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Emotional response if any?
Other Information
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Image Description
This is a bit more of an iconic spot, but with only 3 days in sedona this last week I felt I wanted to come away with at least something from this location. I tried for 3 days to get a good picture of Cathedral Rock, but to no avail. Finally the last night there I was favored with a colorful, albeit late sunset that I almost missed. I honestly like the panoramic view better than the reflection though I feel both work well.
Technical Details
Stitched panorama, iso 500, 52mm, f5.6, 1/15s
Specific Feedback
Do the colors and compositions work well? Does anything seem amiss?
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I find it challenging to give Initial Reactions, as opposed to Reaction, so I’ll focus on the second one which is my favorite.
There is a resting peacefulness for me here. I grew up in Arizona, and used to love early spring when the days would warm enough that it was very pleasant to sit outside and enjoy the sunsets that seemed so common there. (Here in the Pacific Northwest, they are much less frequent, and I miss them.) My Mom was born in Bridgeport, a hamlet near Cottonwood, and her family ran cattle in the Sedona area (but would take them up by Mormon Lake in Summer), so this also has a sentimental attraction that adds to that feeling.
For me, the bottom portion below the reflection doesn’t hold near that feeling the way the rest of the image does, and I’d be tempted to crop some of it out.
Bryant: I like both iterations and agree with @John_Williams regarding cropping some from the bottom on the second image. On the first I would normally not want to give the sky as much real estate in the frame but it is such a wonderful color palette and the perfect complement to the land forms. I do like where you placed the horizon. A beautiful place very nicely rendered. >=))>
Bryant, both posts show off the red rocks and the lovely subtle colors in the sky well. There’s a nice sense of space in the first view. I do prefer the 2nd post, mostly because the pool of water and the reflection put me “right there”, making it easy to imagine that I’m sitting there enjoying the peaceful sights and sounds.
Bryant - really nice work. I live in Southern UT for most of the year and see plenty of red rock and so I don’t have any particular emotional response. My immediate first impression is that the second image is significantly more appealing given its compositional simplicity and has the potential to be a stronger image. I think it’s important to reflect on what drew you to that specific composition in the first place, what you were experiencing that morning, how being there made you feel and what beyond the aesthetic compelled you to create the image. The answers should translate into the edits and artistic choices you make on the way to the final image.
If I were to put myself in that moment I may have felt a sense of calm and stillness as well as the prospect of experiencing the beauty of another day spent in the high desert. To that end, I would try and distill those elements into the final image with simplification being of critical importance. I’d focus on the following:
the slice of small mesa on the left of your main subject is a distraction. I’d crop in.
The pool in the foreground helps balance the composition but to my eye there is too much. I would
crop up, eliminating most of the water while leaving some breathing room at the top of the mesa
reflection. The extra water does not add anything to the image from my perspective.
The cloud getting the color to me is a distraction as well. There is nothing particularly appealing
to me about a colorful sky (speaking only from a photographic perspective) because you see it so
Frequently in landscape images. I’d blend the tonal values of the sky to bring focus away and draw
the viewers attention to your main subject.
*. Finally, from what I can see the mesa is receiving some light that you could bring out subtly without
making it appear unnatural.
Hope this is constructive and you find some benefit in the feedback.
Hi Bryant,
My first response is that this looks like the perfect way to start or end my day. The colors in the sky are wonderful and the processing looks spot on for my tastes. If these were mine I would be quite happy both images. I do slightly prefer the second one as that bit of water and the reflection are another beautiful element for the viewer to enjoy. The way you framed the water is perfect and makes a great lead in line to those lovely rock formations. I do like the rework @Bill_Fach made with the crop. I could also see a crop of that formation on the left edge as I find myself wishing I could see more of it as it is framed. Beautifully done!
Beautiful light on both images, Bryant. Either one is far, far better than anything I came up with when I visited a while back. I like the second one best with the crop that @Bill_Fach recommended. Well done.
Bryant, I live in Arizona and I’ve seen a lot of photos of Cathedral Rock. My first reaction to the second photo was that I don’t recall seeing a reflection shot of Cathedral Rock. Yours is very effective. The light is terrific.
I agree about cropping out some of the bottom. We all seem to have a slightly different view as to how. I’d consider something like this.
Both are beautiful and stand in their own right. The first pano just works; it captures and displays the rock formations beautifully. The sky and clouds of course are the added bonus. I have no nits or suggestions on the first pano.
The 2nd image is equally wonderful; a strong near/far composition that showcases the main Cathedral Rock feature. I would agree with George about the small chunk of Mesa on the left edge. Not a huge deal, but pulls the eye slightly.
Both have great color and a gorgeous sky. (I think I’m repeating myself?)
Several have mentioned the reflection in the 2nd. I would agree to the extent that cropping/tightening up the foreground just a bit be an improvement. Also, and this hasn’t been mentioned, at least in my view, and in general, a reflection is almost always just a tad darker that the real parts. If it were mine, I would selectively darken the water. Interesting, and I just noticed, that the rock formations seem fairly accurately depicted in the reflection - yet the water seems much brighter. hmmm, not sure… but that’s my observation.
You definitely have some strong and wonderful images - Printing is hopefully a goal with either of these!
Thanks @Lon_Overacker@David_Bostock@John_Williams@Don_Peters@Bill_Fach@Mark_Seaver@GeorgeKalantzes@Ed_Lowe I very much appreciate your encouraging words and thoughtful feedback. I cropped up from the bottom and side as was suggested. In addition I darkened the reflection just a tad and brightened the light reflecting off of the rocks a little too. I think the adjustments definitely draw the image together a bit more. Thank you all again!
Both are beautiful images for sure but for me, the one that speaks more strongly is the first panoramic shot. To me it just feels that it conveys the largeness of the landscape better whereas Cathedral Rock just feels small(er) in the second shot with the reflection. I don’t know if that makes any sense but that’s what my gut is saying to me. In any case, I think you did a really good job with these and I can’t think of anything to add that’s not already been mentioned by the others.
