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
As you look at this, does your perception of the subject change while you observe the scene?
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
When in Taiwan’s mountains, I was struck by the atmosphere that is the model for effects commonly seen in scrolls and panels by East Asian artists for centuries. I tried to process the image to emphasize the atmosphere, and move the eye from layer to layer toward the horizon as a short meditation on light and insight. It is somewhat experimental for me.
Technical Details
1/80 sec, f/14, ISO 100 (Canon 90D), EF-S 55-250 mm f/4-5.6 IS, Tripod mounted, Lightroom Classic, DxO Photolab, Photoshop, TK9 panels. The image diverges from the raw capture considerably, but is in line with my visualization. The location is an easily accessible viewing platform in Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, Taiwan.
Specific Feedback
I am most interested in your emotional reaction to the image, if any.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Bill, this is a lovely, peaceful image. It does resemble the panels of many Asian artists - nice work. The saturation and mist looks just right to me, and the comp is good.
I have mixed feelings about the position of the horizon line - it’s pretty much in the middle of the image. I know this is the placement of most of the artists, but for photography purposes, maybe a little less on the top and more on the bottom would be preferable.
Either way, a very fine image!
(Hope you’re able to be more active here - I’d like to see more of your work!)
Thank you for the encouragement! I understand the feeling about the horizon line, but I’m still inclined to keep it in a place that forces my eye to move from “near” to “far”, part of my idea of the image moving the viewer from one consciousness, of the earth, to another, of light. However, it’s always good to experiment with the crop.
I find this stunningly lovely!! The thumbnail caught my attention a couple of days ago but I’m just now getting back to it.
I love the rich color with the variations from dusky orange to nicely subdued yellow. The layers do move my eye (me!) into the mysterious distance. I think there is room to play with the horizon placement – not for “improvement” but for different feels, but this one definitely works for me due to the dramatic vignette at the top, which balances the silhouetted FG.
I love simple shapes and this image really resonates with me!
One minor thing – the points of light in the trees are white when I think I expect them to have the orange that is behind them. I don’t know if that is intentional (or good or bad) – just something I noticed right away.
Hi Bill,
Glad to see you posting again. The warm light is quite lovely and helps accentuate the layering of this beautiful scene. I could see a little crop from the top, but that is just my personal opinion. Like @Diane_Miller I too noticed that those highlights behind the trees are not orange. I hope to see more images from you as well as your critiques of other’s images.
I really like the bottom half of this image. The top half, while it has that nice gradient, doesn’t add all that much to the image. As for my emotional reaction I’d say that serenity and wonder come to mind.
