The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
This is a familiar subject by now: Painted Hills. After driving all over the area I still find myself more drawn to the abstracts at the start of the road. After shooting this so many times I didn’t think I could find anything different to get inspired about. I was wrong. By showing up in the early morning the shadows were different.
Feedback Requested
Somewhere along the line I decided that these folds look better when they are darker than how they are usually displayed. Is this image too dark in your opinion? Would this look just as good if it were brighter?
What a wonderful shot. The curves are beautiful and the colors work well. The foreground feature blocks part of the background, which creates a little bit of mystery. The bush that’s a little right of center is a key piece because it gives the viewer a sense of scale.
To the left of that bush, at the edge of the foreground feature, is a small protruding bush that you might want to get rid of.
This looks pretty darn nice to me as is and no I do not find it to dark. The soft light on the painted hills is flat out gorgeous and I see plenty of details in the shadow areas. I also like your restrained processing of the colors in the image as it looks very natural; not overdone like some images I have seen from the area. I am also enjoying the graceful lines in the scene as well. My only suggestions would be to lighten the URC just a little and remove the small bush poking in the frame just right of center along the bottom edge. Beautifully done!
Igor: I immediately recognized this as the Painted Hills but your presentation of them is inspired. The color palette and light work great here. This image is more about form than color and so much the better for it. Very well seen, conceived, captured and presented. >=))>
Igor this is such a lovely composition that you have captured magnificently.
The Colour palette of the hills, the greens and reds work so well together - very painterly
The light is amazing! What time of day was it?
The bush that is behind and partially obscured by the red foreground rock does pull the eye in the way that the bush vegetation a little to its right doesn’t ( Middle of long axis about 1/3 the way up).
I would put a print of this on my wall - if only I’d taken it
Kudos on a new and unique view from this popular destination. (I’ve never been!) I think the darkness/luminosity you’ve presented works beautifully and has the desired effect I believe you are looking for. The “folds” are more nuanced and are showcase quite nicely.
I don’t know if this is by choice or not, but my observation is that along with the somewhat darker presentation (and it’s not really “dark” per se, just relative to what we’re used to seeing, right?), but along with that, the overall presentation/light looks a little muddy. I guess I mean the shadows and highlights are closer to the midtones. I’m wondering if some micro-contrast would help with that without losing that nuanced look of the hills.
I can’t speak for Ed, but I noticed the same protruding grass tips. I’ve highlighted in A1 below. And speaking of that area along the bottom edge. In my own view, it’s one of those examples where either I want to see more of that flat area in the foreground, OR shave a little off the bottom so I don’t see anything along the bottom edge. I also agree with Don on that partial bush along the edge of the foreground feature. Not a deal breaker though.
Kudos for this unique and successful view of the Painted Hills.
That was a morning shot, before 8am. Below is an evening shot of the same area taken 7 years ago.
Below is a less ‘muddy’ shot taken years ago. Perhaps it is more to your liking. My taste has changed over the years. I prefer the later work. This place is open to many interpretations. I am glad that I waited so long to come back because I saw it with fresh eyes. If you are familiar with the painter Camille Corot you may see some of his spirit in my recent work. At least I think it’s there. We’ll see how it looks as a print.
This image was initially conceived as a panorama but I decided to crop it.
Hi Igor,
What a refreshing take on the Painted Hills. I love the title too. It’s the feet of giants we are looking at, right? The more subdued light gives the entire scene a more intimate feeling. It’s as if the photographer lives there, spent the night there. Saw the hills while they were still sleeping. I think there are three bits of bunchgrass that folks are referring to. I tried to draw the areas big enough that folks here could still see the grass. Ack. Harder than I expected.
This is a wonderfully different take on a view that doesn’t offer a lot of different camera positions. I have relatively boring images from several trips but one was early on a cold morning and there was a bit of frost. Or that’s the way I remember it… It probably melted before I got there. I’ll try to dig through the archives, but it wouldn’t stand up to your artistry.
I can’t say any more than echo the above comments. I have never seen the Painted Hills, nor am I likely too, but you have certainly painted a grand image for me.
The toes look like they’ve come straight out of the book “Where the Wild Things are”.
I really like it.
I really like the darker tone, I like the fluidity of the composition; the lines in the foreground that continue down the right-hand ‘foot’.
I completely agree with Lon regarding the half-hidden shrubs…
I think I’ve driven by this spot several times myself Igor, but you caught it with some really good light. The shadows act as a natural vignette and force my eye to the center of the image which has more light on it. You were wise to not include more of the landscape as this simplifies the image and makes it all the more effective. Very nice indeed.
I see this photo as a quiet one from a luminosity perspective. I can appreciate the darkness, but I feel like the tonal levels just blend together and are just to closed up - maybe what I am saying is that it lacks contrast, for my tastes.
What I do like are the lines that move my eye through the scene, E1.
The small bush and grass tips are barely noticeable at this size, but if printed big, will definitely have a bigger impact.
The LLC is visually heavy also and there is not much to balance that out. Perhaps giving area A1 some visual weight, either with more luminosity or contrast could potentially balance the image. Just some thoughts.
Congrats on the EP!
Visual Notes
[E1] This path in particular
[A1] Maybe if this are was brighter it might balance out the LLC
Thank you for all the comments and even detailed analysis. I agree that the bush has to go although I think it’s a minor annoyance. The comments about leading lines and where the eye moves have been interesting. I never intentionally think about that sort of thing when I’m shooting. I think it happens intuitively. I am, however, attracted to contrast. I don’t pursue it per se but I notice being drawn such subjects when I’m in my seeing mode.
I thought I’d share the full image from which this came because initially it was the full image I was after and I debated which one was better. The original was this panorama look. As you can see I wanted to use the full dome in the front. I still like it but the crop put more attention to the contrasty area so I went with that.
Igor, I’m late to the game here but I love the Painted Hills and wanted to leave you a comment. I love the depth of color you’ve achieved it’s rich and saturated without being over done, I also like the crop. I’ve always wanted to shoot there in the morning light but can never seem to get myself there in time!!
Well done
There is some free camping available between the highway and the Painted Hills road. It’s totally undeveloped though. I just car camped there for a couple of days. Of course, now it’s in the 90s there so not a good time. That campsite is about 5-10 minutes from the entrance.
