The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Background: The dunes at Sandwich Bay in Namibia are awe inspiring, as they are hundreds of feet high and are right next to the bay leading to the ocean. We had a driver take us on a tour of the dunes, going up and down these behemoths. We stopped a few times to take photos while the sun was up and then again as the sun set. This was taken just before sunset at 6pm. The wind was blowing the sand, getting sand into everything. I think you can see the sand blowing on the ridges of some of the dunes.
Specific Feedback
My questions - does the texture of the foreground dunes conflict with the smoothness of the background dunes? Should I crop out the sky? Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Technical Details
Edited in Lightroom, then a bit of tonal contrast and denoise in Photoshop. I cropped out some of the sky.
Fujifilm XT3, XF 70-300 at 159mm (crop sensor), 1/180 sec at f9, ISO 500.
Roberta, I really like this image.
I would try cropping out the sky. See if that helps. To me it pulls the eye there too much. There are some nice triangles and leading lines here that I think work well together. The third triangle dune from the front has a line that leads to the middle of the background dunes and other leading lines there. To me nice contrasts with shadow and texture.
This is lovely! I think the clear textures on the downwind side of the dunes in the FG, the large dune in the midground and the rolling dunes in the BG work so well together I don’t think they conflict at all.
I’d be curious to see a crop without the sky, but it’s not a necessity for me.
(a little disclaimer - I’m a beginner, and very new to NPN )
Roberta,
This has some wonderful warm light which accentuates the lines and textures of the dunes beautifully. I would definitely crop out the sky as it draws my eye upward and away from the gorgeous sand dunes. IMO the textures of the FG dunes look just fine with the smoother ones in the BG. Looks like you had a great trip.
Hi Roberta, and wow, what an exhilarating experience it must’ve been to traverse such majestic dunes! The timing of your shot has beautifully captured the interplay of light and shadow, accentuating the contours of the dunes and giving us a real sense of their grandeur. Your choice of focal length has nicely compressed the scene, bringing a harmonious balance to the composition. The contrast in textures you’ve mentioned actually adds depth, with the foreground providing a detailed introduction to the smoother, more minimalist dunes beyond. It’s a delightful push-and-pull between complexity and simplicity that truly speaks to the authenticity of the scene.
Regarding your queries, the texture in the foreground serves as a lovely lead-in, drawing the eye towards the distant dunes. It creates a narrative, almost like the winds telling a story as they travel across the landscape.
@James_Bartek@Saundie@Ed_Lowe@mdjnewman Thank you all for your wonderful and detailed and very helpful feedback! I will definitely crop out the sky and repost this.
Yes, it was a great trip - surreal to say the least. - I highly recommend Namibia and definitely the Sandwich Bay area.
I’ve been really busy getting ready for a trip to japan, so I apologize for the lateness in responding to you.
actually that bit of blank sand at the bottom doesn’t really help the image IMHO. how about a longer pano-like crop? (oops. I left my composition grid in there by mistake – but you get the idea)
I don’t think they conflict at all.
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