The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is a picture from one of my favorite spots. It is taken from a ridge line with a small opening. I love that place.
Specific Feedback
But now comes my problem. I hike around that place frequently, but I´m not able to catch a shot which I like and I tried it often.
What is your opinion here? What could I do to improve the shot? I would be grateful for opinions and suggestions for editing and/or shooting the next time. The place where I can stand to shoot this scene is unfortunately a bit limited.
Or is it just a problem of my mind, trying to get a good shot, or it is just not a good scene? The more I look at it, the more I get lost here.
Thank you in advance!
I think it is a good scene. Your instincts were right in feeling that this scene has potential.
I think the bright area between the two cliff faces is too bright. It draws the eye too much. I would try to make it the brightness of the large grass clumps on the left and maybe even darker.
The distant forest seems to be darker around the cliff edge on the right. It doesn’t match the other distant trees and it doesn’t offset tonal the right cliff as well as it could.
I wouldn’t crop anything out. The two cliff with a gap in between is a stronger composition than a single cliff with the tree. It’s more complex and interesting.
I like that the grasses are included at the bottom rather than having both cliffs being clipped by the frame. Perhaps even more grass could be included.
It would be nice if the tree trunks could be tonally separated more from the rocky surface behind it but I don’t see how that can be done in post processing. Perhaps that could be done with color separation of the underlying image (probably not). If the light came from a different direction at a different tie of day you would lose the wonderful effect of the grasses.
I like the small cliff coming in from the left margin and would not crop that off.
Generally I would try for greater tonal separation between the cliffs with trees and the distant forests and valley. I think that’s the basic idea here and I would emphasize it.
The second image does not appeal to my taste. I’m not a good judge of such image work.
HI Ralf,
I can see why you are drawn to this scene and also why it is a struggle. In both of the images here, you are trying to capture a lot of elements. Like Igor, I’m distracted by the bright rectangular section of trees in the distance. To me, it could be its brightness or its geometry making it stand out a bit too much.
You mentioned that you like hiking here often, and maybe you have tried many approaches to the scene. Since I have not been to this location, my suggestions are “what I might try” more than anything that might actually work better. As for the gateway effect, I think you can capture the gate and the distance with more emphasis on the distance if you try the following:
Try to get just one of the two trees on the left. I’m not sure what is to the right, so maybe that’s not possible. If we had just one of the two trees, I think that simplifies the image and pulls us deeper into it.
Try a slightly higher perspectice (camera on a tall tripod lifted up with a high shutter speed, or a small stool you could stand on)? This would let us see the rocks and grass, but also give us more of what lies beyond.
Different times of year might yield different tonalities even for black and white (the fields, the trees, etc.), but I think the sun is good for getting those grasses.
Try a totally different approach: think small scene, intimate landscapes, and photograph each element you love about this place with one other thing that gives it some context.
It’s a wonderful location with great opportunities. I think a daily or weekly walk is in your future.
ML
Ralf, my feelings on the image are probably gonna totally be opposite your artistic vision of a gate. i feel the image is left heavy and there’s not enough rock on the right to balance it out and give the impression of a gate to the BG. I think the best parts of the image are the two trees and the high key FG grasses. I would concentrate on those with maybe a vertical crop. and a little shadow recovery.
Thank you, Igor! The brighter trees between the cliffs are deciduous trees, I missed that difference completely. I tried to change the tonality of the tree trunks, but whatever I try, even with a slight modification, I doesn´t work. My lightroom caapabilities are obviously not sufficient
Thank you, Marylynne! Yes, this is one of the cases where I want too much (in the frame) at once. The beauty of the place (for me) is getting here in my way to take a “proper” picture. I should keep in mind that less is (more often) more.
Thank you, Michael! You are absolutely right. It is left heavy, but my brain could not accept it, after hearing it from you all, I start to understand and accept it. I need to break the scene down more. You proposal for the tiny trees, I wouldn´t have the idea, I´m stuck with my fixation on the gap and could not see it. Thank you.
Thank you very much for all you comments and suggestions!! You opened my eyes. I really appreciate it!!
Edit 1
I cropped the left tree out and fixed some areas which were too bright, the trees within the gap and some sports in the far distance. It looks better now and more balanced.
Ralph, I’ve been trying to come up with ideas… You’ve gotten some good suggestions that I agree with. My feeling was that you were trying to sh0w too much. Your two crops both do a better job of “telling a single story” and they offer ideas for a revisit. Reducing the contrast also helps me explore the entire frame in both cases.
Thank you, Mark! Yes, unfortunately for me, I wanted too much. Next time when I´m there, I will wait, look, try to perceive everything and think for 10 minutes before I take a shot
Sometimes trying to turn reality into an image just doesn’t work. What you feel and see when you are in this spot means that your eyes are giving you a much wider view of the landscape and a more three dimensional look as well. I’m often frustrated at how many of my images turn out so differently from how I remember the scene in person and many times it just doesn’t convey.
I think this may be one of the scenes. I don’t find the gap to be particularly interesting and I find the balance of the frame to be very left heavy. I’m much more intrigued with that tree on the left and the grasses below it. I understand that it’s the gap that you love but I would crop this much Like @Michael_Lowe had one and I’d remove all aspects of the gap and just make this about the tree and the grasses.
I don’t know what’s on the right side of the gap as it’s mostly just cut off but if there is another tree I would widen this into a landscape frame instead of square framing. Or, make it only about the gap and don’t include the tree but the balance is just off by including both. I really do feel your pain with your question and I can honestly see how in person this might prove to be an exception place to view a vast landscape.
I like your first version much more than the second (it seems too contrasty ). To my eye, the left part of the image is excellent, great tonal range between the foreground grass and the darker ground cover behind to the almost black tree limbs. The rest of the image doesn’t interest me as much, even though it looks like a very beautiful overlook. I would crop off the right 1/4 of the image up to the edge of the dark vertical rock, eliminating all the trees in distance. I think you have a winner here! I don’t think it is a matter of not having a great scene, it is more about defining what is the focus of the image. Is it the foreground elements, or is it the distant view. If you wanted to highlight the view it might be better to have a less busy foreground .
Thank you David and Scott!
You described it quite well. This is a beautiful scene when you are there but capturing a feeling in a picture is somehow not possible. Capturing all at once doesn´t work here (rearely does). It is better to “express” the feeling in different pictures. Maybe, somewhen, I will be able to tell the story of this place in a set of 3 or 4 of pictures. I choose pain as motivation to grow a bit more.
My favorite of all these is the one you labeled “Edit 1.” I enjoy way it both grounds my eye, and yet draws it to the distance and all that lies beyond.
