Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I quickly took this picture handheld as we were leaving our campsite in the morning and wasn’t too enthused by the color rendition.
I played around with it a bit and came up with this. I wanted something out of the ordinary and a bit contrasty. I really darkened the sky because I felt the lighter gray sky didn’t make Ragged Peak stand out. I’m wondering if I over did it, or should I go for a more normal black and white rendition.
Specific Feedback
Is it over done?
Would a more normal black and white image with the gray sky look better?
Did I overdo the contrast?
Overall what do you think of this image.
Technical Details
Sony A7iv
Tamron 17-28 f/2.8 @ 17mm
f/11
1/125 shutter
100 iso
Hand held (quick shot as we were hiking back out of the area)
1 Like
Kevin,
Welcome back! So glad you decided to post.
Outstanding choice to go b&w here. I wouldn’t say the sky is too dark - I would say that this falls right in line with most of what Ansel Adams used to do with so many of his images and prints.
I forget where I heard this, I know we used this at the Camera club judgings way back in the day… but the saying was there should be “black blacks and white whites” in a b&w print. Of course that’s not always true, but sure seems fitting for this image.
This is quite excellent and think you did a great job and accomplished what you wanted with the higher contrast.
Only a two suggestions. The first, you might consider cloning out some of the specs and debrit (or whatever) at the bottom, possible in combination with a slight crop off the bottom to give thie even more of a pano look.
The second is that to my eye this appears ever so slightly rotated CW. And not because of the curing shore on the right, there’s understood optics with that shoreline. But I’m looking at the straight shorely that goes across the left half of the image and that appears slightly tilted by a couple degrees.
A couple little tweaks and this will be outstanding!
Thanks for sharing!
I agree with Lon’s observations. The subject is perfect for the “Ansel Adams treatment”! The high contrast really brings out the texture in the fractured cliff faces.
I’d say you met your goals nicely; it is a bit different and definitely contrasty. I too think the black sky works well, better than a gray sky. I played with lightening the shadows a little (not the blacks), and liked that; might be something to play with.
I like the photo. I do admit that my first thought after seeing it was “this doesn’t look real”, but then I brought to mind Pablo Picasso’s famous comment. A woman was viewing a painting of his titled “The Fish” and she commented “Mr. Picasso, this doesn’t look like a fish”. He replied “It’s not a fish, it’s a painting.”
1 Like
