Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
What emotion, if any, does this image evoke for you?
Is there anything in the image that detracts from the feeling?
Any suggestions for aesthetic improvement?
Other Information
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Image Description
This is an image of grasses in Yellowstone, laced with steam and fog. I was enchanted by the painterly effect produced by the mist and hoped that my image would captured that.
Technical Details
Nikon Z 8 with Nikkor Z 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 at 210 mm
1/200 sec f/14 ISO 250; manual mode
On tripod, no filters
Specific Feedback
Aesthetic feedback especially welcome, and that includes feedback on the emotional ipact and artistic value of the image. But any improvement suggestions are most welcome.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
This has a slightly mysterious mood for me. Because it feels mysterious, that patch of highly detailed, un-misty ground in the upper right seems out of place. Maybe a bit of negative dehaze up there or cropping to 4 x 5 ratio of the left part wouldn’t be amiss? I like Don’s suggestion of decreasing the saturation on that orange patch, too. Lovely photo! It definitely has that painterly feel.
Hi Bonnie, I totally agree with you and will keep trying to fix the problem. I have tried reducing clarity, adding dehaze, darkening, etc., and nothing works well. So I may need to go through my files and see if I can find one where to mist is spread across that area.! Safe travels, and thanks for the feedback. DJ
Hi DJ,
Wonderful mood with the mist swirling through the brush. This has a nice serene feel to it that I find inviting. For me all of the mood is on the left 2/3rds of the image. The clarity of the right side seems a little at odds with misty side. I hope you do not mind, but I could see a crop from the right to emphasize the mist. I was thinking something like this. Just my opinion of course.
D J: I really love the color palette you have here and the URC adds to that IMO. The clarity there doesn’t bother me and in fact implies that the mist is moving in and out of the scene. Well seen, composed and captured. >=))>
DJ, this is a fine look at this collection of grass, hot water and mist, very characteristic of Yellowstone. There is a nice touch of mystery in the view. The colors in the ground are what you see in these situations, so they don’t bother me in the slightest. My one idea, to add to the mystery, is to dodge lightly the darker bits along the top. While they’re fine as presented, I think a bit of dodging there would add to the painterly aspects.
Reducing clarity and texture are good options. Not sure if you “added” or “subtracted” dehaze, but subtracting it will add a misty look. I don’t think darkening would be helpful. I gave it a whirl by placing a radial gradient over the URC and reducing clarity, texture, and dehaze. I also increased exposure and cooled it because the first adjustments made it look too warm (it didn’t match the blue tone of the other steam). Here’s what it looked like. Even with this edit, I still think a 4x5 of the left would work, too.
You’re here, yay!
