This was recently taken at Face Rock Wayside in Bandon, Oregon.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any feedback is appreciated. Specifically, is the rock in the foreground too heavy or dark?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
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Ooh, what a cool scene! Those Oregon beaches are wonderful. I could see a bit of a crop off the right and top (to keep the 1:1 ratio), to just where the closest rock changes shape near the edge. And maybe some selective dodging/burning to bring out the howling dog more. The flat face facing the sun could be brightened, and the lightest highlights darkened a bit. I can see that nothing is blown, but it looks that way, I think just because there is such a large range from bright to dark. I did a bit of dodging/burning, and that crop, to see what it would do. Hope you don’t mind. It’s a very lovely photo.
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Bonnie - Thank you for your wonderful suggestions and image. I really appreciate it.
Very cool formation and you caught it really well. Bonnie’s work on the dog itself brings it out nicely. I don’t think the rocks in the fg distract too much since the howling dog is so arresting. The square crop was the way to go.
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Chris, this is the absolute best I’ve seen of Howling Dog. Bandon beach is my favorite place on the Oregon coast and I’ve never captured the light like this. Well done indeed!
Bonnie’s adjustments work well too.
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Bonnie, Kristen, and David - Thank you for your comments and feedback. Much appreciated.
Chris, I love the composition of this image, everything feels so well balanced. This has such nice light. I generally prefer cooler images over warmer ones, but I think your warm WB is very appealing here.
I do like the subtle tweaks made by Bonnie Lampley, I like the extra texture in the rocks that it reveals.
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This is certainly better than my attempt of this rock. I thought it was called Witch’s Hat rather than Howling Rock. I think stepping back and including the rock in the bottom right added much to the composition. I felt that things got a bit too dark in that lrc but Bonnie has helped in that regard. Perhaps a bit more texture in that rock would be good but it’s pretty close.
Have you seen Cole Thompson’s work on those rocks with really long exposures? You need a streaky sky though.
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Very nicely done! I love how the gradient from the darker FG leads to the reflection of the rock and beyond. A nice suggestion by @Bonnie_Lampley.
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Diane Miller, Igor Doncov, Ed McGuirk - Thanks for your thoughtful comments.
You really nailed this unique sunrise color! I like the balance of the FG rock with Howling Dog. And, I the lightening of both rocks in the rework. Congrats on seeing this!
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What a great image! The sunrise colors and the reflections in the water are just great. I like the adjustments proposed by @Bonnie_Lampley. I also had some idea that you could crop even more on the right side, but trying it did not improve the image.
I have now seen some amazing images from the Oregon coast posted here at NPN, so I have to plan for a trip to go there! I have already started to look into the book by @Greg_Vaughn, “Photographing Oregon”.
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I use it. It sure helped me narrow things down in the beginning.
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@Chris_Baird, I keep coming back to this image. It is so incredibly awesome. I’ve been to Bandon dozens of times and have never seen these kinds of conditions. You have captured it perfectly.
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