Revised version
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is an ICM of phragmites blowing in the wind at the edge of a canal. The sun lit up the fresh green nicely.
Specific Feedback
I managed to cut off the top. I can’t decide if it bothers me or not.
Technical Details
A 2.3 sec exposure at f/22, ISO 160. Taken with my “other camera” (I bought a Canon R6 specifically to do in-camera ME’s.) 24-105 mm f/4 lens at 105 mm.
Held still for about one second and then moved the camera vertically. The wind did the rest.
Pretty basic processing. I darkened the blues some and gave it a vignette. I cropped to a square because the two sides were a bit messy and I wanted to focus on the three ‘flames’ of reeds.
Edit: I made a few small changes, darkening the top of the middle flame as Barbara suggested and slightly reducing the impact of the greens in general. Also found the speck that Astrid mentioned.
Thank you all for your constructive feedback!
2 Likes
Madeleine, this is striking! I can see why you mulled over the cut-off tops, but they don’t bother me. Your one flame with top suggests the other two to my eye. I would be tempted to lower the impact of that single stalk running up from the LLC, but that’s very minor (and personal) in a beautiful abstract. (I’ve just caught up with your previous photos here, and love them both also).
1 Like
Thank you so much, Mike! And I’m glad you like my other posts too! Yes, I considered removing the darker stalk on the left, but decided it wasn’t really distracting from the rest so left it in.
1 Like
This is a wild dance, Maddi! I know summer solstice is over, but it reminds me of a group of dancers wearing colorful headdresses jumping around a bonfire. Untamed, primal. I realise that the colors don’t fit fire, but that was my first impression when I saw it. Sparkling with joy of life.
The stalk to the left doesn’t bother me, but there is a little speck in the green area on the right side, middle hight, that is probably a remnant of the ICM but looks a bit like a sensor spot.
Wonderful, wild, spontaneous!
This does “feel” like dancing. I like this as presented, but wonder about cropping to square (removing the black at the top), although that might reduce the dancing feeling…
Found which one you meant.
It is square 
Thank you for the suggestion, but I rather like that dark bit on top, and want to preserve some of the flame effect.
Thank you @Astrid_Preisz and @Mark_Seaver!
1 Like
Madeleine, I am drawn to the play of the green lines against the blue. The black helps anchor it and further emphasize the linear green tones. I see two distinct stories. The right third tells of the feathery nature of the grass. The play of light pulls the eye to the right of the composition. In the remainder of the picture the linear lines of color predominant. The brightest point for me is the thickest clump and the bright green that leads my eye out of the frame. Toning down the bright greens at the top might help your concern regarding cutting off the top. That would refocus on the feathery lines and keep the eye at the level of the feathery grass. Thanks for sharing this beautiful picture.
1 Like
Thank you, Barbara, I will give that a try.
