The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
First two images are of a young Silver Gull taking a dip in a freshwater, tannin-stained creek that had pushed its way out to the sea.
Early morning, very overcast after a night-long storm.
Specific Feedback
I finally caught up with Stefan Gerrits’ webinar on minimalistic images. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought I would have a play.
Certainly nowhere in the same league as Stefan. The technique is not as easy as it first seems. After numerous attempts, I’ve opted for rather “soft” minimals on the first two. A stronger version on the third.
Interested to know any thoughts, suggestions or nits!
Technical Details
ISO 1000 150-600@600mm Hand Held f8 1/1250
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Vision and Purpose:
Conceptual:
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All are quite interesting, Glennie. My personal taste is for the second in the series. It’s just taste, but I seem to prefer a bit of separation from the background throughout. On the other hand, the third might be interesting if you pushed it even further and removed all the white detail in the gulls so it was just the darker features on a white background. It is an intriguing approach.
Hi Glennie, really interesting high key take on these gulls. Well done. The second is my fave also with the disturbed water, nice wing position, and fine look at the eye.
Hi Glennie,
I also like the second image best of the first too. I think it’s the agitated water and the eye contact. The first looks like the gull is getting ready to do something, and the second looks like it’s actually doing it.
I also like the two gulls soaring. I can’t decide whether their overlapped profiles make the image or detract from it. For me, I think I like seeing some distinction in their bodies, so going even brighter might lessen what I like about them. That said, having only the dark remain would be wonderfully abstract and worth a shot.
I’m really enjoying seeing this and other high key explorations after that webinar. It definitely had an impact, and it is so much fun to play with what I already have. Eventually, I’ll get out and shoot with high key minimalism in mind. In the meantime, it’s breathing some life into some images I ignored for a while.
Looking forward to seeing more of what you do with this approach.
ML
Very interesting, Glenys. The third image has a fine art feel to it and probably best delivers what it sounds as if you were trying to accomplish. Of the first two, I would agree with the others on the second one-I like the eye contact and water movement.
Gorgeous and very well done!! I like both the first two – the first is intriguing with the BG just slightly darker than the gull and the tail stands out nicely, and the second reverses that and shows the lovely wing and the very interesting water. I’m wondering if that second one wants a light CW rotation? Gorgeous subtle detail in both.
The flight shot is interesting but the birds feel like they need more detail in the negative space to balance the visual weight.
I haven’t had time to catch the webinar yet (along with several others…), but looking forward to it!
@Diane_Miller ! Of course, old eagle eyes has picked up that rotation. The visual weight does seem out of whack. A bit of a learning curve.
@Marylynne_Diggs The webinar was very interesting, but searching through old images may not be the way to go. I need to go out with high key minimalism in mind. It’s not as easy as I first imagined.
I’m know there is a built in leveler in your head. My husband is/was a surveyor for many many years. We’ve travelled far and wide. (But we still get lost.) I was the pack mule with a staff, hammer and pegs. These days the surveyor is the pack mule because surveying is all automated. Very clever, but has done the “chainman” out of a job.
My 2 cents suggests the first and last are best. I think I would prefer if #1 was cropped so the gull was lower and more to the left so the beak line had a relatively greater distance to point to. I also wonder if this could be pushed further into the high key area or converted to mono.
#3 I think this is spot on. The visual tension suggests to me that the darlings are after my chips … again!
I agree that the second image is the most compelling of the series. The water provides a nice base for the gull and the action, although limited generates a lot of interest in the subject. Well done…Jim
