke an idea of your own to help make this more than just a question mark for you.
Fading Hope is a good title. The dark colors with only a hint of light in that water, along with the tall aspect give this a lot of tension. This doesn’t feel abstract-y to me because, as you said, we can tell what it is. If you want to convey fading hope, this looks good as is.
If you wanted to make it more abstract, perhaps a crop and rotation might be interesting. Here’s an idea, cropping to a square of just the bottom because that is where the really interesting textures are (that’s very cool geology, btw).
Kind of looks like a crop, rotation and a “Horizontal Flip” to me Just teasing, Bonnie.
I hadn’t thought of going the abstract direction but Bonnie may be on to something worth exploring if you’re into abstracts, Markus!
So many creative minds around here! Mmm…Mmm!
Thank you so much, guys! Great enhancement, Merv! I’m going to look into that direction. And, yes, Bonnie, you’re right about the textures coming alive when flipping the image. Not sure about the stream, though;-)
Hi Markus,
what a great image. I like the gloomy mood because of the dark rocks. Looks like you found the way to Mordor.
I really like the edits done by @Merv. It brings out the characteristics of the rock face really well. And I love the use of complementary colors there.
I’ve never been to the French Alps, but this is definitely on my list.
For me, the initial emotion was dreary, threatening darkness with an ambiguous thread of optimism presented by the water. I admired your restraint or artistic courage to make this appear to be taken at night, and to not embellish the dreariness.
As an abstract, have fun with it. The version by Bonnie seems to be less dreary, and more electric.
As a scenic, I found myself wanting to crop the brighter top rock formations, and some of the right side, which did not seem to add impact. Then tried flipping it horizontally. The result is less massive feeling than the original … maybe more energetic.
Hi Dick, that’s exactly what I wanted to invoke, and your comment makes me happy! Thanks a lot for taking the time!
Instead of working out 3d-structures with dodging and burning I felt, a sense of height by some fog/low clouds would do better.
Turning the image horizontally is a very interesting approach. But maybe that is already to positive and forward, not pessimistic enough, haha!
Thanks again!
Just teasing, Bonnie.
