After the destruction of the ring, Sauron’s tower and Mount Doom Sam and Frodo were marooned on a stone island in a sea of molten lava and eventually rescued by the eagles. This view from the Kalahaku Overlook of the Haleakala crater reminded me of that scene. All comments welcome. >=))>
Type of Critique Requested
Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.
Conceptual: Feedback on the message and story conveyed by the image.
Specific Feedback and Self-Critique
I had to do a fair amount of work on the colors and contrast, especially toning down the relatively bright FG. Cropped some from the bottom of the original to decrease the weight of the FG.
Technical Details
Sony A7RIII
Sony FE 70-200 f2.8G OSS @ 105mm, CPL
ISO 400, 1/60 @ f11
Bill, I can definitely see Sam and Frodo on this rock waiting for their fates. That landscape is so ominous and I think you have captured it wonderfully. I think you hit on the right amount of FG brightness. It does compete just a bit with that bright red spot in the middle left of the image, but I wouldn’t want to see that toned anymore. Nice work!
Hey, Bill…I thought this was a still from the movie! Seriously, outstanding capture and processing. It truly does look like a shot straight out of LOTR!
Forget Sam and Froto - I think I see Smeagol cowering amungst the rocks below…
Stepping out of Mordor for a moment… I’m loving the layers front to back of light and contrast; perhaps they’re all different geo/volcanic zones, but those layers are creating great depth. Well done on the DOF. Outstanding processing!
Bill,
Not much else can I add here that has not already been expressed. I want to say the visual impact your image has is outstanding. The story in the description coupled with the otherworldly environment merits high praise. When I saw a grid of images on my screen, yours stood out instantly. The color is striking from foreground to background. How much dynamic range there is! The natural elements and colors nearly blend in as if in a painting. Cropping enhances the space you photographed. That mountain on the right edge of the frame guides the viewer into the other elements. The fog is another strong aesthetic element in the image. It softly leads our eyes around each mountain and valley all the way to the back. What a beautiful image!
Bill, this is a great view. I’m thoroughly enjoying the dynamism of having so many horizontal lines contasting with all of the layers. The subtle colors are what I remember from my visit.
This is an outstanding image, Bill! I love the light, the colours, and the forms and shapes of all the hills and bumps. The image also really matches the story or other way around, the story really matches the image. Either way, I think that this is terrific!
You nailed the lighting, Bill, IMHO. For me, it totally matches the feel of the landscape. The foreground spacing looks in proportion to the rest of the scene. What a fascinating environment to have a chance to visit. Beautiful.
Seriously, outstanding capture and processing. It truly does look like a shot straight out of LOTR!