The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
The day this image was captured last spring, on US441 in the Smokies, the clouds were dramatic and the landscape barren, leafless. These trees juxtaposed against both intrigued me.
Specific Feedback
Whatever comes to mind!
Technical Details
I hate to admit it, but in addition to my usual DSLRs, etc. I love my iPhone 13 Pro Max, and use it frequently. So, yes, this is an iPhone shot. Thank heavens for Topaz Gigapixel ai, since Iām able to increase the sizes, when necessary, for large images/prints.
Neat photo!
I actually love that it is a phone photo, simply because my philosophy revolves around being able to create beautiful and meaningful photos regardless of the camera (even if phones are a bit taboo )
as for the critique, i think the main thing i would point out is that because you are shooting upwards, the height of the trees is emphasized, creating a feeling of their vastness. what draws away from that though, is the brightest spot being in the center of the trees, meaning my eyes keep coming back down and i lose that effect.
Maybe moving a bit closer, the camera lower, and angling it up a bit would move the light further up, allowing you to keep the mountains in the back still, but also highlight the juxtaposition and size of the trees
Susan, this is undoubtedly a strong argument for having oneās phone handy when the moment presents itself. I like the composition as is. The point of interest is the expanse of mountains leading into the distance and the line of bright clouds that add to the horizontal lines of the mountains. Just one tiny observation that might not have been possible. The branches of the tree on the right have been cropped. I understand that was probably a function of what you could get in the frame. It would be nice to see that tree completed.
Susan, I too use my phone more and more because itās what I have āin the momentā. I agree with @Barbara_Djordjevic about the tree on the right - Iād love to see it all in the frame but perhaps that wasnāt possible due to other trees encroaching on the space. A slight toning down of the center area mentioned by @waseh could also be helpful. Overall it has a power feeling as a study of trees in monochrome.
Hello Waseh, Thanks sooo much for your suggestion! I see what youāre saying. Those trees are definitely the heroes of this image. I will work on balancing the light as you suggest.
PS I believe that vision and seeing are whatās important in any art, especially photography. I remember my dad telling me (when I got a Brownie box camera instead of a Leica like his!) that a good photographer should be able to take a great picture with any camera. Of course, at that time, we didnāt have iPhones! But I think that both he and Ansel would love the technologies of today that allow us to express our visions. (And Iām not meaning to sound preachy!)
Thanks, Barbara! I agree with you on those branches. I had a difficult decision to make about placement. There was also another tree to the right of it, which I had to take a bit out. Iāll try it again when out that way. Of course, the conditions will be difficult to replicate, but who knows?!
I love this image! Fantastic silhouette made even better by that gorgeous sky. The tonalities in sky make the image for me - like some master silver gelatin printā¦
The trees are terric and of course make for a great anchor to the scene; but combined with the expanding landscape and the wonderful sky combine for an outstanding image. Love this.
So by now Iāve read the comments and further explanations about framing choices, other elements outside the frame and the choices that go along with dealing with them. And so itās pretty safe to say that you framed and composed this very well and so hard to be picky - especially since I wasnāt there.
But hereās Lonās nitpicky rule #17 (just made up the number and we all know rules are made to be brokenā¦) āIf youāre going to cut something off, do it on purpose.ā In other words, thatās just what youāve done on the right - and I think where there was another tree and so youāve cut that tree out on purpose. The tension comes in on the left. A couple of the small branches are or nearly breaching the edge of the frame. In the grand scheme of things, most folks wouldnāt pay no mind. But I think there is unnecessary tension on that left edge. So, IMO cropping in slightly on the left kinda balances with the cropped branches on the right.
To go further, you could crop square and not have any open edges (including top) removing any edge tension. But I donāt think a square crop fits your vision on this scene and your experience capturing it. The compromise Iām posting does leave the tops of the trees, but cuts down a little on the extra space up top.
This is just one of those images that I would tweak just to make it the best that it can be. And this image and scene are worth it!
)
(And Iām not meaning to sound preachy!)