The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
On a walk and there it is. Round White Rock on a Black Flat Rock… I thought how unusual. So I took a couple shots and really tried to Bring to Contrast out in this Image. Not much editing. you never know what you may see. and Keep it Fun !!!
Specific Feedback
I really like the contrast and the shapes in tis image. I could have framed it different but I did capture the vision I was going for. A Simple Image !!! any suggestions on my composition… Would you have taken this shot. Is this too simple and what do other photographers think…
Technical Details
ISO 400 Shutter 11 f 14 edit in photoshop using my dodge tool the most…
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I really like this image. I would agree that it was a shot worth taking. Contrast is pretty cool in this one. I think the composition is really good. I’d be interested to see some other compositions with a little more in the frame to give some context, but that’s not really a critique, mostly just my curiosity speaking.
Thanks. The contrast is what drew my eye to take a couple shots.
The simplicity and tone was my vision when I did some simple edits. Real different and I’m always looking for the different vibe. Thanks again.
Both the light/dark and shape contrasts stand out, Gil. It’s good to see the subtle textures in the black rock. I do think that a bit of burning (or maybe just a touch more contrast) in the brightest parts of the round rock might be good.
An interesting find, Gill. I think B&W really works for this. When I bring it up in large view the white portions in the center and left side of the rock seems to be a bit too bright and so losing some of the texture in those areas. Could be my old eyes. Nicely seen and captured.
Gil: When I first glanced at the thumbnail my first irreverent thought was, “why would someone post an ostrich egg?” I’m glad I opened the large version. I think this is a testimony to well attuned vision. I often have people ask me what I’m shooting, especially macro, until I let them look through the viewfinder or the screen and then they say, “I would never have imagined.” I think this is one of those subjects; easy to pass by but with a good eye can become a successful image. On my screen the tonal values look pretty good and I’m enjoying the disparate textures of the “egg” and the nest. Well seen and nicely captured and presented. >=))>
Thanks Everyone was showing interest. I burned the white of the rock as far as I could and still keep some white. I thought of Ansel Adams zone system and wondered what he would have done. Editing can be a challenge for me. I use Photoshop like a darkroom. Keep it simple and try to use basic tools to make my images look the best I can. There are so many Photographers here on the NPN that are Amazing at their editing skills. We change light like the Old Masters which (I admire so much) to get a new visual of something we shoot. All ways learning and trying. Thanks again for eveyones comments. Peace !!!
Very interesting textures here, which the B and W brings out very well. You dodged the blacks so why not burn the whites a wee bit, as suggested? Excellent and eye-catching composition. Kudos.
I completely missed this one until now! The tonal values look fine to me – some areas on the white rock have less detail but not an issue for me. Possibly they were just a bit ahead of the focal plane, and didn’t have a lot of detail anyway. Congratulations on the EP – well-deserved!
When I’m after more detail in whites, after pulling the Highlights slider as far as it looks good in raw, I’ll increase the Texture slider a little. Then in PS I can use the Detail Extractor in Nik ColorEfex, often with only an area not masked out. It pays to play with the different parameters in DE.
Thanks. Should I purchase Silver Efex Pro. As a plug in.
I’m learning as I go. Going to the shore soon to shoot for next image video. My image and music videos are now my main path to express myself. To put the two together. I love being a member of the NPN. Great people on this site.
I have Silver Efex but don’t use it as much because it only gives a slightly different look compared to doing a B/W layer in PS, or a B/W conversion in LR. (I assume ACR also has the same B/W capability.) But it does offer a range of general tonal adjustments and some frame effects. I do the general adjustments in LR or PS and then do a B/W layer above and then I can modify the adjustment layers below.
But if you haven’t gotten into adjustment layers yet, SEP is a very good one-stop solution.
(And I would highly recommend learning the power of adj layers. They are very powerful and easy to use.)
Great find, compelling composition. Your approach to the image creates impact.
I would like to see the texture in the black rock be more obvious. Bringing up the highlights might do that. The background could be subdued a bit (for me) as the bright areas draw my attention. You might consider a bit of burning in the upper right corner, to match the other corners.
Overall, I think what makes this image is the contrast of scuffy white area lower right of the rock. Everything else is fairly smooth and subdued, except for that. It creates balance compositionally, tonally, and texturally.
