The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This field is on the road I normally take to get to my favorite spot on the Prairie River so I’ve been by it a bunch of times, never stopping once. Funny how conditions make us do so even if the scene is otherwise mundane. It’s a working field and with the low level of snow cover, I think the information that it is complements the fence line which was my subject. Lucky for me the road is a pretty remote one and I could spend several minutes walking up and down, back and forth to frame and compose. This and a few other compositions remind me of sheet music.
This one works the best for me because of the relative uniformity of the tall flowers and that nothing converges. I’d also gotten lower down in an effort to eliminate the travel line made by the farming equipment, but didn’t like how the flowers and the trees melded together. The separation here gives more of a sense of place and circumstances, at least to me. Plus I like that bit of white plant over the post, which I waited for as the breeze moved it.
Specific Feedback
Still not sure about the layering and if it’s too much. Should it be simplified by a lower vantage point? Thoughts?
Technical Details
Handheld w/polarizer left on from earlier work and I just didn’t bother to take it off.
Lr for all processing including the B&W conversion and a crop. Messed quite a bit with sliders and curves to get the right (?) amount of contrast. Added some texture and sharpening and masks to further massage the dynamic range.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Hi Kris. I think your point of view works very well here and I wouldn’t think getting lower would work too well. This keeps nice separation between the foreground and background. While everything in this image contributes nicely to the composition, I think that very carefully accenting the curved wire a bit more (brightening the frosted areas and darkening the unfrosted) might be interesting.
I just now saw this – haven’t been paying enough attention here lately. I can see why this seemingly simple scene attracted your attention, and think you did an excellent job with it. No nits, just a congrats of the well-deserved EP!
This image is an outstanding scene, Kris. I’m sure glad it was picked as an EP to allow it to pass along the top of the NPN site here.
One could say it was a by chance find. But my feeling is unless you’re out and about “hunting” scenes we NEVER get the by chance images either. Your composition with the post slightly offset from center was perfect. I really like the small detail of the guide / stabilizing / support wires arching across the view. I’m sure the scene would not have the same impact without the heavy fog negating the BG tree area…
Thanks @Paul_Breitkreuz - sometimes the countryside surprises me even in its (now) familiarity. The fog definitely helps simplify this scene which is probably why I’ve never stopped for it before despite driving by it a lot in winter.
The stark simplicity of the thumbnail image and the title piqued my attention. I’m not sure how many compositions you have, but if you are eager to emphasize the musical notation allusion here, I would see if you have one with the post and the curved wire on the left, kind of making a G Clef (sp?) impression allowing the yarrow/plants to play out on the lines.
That’s, of course, based only on the title. Without the title, I would not have thought of that shift in composition.
I’m so glad you stopped and explored this scene. I have no doubt you’ll be scanning it more forever now.
ML
Thanks @Marylynne_Diggs - I haven’t processed any of the other compositions yet, but that’s an interesting idea that I’ll have to play with. I know zip about musical notation so only the very basic ideas of what sheet music looks like occurred to me. And yeah, the field will get a look in if conditions are good. It’s snowing now, but too cold for fog.
