The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
There is an upward sweep of these rocks that I particularly liked. There is also an old feeling about this collection of stones, an ancient sense to it. Yet I found it profoundly beautiful in a way.
Creative direction
The goal is to create an image consisting of large and small rocks in a pleasing manner. I really donât have a goal. I just react to wherever the subject takes me.
Specific Feedback
I am interested in what you think of the color cast used in this image. I have tried several versions, including b&w. None of them look realistic. So, Iâve stopped trying to make it look that way.
Technical Details
GF50R, 45-100mm, f/16
Description
This is part of a large outcrop that stands like a citadel in the desert of Baja. Yet itâs made up of very small rocks organized as layers. Itâs these small rocks and their structure that drew me to it. This was photographed in the shadow side and has little color to speak of. It looks manmade and yet itâs not.
Hi Igor,
thatâs a beautiful scene. There are so many textures and patterns to explore in your image. I can very well understand why the scene caught your attention.
In my opinion, the blue tint fits the image very well. It complements the yellowish orange mosses or lichens very nicely.
I always find it amazing what nature has to offer in terms of structures and patterns.
Very cool outcrop. My first impression wasnât of an upward movement, but downward. I see two cascades flowing down to that shelf. But, again, maybe that reflects my technical understanding of geologic processes - I expect weathered clasts to move downslope.
The color looks fine. The blue is maybe too blue for the reality of the scene (but maybe not?), but it looks fine. It didnât strike me as odd at all.
Love this image Igor. There this illusion of depth and cascading steps. The colors look fantastic. Really good eye to spot this composition. This could easily fit into the abstract category. I also enjoyed the relationship of small and large rocks. Well done!
StairwayâŚthat pretty much nails it. This could be a crumbling cliff city. Something ancient and yet lasting. I can imaging perilous climbing and sacred ceremonies. The blue adds to a feeling of austerity and danger in some ways. A perilous climb and a lethal fall. But also soothing in the sense that the energy has been drained away, that no one risks life or limb here anymore so its had its teeth pulled. The lines are harmonious and the geometry works well. As usual the exposure and focus are spot on although Iâm not a fan of the really big frame here.
The weird thing is that I went back to this spot and I couldnât see the composition again. I was looking right at it and it wouldnât register. Weird, huh? This is one out of my archives. I didnât intend to âpublishâ it. Then I went through my images and decided it wasnât too bad. I donât know if it was a sense of nostalgia for an old friend or that I had underappreciated it before. Misjudging images can be a problem for me. Few have real staying power.
This is wonderful - love the presentation and for what it allows my imagination to hold. Actually my impression is much like Krisâs response; so much so I wonât repeat all she wrote (plus, she said it betterâŚ)
But indeed I see ancient ruins - steps to either living quarters safe from predators, or stairs leading to some sacrificial space - or burial.
The blue hue is perfect for this, although no doubt a warmer hue might produce similar reactions? But this works beautifully as presented.
My only small suggestions would be to remove/clone the little green stuff in the LRC, perhaps the entire stone itâs attached to. Not a huge deal, but the odd green hue of that little piece draws the eye.
Fascinating. Glad you found and presented this one.
Gorgeous, Igor. I absolutely love this image. The textures, the composition, and the perfectly diffuse light . I really appreciate your choice to go blue with this plus the beautiful bits of brown/gold to offset. Colour-wise, I donât know how ârealisticâ it is - I donât really care since I have nothing with which to compare it. That leaves me with the image itself and your choice as the artist. Like @Bonnie_Lampley , this reads more as downward cascades than upward, but thatâs just me. Tiny nit - I find that bit of aqua lower right corner a bit annoying since, being anomalous it draws attention but, in my opinion, doesnât add anything.
@Kerry_Gordon, @Lon_Overacker, yes that blue patch is a problem that arose through processing. I actually was aware of it but did not fix it because the file is on a backup drive.
I think that the white balance here is perfect for this image. When I first saw this, and I mean even the thumbnail my first reaction was just how beautiful the blue tones were. Overall an excellent image with a well thought out composition. Everything just fits together and nothing seems to be extra or out of place,
I think what intrigues me the most about this photo is that a sense of scale is missing. Even though you mentioned you stood in front of it, it is not evident if the rocks are small or massive in size. That kind of mystery is fascinating.
Thank yo for your comments. Instead of imagining how this would look at other color casts I thought I would update the post with some of the work I had done previously to see if you still think the original color cast was the best.
Note: After I added the two either images they have been resized to a different size than the original and now none of the links exist to their original sizes. All 3 images were created at the same size but NPN has created different size versions after the update.
