Critique Style Requested: Initial Reaction
Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
In another life, this is a split-toned cyanotype. I just wanted to see how it would translate to B&W.
Other Information
Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is.
Image Description
At an apple farm in Ellijay, Georgia when I saw this last apple, hanging by a thread though cradled by a couple of short limbs which wouldn’t allow it to complete its journey to the ground. It just looked so lonely.
Technical Details
Most of this info is irrelevant as I have altered the original to a place where normal convention doesn’t count.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
- Vision and Purpose:
- Conceptual:
- Emotional Impact and Mood:
- Composition:
- Balance and Visual Weight:
- Depth and Dimension:
- Color:
- Lighting:
- Processing:
- Technical:
1 Like
Hi Chris,
Love this! To me the apple looks like it’s resting in the crook of the naked branch, reluctant to make its journey down to the ground. The lines of the branches are well placed. I would imagine you took a lot of different versions of this at different angles to find this right one. Did you use a texture on this? It reminds me of a Still Life painting! I really like it.
@Connie_McClaran said what I was thinking Chris. This looks like a still life painting. It indeed does translate very well into B&W. I love it.
Hi Connie. No textures other than what was created by the split toning process on the Hahnemuhle Platinum Rag paper I printed this image on. Split toning is an interesting process:
For this one, I over-exposed the print by a full stop, rinsed it for a minute in distilled water with a tablespoon of citric acid. I rinsed one more time for two minutes and then poured a solution of distilled water with one tablespoon of Sodium Carbonate to 400ml over the print, watering hose held in one hand and immediately poured out the sodium bath as I washed vigorously to stop the bleaching effect. I washed for 10 minutes then immersed the print in a green tea toner (six bags to 400ml boiling distilled water) that I let stand until nearly room temperature for 10 minutes. I washed for 20 minutes then lastly, I gave it a dose of peroxide just to see what it would look like dried down.
1 Like
Thanks, Ed. It’s a fun process but labor intensive 
Ho-lee Crowbars! That’s quite the process!! And no mistakes allowed. Puts my digital efforts to shame. Thanks for sharing your post-processing steps with us.
Your digital efforts are nothing to just give a passing glance to; they demand full inspection to fully embrace the natural beauty you capture high up in them that hills. You do beautiful work and I love your van.
Yes. You’re right about the digital thing. And where have you seen my van?!?
On your page. Always curious about members who critique my posts.
Ah. Yes. We love our van too. Spend at least 3 months worth of time in it each year!
Did that for three years in a 31 ft Winnebago…and a Roadtrek 190. Lived in the Winnebago for a full year while my house was being rebuilt after Hurricane Michael.
Good Heavens Chris! That is one unholy mess! Thank goodness you had a second home to live in…
