The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is the Tillamook Rock lighthouse off the North Oregon coast. It was built in 1879-81 and was officially lit January 21, 1881. The light was decommissioned in 1957. It sits over a mile offshore and was one of the most challenging lighthouse assignments due to its isolation and subjection to the fierce winter storms that can afflict the area. There were several occasions where the light was doused by wave action but the structure remains as a haven for seals and birds. At one time it was sold to private investors who tried to make it into a columbarium for the interment of ashes. Only about 30 urns were interred before the Oregon mortuary board revoked the license. On this morning I had really good flying conditions and good light. I didn’t have much loitering time as the light was almost 2 1/2 miles from my launch point. This was a bucket list project for me. I would love to go back with a better drone but I think my Miini 3 Pro did well. >=))>
Technical Details
DJI Mini 3 Pro
ISO 100, 1/100 @ f1.7
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
WOW! You definitely captured a unique and fascinating scene. I love the leading line of the waves. They are a hint of how wild the weather could be here. And the expanse leading to the horizon sets a wonderful scene. I have a feeling of wanting a bit more detail in the rock, but maybe the spooky isolation is better conveyed the way it is.
I can’t imagine how this got built or maintained. And I had no idea you could fly a drone that far! (Still thinking about one…)
A wonderful, I might even say, wonder filled, image, Bill. It is at once subtle (the colour palette and tone) and dynamic (the surf around the rock juxtaposed to the darkness of the rock. itself). The expanse of the horizon and the isolation both of the rock and the building on it, make for an emotionally stirring and dramatic image. The composition is spot on both in terms of the perspective but also the way in which, without any symmetry whatsoever, it feels perfectly balanced. You have chosen just enough of the sky to accentuate a sense of expanse, isolation, and, I would say, vulnerability. Wonderful.
Excellent job on the composition and the light here bill. I love this shot, a total validation of the 1/3 guidelines.
To my cost, I know the nervous feeling of flying a drone that far out. With an isolated speck like this (from the drone monitor’s perspective) the navigation is a challenge, unless you preplot it using a system like Dronelink or Litchee. The second issue is wind. I started chasing a sailboat from the beach, finally caught up to it with still 3/4 of battery left after stopping a few times to scan around looking for it.
I noticed that the return was taking a long time. A very long time. Ten I realised – there was no wind on the beach, but there was a 10 mph breeze over the open water. My drone landed hently in the Gulf of Mexico about 800 yards offshore.
