The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
From mid-October when we got some marvelous fog. Believe it or not, there is a dam behind this scene. It’s the beginning of the end of the Spirit River and it will wind a mile or so before it joins the Wisconsin. The fog makes this shot for me, but oh, finding a decent and balanced composition was difficult because there are a lot of weeds growing up that get in the way.
Specific Feedback
I have a couple other comps, but this feel the most balanced. Thoughts?
Technical Details
Handheld
Lr for S-curve for contrast and some work to improve color with Point Color tool and Calibration panel. A little texture & sharpening. Some distraction removal and work with masks to keep eyes where I want them.
Drop dead gorgeous, Kris. I really like how the reflection of the central trees is longer, darker and less misty. I find this makes the reflection even more interesting than in the standard symmetrical shot. And I love photos where we have to imagine the horizon. Beautifully processed.
That wonderful little island is perfection itself, but that reflection is simply amazing! I love the hints of vegetation poking in at the edges but being humble enough not to try to compete with the main event. In other words, I love the comp! And the color. And the glassy water. And the shapes. And the fog. And anything else I forgot to mention. Very well done!
I agree with others that this is a really beautiful image. It looks almost like a snail lurking in the fog and the reflection of just the trees emphasize it even more. The hints of tress on both sides provide a good frame to this gorgeous element. Nicely done.
That is beautiful fog and combined with the yellow of the tree makes for a very nice image. I think having the vegetation and trees on either side helps balance it out. For anything to critique, i guess it depends on how liberal you want to be with the erase tool. I would think about taking out a few of the leaves in the water on the bottom and maybe that stick in the center of the sand by the island. But those are pretty minor.
I dithered because I have more views and couldn’t decide on one. So I processed them all similarly and then left them for a couple weeks. When I went back to them, this one was the second I worked on. The other I did some Gen Fill and Remove tool work, but it became too static and distanced from the original scene so to me it was alien and unfamiliar. So I went to work with this one and with the use of some masks, got the framing the way it looks here.
I thought the floating leaves would come up, and yes, I did remove some on the edges, but left the rest because of that feeling I got when I yanked the other photo too far out of my experience and made it something else. With AI driven images being so on the rise and able to produce “perfect” illustrations, I am left with the importance of the experience to savor. We nature photographers cherish that and go out in all kinds of weather conditions to be with the subjects that resonate with us. The ones that touch us and light up our brains. This scene did that and stripping away elements diminishes that connection. As I said, I’m no purist, but I’m starting to feel that leaving in “imperfections” will be what sets apart true photography as art from photographic illustrations as art.
That is an interesting question about reality vs AI. I definitely see AI images proliferate on line and they drive me bonkers with their plastic slickness. I agree that the importance of experience and conveying that is essential to distinguish photography and art from AI. My hope is that AI will in fact have the affect of making a real lived experience even more valuable.
Fog is the photographer’s best friend and can certainly do some magical things. You have definitely been on a roll with these fog images Kris. This is being real nit picky, but I could see cloning out the little pool of water on the right edge of the middle island as it does catch my eye a little. I hope you have a few more of these fog images left to show us.
I really hope it has that effect @Cameron_Wilcox - I wrote a blog post a while back about the end product that many buyers of illustrations/photos want that has nothing to do with how it’s made. No one really cares how hard it was for someone to take a photo, just the end result, so that you have to really like the process, not just the outcome. I have another brewing. That darn soapbox.
Thanks @Ed_Lowe - fog is magic isn’t it? I thought about cloning more out, but things started to get a bit distanced for me and so I stopped. Clearly that line is going to shift for every image I imagine, but for now that’s where it was. All part of the shifting landscape with nature photography.
I agree with you Kris. I wonder about the evolution of photography going from something that you mainly have for yourself to the point we are at where everything is shared and how many people see something is a significant concern for photographers. One thing i like about NPN is the focus on sharing experience and encouraging photographers to do what they do because they love the journey and the experience. Whatever happens with AI, that experience isnt something that can be taken away.
