It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, but I’ve actually been able to get out with the camera a couple times this year. Steve Kennedy and I spent recently spent four days chasing fall color and came away with way too many pictures. I’m slowly trying to wade my way through those images, but meanwhile thought I’d swim against the stream and post a photo from this past May.
There’s a wonderful patch of larkspur that blooms in the Columbia River Gorge here in the USA on the Washington side of the river each spring. I’ve photographed there before, but decided to visit again with the new camera to see what I could come away with. This is the first of three I’d love your feedback on.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any suggestions are appreciated, but I’d love your thoughts on color balance. I shot a gray card with this image, but it was part in sun and part in shade; the two areas gave very different numbers.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
NIKON Z 7II
NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S
1/60 sec. at f/6.3 and ISO 64
Truth In Blending Statement: Five images blended for depth of field with Helicon Focus 7
I’ve looked at this image several times to get it’s full effect. The image is about the life giving light penetrating the forest floor. But what really impresses me is how it enters as a point and spreads across the entire canvas as a triangle. I also really like how the trees radiate from the source rather than being vertical. That sort of gives it a spiritual quality. I don’t know what to suggest. The shadows on one half are darker than the other but I like it that way.
Good one, John. I really like the way the light leads me nicely through the image and then up and to the back and out to the light, nicely symbolic. Minor but I would clone out the dark trunk URC.
John, good to see you here. I really like the soft backlighting here. Nice work with the focus stacking too, especially since the gorge is noted for windy conditions. I think the colors look great. I wonder about lifting the shadows a bit in the lower and middle left side. Not a lot, but the darkness there seems in stark contrast to the rest of the scene.
I’ll bet this looks awesome in a large print. And congratulations on the new camera.
This is a very tough exposure and WB situation, but I think you have handled both of these things very well. In fact, I don’t think you could do any better than this with the WB. Your highlight areas are warm, but not too warm, the shadow areas are cool, but not cool, so I think you nailed the WB of this dappled light. That triangle of light on ground is just so captivating, adding so much life ot the image. Nicely done John.
Nitpick moment, another vote for @Harley_Goldman suggestion on the dark tree in the URC.
John,
That is some absolutely gorgeous light and you handled it beautifully. I love the way that it comes in from the top of the frame and then spreads out as it works it’s way downward across the lovely patch of larkspur. My only suggestion would be the same as @Harley_Goldman about the limb in the URC. Congrats on the new camera. How are you liking the Z7II?
Thanks for the feedback all! I’ll play with cloning out that dark trunk and the shadow luminosity.
@Ed_Lowe I’m loving it so far. It’s my first full-frame, so I’m definitely on a learning curve with a long way to go. (Especially when it comes to depth of field and focus bracketing.) The shadow detail is amazing; I’m having to force myself to not bracket exposure the way that I always have.
