The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
My photos from my Yosemite trip are winding down. On the final morning, wandering around El Capitan meadow under and around the Cathedral Grove of Black Oaks I started to look at the ground. I came across these ferns, basking in the most luscious reflected light off of El Capitan. I could not resist making a photo of anything while that light was there.
Specific Feedback
I love the light in this photo and the textures and colors of autumn. I am kicking myself though for not being careful with my composition, as I really wish I did not cut off the fronds of the ferns at the top of the frame. Is that a deal breaker for any of you?
Technical Details
Nikon D850, Nikon 105 mm f/2.8 Macro Lens, at f16 1/2 second at ISO 100. My standard processing in ACR and PS. Nothing special.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I wish you hadn’t either, but agree the light is lickable. I love the way it kisses the tops of the fern and the leaf. Just a skim like that brings up so much texture and modeling. These kinds of scenes are wicked hard to compose though, so don’t kick yourself too much. The different, but equally subdued, colors are terrific.
What’s in the frame is so gorgeous it didn’t occur to me to even think about what else might have been in it. I’ve shot scenes similar to this on frosty mornings there (while grand scenes are looming over my shoulder) and always had the same feeling later when viewing them. (Frosted pine cones are great subjects too.) I think there just isn’t perfection to be found in compositions like this and maybe that’s part of their appeal. But you definitely have perfect light here and a wonderful feeling of the fern fronds touching the fallen leaf. Even the ones on the far right are leaning into the scene, and there is that smaller oak leaf toward the lower right curling up under the fern. That’s the story and it’s simply lovely!
I didn’t even notice the cut off ferns at the top. There are other bits that are cut off, so it doesn’t seem odd. The colors and light are so lovely.
Youssef, the softness of the light and how it sets your subjects aglow is great. I like the upper right/lower left balance between the clump of ferns and the oak leaf. While a wider view would include all of the ferns, it would shrink the presence of the oak leaf, reducing the visual balance, so yes, this works well as presented.
Hi Youssef,
The cut off ferns are not a deal breaker for me although it would have been interesting to see what it looked like with a bit more at the top. No matter where you composed something was bound to be cut off. The soft warm glow of light is exquisite in this intimate landscape. My only suggestion would be to clone out that lighter bit of vegetation along the top edge toward the ULC as it does catch my eye a little with it being on the edge of the frame. The variety of earth tones works quite nicely in this scene.
This is lovely. Glad you took advantage of that gorgeous light. It would have been nice to not cut off the fronds, but going wider with your composition might have included more than you wanted to. I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. I think it keeps it from being a “portfolio” image but it’s still a keeper IMHO.
I would clone out the light color horizontal grass creeping in at the top left.
Reading the comments after posting I see that Ed has mentioned the UL.
