The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
A scene from the Alabama Hills in the eastern sierras after an overnight spring rain. The wind was so hard at the higher altitudes that with the slow speed film and grad filter the clouds became pushed out of shape. In the end they seem to provide a bit of an indication to the actual wind speed distortion overall.
What is not visible is the rock formation I’ve wedged myself in as a bit of a wind barrier with the LF camera.
Specific Feedback
ANY
Technical Details
Wista DXIII 4x5 - Schneider APO 150mm lens - 2 stop soft grad - Velvia 50 QL.
This is great!
It’s rugged, yet delicate… there’s a feeling of being somewhat barren, yet there are signs of life, especially with the rich colors of the wildflowers.
In other words, it’s a nice place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there
I like the way there’s an inverted “V” shape in the FG, it’s like an arrow pointing into the scene.
The inclusion of that little sliver of the distant mountains creates natural depth in my view.
The angle of the MG rock formations has a dynamic feeling to me.
The only thing I can see that might need some attention is the clouds, there are some fairly noticeable halos if I look close and they seem to be just a touch over exposed (a little stark), but that seems minor overall and it may just be me.
BTW, I got the print the other day, it’s gorgeous! Now I just need to frame it and get it on the wall.
@Merv
Merv, thank you for your review and kind comments on this scene. And of course you’re correct about the cloud formations overall. The winds were extreme that morning and at higher altitudes it was pushing the cloud formations at a high rate of speed.
Also, thank you for the update on the print purchase. I’m extremely glad you liked it and that FAA came thru once again with fine quality as well. I think I mentioned my previous sale was a full rising moon scene in a different area of J-Tree, but it was a metal print. Obviously they could not roll that and place it in a tube for shipment…take care !
I bet that looks awesome!
I would love to try a metal print soon, I just need to find more space on my walls somewhere.
Maybe I should swap them out from time to time, I can’t see adding on to my house just for more wall space, although, the thought has crossed my mind
I love having images from other photographers on my walls, especially from places that I haven’t been to.
There is a wall for my own images but only images that my wife wanted me to print
As for the clouds in this image, the only thing I can think of short of replacing the sky, is to add a bit of motion blur to them, and with the level of wind at the time, maybe horizontal motion blur is appropriate?
It seems to remove that stark feeling in the process.
It’s just an idea, not sure if it will help or not but it might be worth considering.
Merv, I’ve very rarely used the Blur feature in PS, but I will take a look see when I have some time here…thanks for the excellent idea…looks like our Emoji feature is gone on a break so I’ll use the old keyboard approach here…*>)
The blur tool can be adjusted as needed if you use the “Convert to Smart Object” feature (I’m sure you’re fully aware of that feature, I mentioned it just as a reminder). That also provides a blur mask in the process.
I don’t know what’s going on with the site, there’s a couple of strange things happening, emoji is one, images automatically opening in a new tab is another.
Well…emoji is working again…for now
What a bunch of optimistic, opportunistic little bushes! And inhabiting such a well-composed scene at that. Wonderful light and feeling of depth. The clouds have a wonderful formation but a strange appearance. If you were using tilt to adjust the focal plane I’d expect them to be soft, even aside from any wind movement. I think @Merv has made a good suggestion for them.
@Merv@Diane_Miller
Thank you both for your thoughts on the cloud issue I mentioned in my original post about the wind, slow film, and ND filter too.
Anyway, I made some changes and actually removed some of the lower messy clouds. I had a chance to use an item I had not used in years. A Tony Kuyper Cloud Sharpening layer along with a few other changes here and there. I appreciate you both encouraging the change and hope it is better than before. I will say the site still seems fussy right now and the size seemed off but maybe will be OK as time goes by here.
Another approach with more flexibility than the Blur Tool is to do a new composite layer and do a Gaussian Blur on it, then mask it to just be for the sky. To really see it in context, first make the layer a Smart Object (Layer > Smart Objects > …) and then after masking you can adjust the amount of blur in the context of the whole image.
I don’t think any sharpening can correct for moving clouds – better to accept them and make them a secondary element, with less distinction and less contrast.
Paul, the variety of subtle colors and the long view across the foreground make a beautiful, inviting scene. The cloud’s motion does make them stand out as different, especially in the larger view. Merv’s blurring looks more realistic, but still leaves creates a very different feeling from the foreground. Those clouds raise the intriguing question of “How (or even can you) show a viewer the strong wind when the vegetation is so stable?” Yes, removing the clouds would create a very peacful and inviting view, but that isn’t the reality of the situation…
I hate to say it and I hope you take this as honest construction criticism, the clouds appear to be composite, they don’t appear natural.
I don’t know how you feel about replacing elements but there is a way with this image to replace just the clouds, some of the Ps gurus say to replace the entire sky but I messed around and figured out how to replace just the clouds, I think that the vertical linear gradient in the sky is what made that possible here, It may have been the use of your GND filter that made it so even.
Also, I don’t know what your level of expertise is with things like replacing clouds, or the sky, etc., so I’m offering to help replace the clouds in the large, post processed file that you use for prints, if you’d like.
Below is the results of what I was able to figure out with your image, I found a few high resolution png cloud images that were free to download and use as desired.
Anyway, I wish I knew of a way to make the original clouds look natural but my level of expertise on such matters isn’t what I would call extensive.
The choice of clouds in the example below was kind of random just to see what you think first, it could be done more precise and closer to the original if you approve of the idea of replacing the clouds.
Anyway, I hope this helps!
All the best,
Edit: Try not to pay too much attention to the color and brightness of the clouds, that can be adjusted to closely match the scene a little better.
@Diane_Miller@Mark_Seaver@Merv@Bill_Pelzmann
Thank you each for taking the time to help out with the cloud issue. It’s an item I just need to have other sets of eyes review as you all did and shared various ideas. I need to work on this more when time allows. Today was dedicated to a bit of an off line event and not sure how long before it is resolved. So, again, thank you and I’ll try and follow up at some point in time… @Merv by no means did I take your point or idea as anything more than constructive input and not anything with criticism at all. I also had thoughts of just changing the clouds out and that maybe my final approach. I was wrestling with the image in hopes of just sticking with the patch that was there. But they maybe beyond repair for my ability…
When you have time, I’d love to see the original before any manipulations! I love the arrangement of clouds and the lighting on them. I don’t think the bit of clouds on the LR should be removed – there is a nice shape there that echoes the horizon.
I have a secret weapon that may be of use to you…
Hi Paul … I’m new to the forum so I might not be doing this correctly so please bear with me.
I like your image very much but I think that you actually have 3 images in one frame. The foreground with the rich colors of the desert sage and plants can almost be smelled. The middle ground has the stunning Alabama Hills but they almost can’t be seen and the sky with the beautiful clouds is an image almost all to it’s self. For me this image doesn’t seem to be emphasizing a strong subject… is it the foreground, the middle ground or the distant sky?
Looking forward to having your comments and others.
Hello Noella and welcome to the NPN community. I had a good friend who I worked with years ago named Norma Ballenger, any relation?
Your comment is very well articulated and is an excellent start at reviewing & critiquing on the site. Basically stated, that’s what NPN is pretty much all about. Beyond meeting people who are really into enjoying photography overall.
To answer or comment on your point about the subject the scene was entirely based upon the Weekly Theme this week which was examples of April Showers. I felt the desert flourishing growth and the clouds would support that theme.
Once again, thank you for the review and comment. Enjoy the NPN community I’ve been here when it was NPN 1 and now the second much updated version NPN 2. As I recall I started in 2006.
