The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Another magical day at Blackwater Falls State Park, WV. Ed and I try to schedule our trips for a rain event and are usually rewarded with some great atmospheric conditions. It was actually pouring rain while taking this shot standing a couple feet from the cliff edge on slick rocks with a 600 foot drop.
Specific Feedback
Any and all feedback is welcome.
Technical Details
Nikon D200, 450mm, 1/60 @ f/16, ISO 200, -2/3 ex comp to control mist over exposure
Critique Template
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Vision and Purpose:
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Hi Mike,
Well, you know that I am loving this one as I have something very similar. The atmospherics with the fog/mist are quite beautiful and the timing was perfect with catching that fog behind that red maple tree along the ridgeline. This is just a gorgeous drop dead scene dripping with mood! No suggestions from me. Beautifully done IMO.
This is a WOW!!! Wonderful shapes, details and colors! You have got this place at your command!!! I love the variations in the mist – this is seriously a huge print!
My first impression was of a scene I remember from the movie Deer Hunter. Yes, this image ‘drips with mood’. Mist (or fog) seems to always do that. I played with this a bit to see if it can be improved. I made the following adjustments - 1. reduced the exposure ever so slightly, 2. reduced a very small amount of contrast, 3. brought down the whites significantly. I thought the image was too contrasty for a fog image.
Thanks for this exquisite landscape lesson Michael. I would say only that I didn’t at first notice the granite cliffs, which are unique in an image otherwise filled with flora and mist. The cracks in the rocks somewhat resemble the pine boughs, so perhaps that’s why I didn’t see the granite cubes at first. I have a similar shot from Yosemite and have played with punching up the rocks, while not quite making them my subject! My eye wanders over the composition looking for something you forgot – the upper left is misty but blessed with the dark green, gold and red detail, for example – but I can’t find anything except possibly an opportunity to strengthen the rocks.
Dripping with mood…Yep. I love that about fog and the really nice thing about this image is that the fog is layered. It’s not covering everything up. It’s low hanging so that the tops of the trees are poking up into better light revealing their magical fall colors. I’m really drawn by the 45 degree angles of the fog and vegetation which gives the composition perfect balance. The colors look just right to me but I would probably like a smidgen less brightness in the fog. I think @Igor_Doncov did a really good job of toning down the whites and creating slightly less contrast. Beautiful image that I would seriously consider printing. Well done.
Holy crap, @Michael_Lowe! This is extraordinary! I wish I had some helpful thought to offer but I think this is perfect just as it is. Let’s see some more!
Wow, very nice! I don’t think it gets much better than this. I love the mood and I love the colour - especially the combination of the greens and the reds. Absolutely no nits from me!
Outstanding Michael! This has great diagonal flows, and the color is exquisite. I really like @Igor_Doncov’s version, because it lets the fog compliment the color as opposed to the color complementing the fog. Regardless, it’s a beauty!
Thanks @John_Williams, @David_Haynes , @Igor_Doncov, @Diane_Miller, @Ed_Lowe, @Tom_Nevesely, @framingtheuntamed, @WillR, @james7, and @Bret_Edge for the nice comments and suggestions. @Igor_Doncov, my initial impression about processing echoed your thoughts, but I have a weird system of processing. I don’t make final master files of anything until I’m ready to print something for myself or occasional sale, For web display I’ll usually make a quick, down and dirty edit if necessary and save for web. I hate spending a lot of time at the computer, so will post here and take advice for future reference. So this image is basically straight out of camera with a little dehaze and frame action. If I ever print this, it will probably resemble your rework.
