I took this image yesterday morning at Cades Cove. The ground had a heavy frost and there was a little bit of fog.
Type of Critique Requested
Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.
Technical: Feedback on the technical aspects of the image, such as exposure, color, focus and reproduction of colors and details, post-processing, and print quality.
Specific Feedback and Self-Critique
This image is a departure from my usual. I rarely do black & white. The colors were very monotone and high contrast from the sun. B&W was the only way to go. Since the image is very different than anything I have taken, is it appealing?
Technical Details
Taken with Fuji X-T5 & Fuji XF 70-300mm lens. Processed in Capture One
Appealing? Oh my, this is phenomenal! The treetops peering through the highlighted fog - just wonderful! Even the smaller tree and the trunks beneath the fog are working beautifully.
I think the rolling fields of grass are a positive element as well, although I can’t help but thinking what the scene would be like without any reference to the ground. Cropping isn’t an option, and I’m guessing running out in the middle of the field wasn’t an option either.
This is just fantastic as presented. B&W the way to go here. I can’t think of any suggestions or anything to be critical of. Wow!
I’m a big fan of this image as well. It’s not your usual fog picture in that it doesn’t really look like fog. I think that because fog usually doesn’t have that much contrast. The result is that there feels like a spirit about the place. I think part of it comes from the high tones in the foreground. My only suggestion would be to darken the highlights of the cloud in the upper left so that our attention stays more on the cloud in the center right.
Hi Shawn,
that’s a beautiful scene. The atmosphere is great. I love the transition from the crisp foreground to the soft background with those wonderful backlit trees.
I’m not sure about the ULC that Igor mentioned. It looks quite natural to me, as the light seems to come from the top left.
At first glance, I was going to pass this photo by. On second glance, and one needs to look at this photo with more attention, I love in particular the intriguing subtle hint of the tree trunks below the central fog cloud. It almost looks like something is streaming out of the central fog cloud. The B&W treatment was well chosen, as this whole scene is about the light and not color.
Moody and mysterious; I like this Shawn. The atmospherics with the fog are superb as well as all of the layers in this scene. Great range of tones throughout also. Beautifully done!
Wow, there’s a lot to take in here, Shawn. I love the B&W treatment, it brings out the luminosity of the fog. Really terrific image, and I can’t think of anything I’d suggest changing. By the way, how do you like that 70-300? I’m looking for something in that range, although also considering the 50-140mm…
