The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is from my visit to Garden of the Gods in southern Illinois. I really enjoyed the unique rock formations and thought this composition encapsulated the area the best.
Specific Feedback
Any feedback regarding composition, color/lighting, and overall impact is much appreciated. Any landscape editing/composing tips that could really elevate this image?
I feel that there is something off with the lighting that is keeping the rocks from looking as interesting as they did in person.
Technical Details
24mm, 1/20sec, f/14, ISO 100, cropped to 16 x 9
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
There’s a lot to enjoy here Christopher. The central rock flow is very attractive, and that’s a great job of framing it with the foreground rocks. The vibrant greens and yellows provide pleasing color contrast. Although the top left of the ridge is cut off, the diagonal flow merging towards the rock flow below nicely guides the eye through the image.
It’s a personal quirk (I think most photographers are less sensitive to it), but often the first question I ask myself is “How’s the light?” If the light is somewhat harsh, it leaves me wondering how the scene would have looked closer to the beginning or end of the day.
That obviously isn’t always an option, and there are two thoughts I have for processing here. I have no doubt this is a faithful representation of the sky, but I do think the image would be more attractive if you brought out the contrast there. The second thought is that adding slightly more of a vignette would be a subtle framing to center the eye.
Hi Christopher,
Welcome back. This looks like a great area to explore; my first thought was the highlands in West Virginia. I do like the rework with the tweaks from @John_Williams as they tamed that patch of sky as well as the slight vignette directing the eye toward those wonderful rock formations. I hope to see more of your images from the area. If you could get back to this area with the sun rising or setting toward the right side I think the warm light would make this sing.
This is a lovely and well composed grand landscape. I think the light was diffused enough that you don’t have any washed out areas and the light is pretty even throughout.
I agree with John on taming the sky and/or at least drawing some contrast and detail; the sky works in the landscape capture balancing well with the foreground rock.
I went ahead and brought this in to PS and did some processing in ACR. Of course at this image size adjustments are limited just because they’re ain’t enough pixels… but hopefully this comes across.
I painted in some contrast in the sky as John had mentioned. Using the “paint contrast” tool in TK’s panel (many other ways to accomplish without)
I opened an ACR filter layer and dropped both the highlights and whites a little. This tamed down the tops of the rocks and helped with the sky as well.
bumped up the Dehaze just a tad to increase contrast overall
added slight vignette
lastly - and I know it’s the result of downsizing and this small version, but I felt as presented the image seems a little soft - especially the lichen covered foreground rock. but for sure, you’ve got great depth of field front to back. Almost pointless off a web-sized version, but I also popped this in to Topaz DeNoise to sharpen up some of the details, especially in the foreground.
Again, this is well composed and I think just a few tweaks to make this the best it can be.
