The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
We had a tip from a local that it was blue mushroom season in this part of New Zealand. We were really out on a walk to see mountain views, but we ended up spending more time “mushroom hunting”. This was a highlight for me. There were also some little red/orange ones. There was a whole little world here on the ground, and often the levels of the trail put the ground along the trail a bit higher than at our feet.
There were backgrounds I liked better, but I was quite attracted to this particular mushroom for the color and shape. Even though it wasn’t a particularly curvy stem, I enjoyed the lines/texture in it.
Specific Feedback
Any. I don’t particularly care for the cool nature of the upper right corner. Should I consider warming it?
Technical Details
20mm full frame, f/4, 1/400s, ISO 3200, -0.7 exposure comp (auto ISO).
I’m always kind of embarrassed about my settings, because I don’t pay enough attention to them. I pushed the shutter speed up was because I was stretching and in an awkward position. I felt quite wobbly; but I should have experimented more, because I’m sure I could have lowered this.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
What a wonderful mushroom! It looks like something from a fairy tale. I like the placement of the mushroom low and off center and the blur surrounding the subject is well done. I think if the image were cropped some it would bring more focus to the subject. It seems kind of small and lost, but maybe that is what you were trying to convey. There is a lot of wonderful texture in the photo. The bright, light colored leaves in the background seem a distracting to me, so you might try toning them down and darkening them. This is just a darling shot of this very unusual mushroom.
I can just see Tinkerbell perching on this mushroom! Love the brilliant blue of it. I was curious whether cropping the image a bit would work, too. And maybe to burn some of the bright leaves above and behind the mushroom. I actually like the blue-green leaf in the upper right, but it might be distracting my eyes from the mushroom. Maybe darken that area a bit, too? (Oops - looks like I was thinking almost identically to @Chris_Baird)
Hey Karla, nice to see you back posting. I would love to see these blue babies someday, but I will live vicariously for now. The focus looks good and is right where it needs to be. Color also looks accurate without being garish - these guys really are that blue; like Smurfs. The twisty texture is quite interesting, too. Always fascinating the way these things fruit. However, with an area this messy I’d do a couple things (and often have since mushrooms are a constant subject for me) - first, I’d clean up the scene - especially the lighter bits all around, second, I’d get lower and closer so that the parts I couldn’t remove would be eliminated or rendered really blurry. Forest floors are so difficult to make sensible, but for things like this I think the effort would pay off. It could be you were positioned awkwardly enough, but that’s my assessment. Oh and if you warmed the cool greens a bit, it would make the mushroom stand out more. You could consider a crop as well if you want it to be more emphasized in the scene.
Phew…sorry if that was an info dump. I am such a sucker for shroomy pics!
Thanks to each of you for your feedback. I think I experimented some with crop but wanted to keep some depth. However, it’s probably not that valuable, given the compromises. I will definitely try darkening the leaves and warming the more blue-ish ones a bit to see how that goes. I am always nervous about making very localized adjustments for fear of very obvious editing missteps… I need to learn it though, so it’s a good place to start!
Two things on location - I was leaning in quite far using my 20mm which I chose for close focus and to still include a little environment. I didn’t want to step on the vegetation. However, I really should have pulled out the 100-400 for at least a few images and just sent my friends on ahead. It probably would have handled the situation better and still allowed for some environment or scale.
I appreciate all of the tips!
@Kris_Smith, thanks for the welcome back. I can’t seem to get things balanced out and back on track, but I’m hoping to get it figured out sooner rather than later!
A 100-400 is amazing for this kind of thing, but yeah, it’s not our favorite walking around lens and sometimes being in the moment is more important than switching and leaving folks behind. So long as you were happy, that’s all that counts.
Sorry that life isn’t playing fair. It rarely does, but getting out and doing what you love is always that little reward that keeps us going. At least it did for me when things went sideways on me.
I never knew such a critter existed, Karla. It looks like something out of a fantasy novel. I understand your concern with that upper right corner, but I think I’d try to solve it with a significant crop and perhaps a bit of cloning afterwards as I think that area is going to be a distraction regardless of the color balance.
Thanks for your concern, Kris. Thankfully, it’s nothing too serious. Just time management issues, primarily. I sometimes get hung up on theory too, but that might be questions for campfire discussion.
As the landscape turned out, mounting the 100-400 and leaving it probably would have been fine. It is extremely versatile, and I’ve gotten way more use out of it than I expected. Sometimes safe feels boring, but in the end it’s probably worth it.
you don’t usually see blue mushrooms in our neck of the forest, so this image piques my interest. I would have preferred a tighter crop so that all the attention is on the subject, rather than some unfocused background.
Just adding to the consensus, Karla. For me the top right offers scale, but then again, I’m not sure we need/want scale in this one. I would be inclined to go with a square crop, keeping the mushroom off-center as it is.
Thanks for sharing this rare beauty. I’ve never seen one and wondered, initially, if it was a more creative expression of color through processing. Definitely low-down and lovely.
ML
Thanks, @Marylynne_Diggs . I was also thinking square, but I wondered what others would choose and why. I am hoping to work on this more tomorrow night and do a repost. I appreciate your input.
There were varying colors of blue. Some of them were quite faded, and I think they were past prime. The “babies” seemed to be quite blue. I may post a photo or two with pairs/groupings.
Nice additional shots/reworks. For me the alternate photo is the winner. I like that you didn’t crank the contrast - it has a softer look that I think suits lots of mushrooms.
Thanks, @Kris_Smith . This one was taken a bit closer to the subject, so the background was more blurred and I just applied a similar crop which then removed some of the more distracting elements. Thanks for your input!
I see why you went with the original image you did, Karla, but I’m glad you posted the alt version. It’s a graphic demonstration that the entire subject doesn’t always have to be in sharp focus to be the superior image. The image is as much about the background as the subject-something that is very easy to forget.
I need to learn it though, so it’s a good place to start!
It probably would have handled the situation better and still allowed for some environment or scale.
Thanks for the input, Dennis. I’ll definitely experiment with the crop.