The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
My theme for this einter seems to be the coming and going of the ice on the coast of the Baltic Sea. I really like the colors, and the shape of the open water, but I have troubles editing it in color.
Specific Feedback
How best to edit this photo in color? Or should I just make it monochrome?
Technical Details
Om1, f 11 , 1/13 s, iso 250 at 17 mm
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I love the colors here! (And the scene in general!) With a monochrome scene such as this, auto color corrections will not be accurate as that relies on averaging a lot of different colors. Daylight WB is usually best to start and then tweak to go with your gut feeling. A good calibrated and profiled monitor helps with the gut part and the histogram helps with the ends of the tonal range. I think you hit it nicely here. Normally I would like a bit more contrast, or slightly brighter whites, but the heavy sky here makes the subdued contrast work for me.
I find the scene very interesting but it feels a bit crowded on the left, but it’s easy to imaging there may have been something distracting there. A bit of canvas could be added there and filled in with content-aware or generative fill.
I’m not much of a post processing whiz, so I can’t offer much advice about processing for color.I agree with 90% of what @Diane_Miller says. But I keep going back and forth about the brightness and contrast. On the one hand I feel a little more contrast and brighter whites are needed, but then, that kinda ruins the “cool” tone of the image. So, IOW, go with whatever you intended.
Annika, as presented you’ve created a quiet, somber mood with the subtle blue/grey tones. The curving stream does a fine job of creating depth in the view and putting the viewer right there enjoying the scene. Yes, it is dark, brightening changes the mood, so the question becomes, " What do you want a viewer to feel?"
I agree with @Mark_Seaver completely. What mood are you trying to convey? As you presented it, it gives a cold somber mood, which is fine I like it, and if that is what you were after then it is a successful photo. As far as processing color, as @Diane_Miller mentioned having a calibrated and profiled monitor will help greatly with that so that you can properly tell what the colors are doing when you make adjustments. Personally, I would keep the blue tones as I think they fit very will with the coldness depicted.
Thanks for your feedback, Diane! There was a great big rock on the left, but I shall try to add a little more neutral background there, and see how that turns out.
Thank you Michael, I shall try a bit more contrast and see what that does to the image. I find it really hard to edit photos with a lot of super white snow in them.
My guess, and it’s only a guess, is that you want this to feel like winter. You mentioned the ice coming and going and this image just feels cold. It’s already rather monotone but in a good way. That adds to somber and cold feeling the image imparts on the viewer. There is blue but overall the image is gray and a little flat. Since I’m not really sure what you want to impart on the viewer I took this in a direction that adds a little more color (I’m thinking you still want this to be in color or else you would have just turned it into a black and white) while lifting the whites and adding a tiny bit of contrast. Here is what I came up with but this could go completely against what your intentions are. So take it for what it’s worth.
By the way, this is a beautiful winter scene. Lots of texture, lots of mood, I love the curve of the open path of water and the snow bank that it leads to. It gives me a feeling of desolation and open vastness. Well seen and composed.
