Let in the Light

Image Critiques
1

56ZS_0459ICM-npn.jpg
56ZS_0459ICM-npn.jpg2250×1757 625 KB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Another in a series of ICM images I captured during our 4-day NPN gathering. We were all together in an area best known for views of the Three Brothers, and an area cleared of many beatle-diseased trees by the Forest Service in recentl years. What remains is a new meadow area with remaining pines, ponderosas and incense cedars. the charred trunks are not from wildfires, but from years of controlled burns in the valley. Thru proper fire and forest management over these past many years, the valley is slowly returning to a natural state and is looking so much better than it has in the past years.

This image was captured near the edge between the scarred, remaining trees and the now open meadow. The gang had wandered down by the river while I remained up top, “practicing” my ICM’s.

While a very classic vertical ICM motion of an evergreen forest, what struck me were all the blue-gray bare branches and their resulting presence in the captured image. I’m not quite sure what produced the brighter upper right edge, but I suspect it was the granite walls above and beyond the forest. This bright area combined with the streaking bare branches gave the illusion of light streak thru the image. A stretch perhaps, but much like you would see from a foggy/misty redwood forest and the classic “God’s rays” that so many have beautifully captured.

Specific Feedback

I tried to enhance that look and feel of light streaking through the image. And to help with that, I used a number of diagonal “dodge” strokes of brighter light throughout the frame to help with this look.

Was I successful in creating a streaming light effect? Or does that even matter with an abstract such as this?

I warmed this up a bit, but is it enough? What do you think of the capture, presentation and processing?

As always, all comments are welcome and appreciated!

Technical Details

Nikon Z7ii, z24-200mm @70mm, f/13, 1/4s iso31
handheld, single frame ICM

2

Lon,

It is an appealing image. Something about how there appears to be both a vertical and diagonal movement is interesting. So all the diagonal element is through the dodging? The colors and luminosity are pleasing, and it does appear to have that light beams through fog effect.

3

Thank you @Youssef_Ismail . To answer your question, I should have been more specific in my information and ICM process. The diagonal lines are all from a diagonal movement of the camera during exposure. So actually, this particular (and many that I do) have literally two movement directions during a single 1/4s (or whatever) exposure. In other words, in that short period of time, I start with vertical motion, then quickly flick/move in a upward(or downward) diagonal motion to finish the exposure. The end result are two distinct motions in a single exposure. But also, those brighter silvery-gray streaks, most notable on the left portion of the frame, are the dead snag/branches on the trees. The diagonal motion picks them up, creating the effect you see.

And honestly, the dodging I did only really emphasizes those diagonal lines; but for sure the dodging did not create those lines. In fact removing the dodging really would change much, only the brightness of the diagonal motion/lines.

I hope this helps. Thanks for the comments!

4

Hi Lon. To me, those two directions of movement have made me look at, and explore, your image much longer than if it comprised just a vertical blurring of the trunks. There seems to be quite a lot of the latter these days, and the additional work here has set this one of yours apart. The tones and colours combine wonderfully. Cheers.