Critique Style: Standard
The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
While roaming the foothills of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains east of Greybull, we spotted this pillar or red rock. (The red rocks are part of the Chugwater Formation.) The twin pillars were nicely separated from the surroundings and look like they’re watching over Trapper Creek as it leaves the mountains.
Feedback Requested
I like the rugged setting, with the sloping grassy ridge in the front. I deliberately left the tree tops in at leat partly because this area is very desolate with deciduous trees only where there’s water and I like their color contrast with the red pillars.
Technical Details
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Focal length: 167mm
Shutter speed: 1/200s
Aperture: f/10
ISO: 200
tripod and polarizer
Mark - I think you are very lucky to live with such landscape close to you. What a paradise for a landscape photographer. I like the way you have captured the scene, and the placement of the pinnacles off-centre. I think you have a very strong story re the guardians of the valley.
I do find that capturing such scenes in midday is quite challenging. The light just isn’t as soft and glowing - it’s more like a harsh overhead lamp - which is, i guess, what the sun is in midday. Anyway, i have been playing with converting such scenes into black+white and find they give me another alternative.
Re the bushes in the foreground, I’d be tempted to cut them out as well as many other elements and simplify the image along the lines of the crop suggested. I agree with you re the story being the pillars being the guardians of the valley, and I’d be tempted to cut out anything that doesn’t reinforce that story.
I think you’ve captured a beautiful scene and i love the texture and contrasts. i include my suggestions only as alternatives fwiw.
Visual Notes
[Crop] Focus on the guardians of the valley story
1 Like
Hi Mark. I tend to agree with @Doug_Wilson on simplifying the scene in this image. while the treetops help tell a story, it’s not the same story as the pillars, so it adds complexity and confuses the viewer as to what the story is really about. Another thing that bugged me a little was the apparent slight tilt to the image. I suspect you leveled your tripod or checked level in the viewfinder, but the pillars slant a tad and the skyline does also which both make it feel like it’s not quite level. I didn’t go as far as Doug on the crop, but here’s my version-I also lifted the shadows on the pillars themselves and the shadow they cast just a bit. with a curves layer.
That’s an awesome scene Mark, and I really like the pillar. It looks like that’s worth playing more with in the future.
I too struggle with harsher light on these grand views; earlier/later light just seems to make so much difference. It would be fun to see what this scene looks like with golden-hour light. You obviously had an angled sun, given the long shadow off the pillar, but the bright sky and distant haze are stealing a bit from the scene. You might be able to help those some in processing.
I do think @Dennis_Plank 's crop is a worthy consideration, and lifting the light on the pillar works well too.
