This is at MacKerricher Park, Mendocino County. Following the mantra to always look behind you, I turned around as we were leaving and saw this scene.
What technical feedback would you like if any? What artistic feedback would you like if any?
As far as the framing, there is a lot of room at the bottom, but I feel like that visual mass is holding up the lovely curved dunes.
I thought I would tone the shadows to be a bit blue, and the highlights to be more yellow, but all attempts at that looked awful. The colors seemed to bleed together and make for areas of sickly green. So, I stuck with the (more or less) natural colors. These dunes always have a distinctive pink color right as the sun sets.
Any critique is welcome.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Single frame, sony a7r3, f/16, 1/125s, ISO 800, hand held
If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.
Very beautiful image !! I think the deep shadows work fine - they help create a mood that is very suggestive of the peacefulness of a quiet late evening; I think you have just enough detail in the fg ripples to allow for the darker masses.
Bonnie, I like this image a lot. The colors look great as presented, I’m glad you decided not to mess around with toning, this looks really nice as presented. The colors and deep shadows create a wonderful mood here, I think you did a great job with the processing. The composition is excellent as well, I love how the strong leading lines pull your eye from the LLC up to the S-Curve of the main dune.
The light here is exquisite, and processing pulls out the richness of the light. Excellent work
Very nice image. Good detail in both the sun lite areas and the shadows… Just enough light on the mountains in the background that they give context, without being in any way distracting. The low light gives great warmth and shadow…no nits here.
If you hadn’t mentioned this was in Mendocino… I would have thought for certain another DV dune image… But then the landscape is a bit flatter and so really, there is a bit of difference. Of course one has to learn where first…
This is a beautiful dune landscape. The light here is key of course and there’s a couple things that work beautifully. First, the highlights and the last light hitting the face of the curved dune. Second, I also like the light fall off and atmosphere in the upper 3rd - how it goes from bright - sun just off camera, fading to darker on the right. Just a very natural looking and wonderful capture.
Not unlike Dave’s image, I’m kinda wishing for a bit more texture in the shadowed area on the left, below the bushes. Not a big deal though.
Thanks, @Ron_Jansen, @Cheryl_Kuhl, @Dave_Dillemuth, and @Lon_Overacker, for your comments. Lon, good point on the darkest part under the bushes. I’m about to print this, and I’ll have to bring that up some or else it will just be a dark blob.
Nicely done, the subtle color works well with the overall dark shadows and for me, sets a peaceful mood. I also really like the composition with delicate ripples of sand and lines along the ridges.
