The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This is Matȟó Thípila, located in eastern Wyoming, USA. It’s also known as Devil’s Tower, though that’s not a name I particularly care for. I had wanted to visit this place for a very long time and was finally fortunate enough to do so last October. At first, my interest was purely aesthetic. I thought it looked striking and wanted to photograph it. That perspective changed completely once I was there.
I’m sharing this photo now because of what I felt during my visit. This meadow and the entire area surrounding the monolith carried an incredibly strong and significant energy. It’s very difficult to put into words, but it felt as though I was standing in a kind of temple or church, a place where you instinctively lower your voice out of respect. I’ve never experienced anything like this in nature before. I have felt something similar in man-made churches and temples, and I understand that many of those were built on sites considered spiritually important long before the structures themselves existed. It makes me wonder if this place holds that same kind of significance.
Specific Feedback
I’m wondering what your take on the trees in this image is. Do you think that I should attempt to create a bit of visual separation between the forest around the monolith and the trees in the meadow or does it look fine as is?
Also, do you feel that the nearest tree overpowers the scene with it’s size and visual weight?
Technical Details
Shot with a Canon 5Div camera and a Canon 45mm TS-E lens mounted on a tripod.
0.3 seconds at f/11, ISO 100
Critique Template
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Vision and Purpose:
Conceptual:
Emotional Impact and Mood:
Composition:
Balance and Visual Weight:
Depth and Dimension:
Color:
Lighting:
Processing:
Technical:
Tom, this is a great look at this monument with what I think is sunrise lighting setting it to glowing nicely. I like the balance of the big tree and the tower and the subtle colors along the skyline.
I’ve been to the monument many times in the past for climbing and always felt the energy you describe too. It’s a magical area and your photo brings back those feelings for me. I especially love the light you captured that makes the tower glow. In answer to your questions - I like the meadow and trees at the base of the tower but I do think the foreground tree is a bit too heavy. I think a more vertical aspect ratio that eliminates the trunk of that tree but leaves some of its branches may allow it to frame the scene without competing with the tower. I tried a very quick edit to show what I mean but it might be difficult to find the perfect balance. Thanks for taking me back to this special place!
That’s beautiful light you caught the monolith in, and it does reverential justice to the energy you felt. That light is so fleeting, but it is just a magical moment as the sun slips away.
I think the forest is just right. It is a subtle support for the star of the show. The nearest tree is a bigger question for me. I like the idea, but I do think it is just a little strong and tends to border on competing with Matȟó Thípila. I don’t know if it would have been possible to “shrink” it some (move back and zoom in?), but the monolith a little larger and the tree a little smaller would be a consideration.
Great story to go with this beautiful image, Tom. The light on Matho Thipila is nothing short of stunning. I also love the gold light along the horizon and the soft colors in the shadows. The grasses are amazing looking. The colors throughout are very natural looking. The forest is perfect to me.
I love your concept in framing this image up by using the bigger tree to the right. I think it works. The butte is catching so much beautiful light that the eye is immediately drawn to it and although the eye does wander over to the big tree, I don’t think that tree hurts the image.
However, and I’m just thinking out loud here so take this for what it’s worth, I also think that if you had moved to the left, moving the two smaller trees off to the right of the butte, and moved in closer to the smaller trees, close enough to get the tops of the two trees above the tree line to the right, you might have had an image without the weight of the bigger tree in it and those two smaller trees could have played a more significant role in balancing out the frame. But a lot of things would have had to go right to pull that off and maybe it wasn’t in the cards.
I think it’s great when you get to a location and actually feel the energy that it gives off. I’m glad you were able to experience that energy. I’ll bet this place will hold a significant place in your heart for a long time just as it has for @Cathy_Proenza. By the way, I do like the crop that Cathy posted but it feels just a tiny bit forced. I love the thought though.
I echo a lot of what David just said. This is a compelling photo because it places the monument in harmony with the landscape instead of the usual isolation and/or domination. If I ever get to this place, I don’t know that I’d want to do the same old shots that have been done for decades. This kind of harmonious landscape is much more appealing to me and I’m so glad you went for something different.
Thank you all for your comments and feedback! You’d think that after shooting landscapes for so many years that I’m know better, but it seems that I’m often caught off guard by how fast the light moves and changes. I didn’t have much time after shooting this really tweak the composition much so if I have the opportunity to visit here again (and I hope I do) I’ll be sure arrive much earlier than I did this time.
In the mean time, I’ll experiment with some cropping to see if I can come up with something decent.
Love the light you captured, Tom, and the cool/warm contrast in the image. I prefer your original image over the cropped view. The tree balances the image and helps draw the viewer to the monolith. Also, for me, the wider view adds to the grandeur of the scene.
Hi Tom,
The light on the monolith is quite nice and I think the cooler blue tones of the sky provide a wonderful contrast. The larger tree on the right does not bother me; in fact I think it compliments your story of feeling “an incredibly strong and significant energy” almost as though it was watching over the area. IMO It would have been nice to get a little separation with the other couple of trees from the surrounding forest, but it is not a deal breaker for me. This must have been quite the experience!
This image is perfect as-is, Tom. I don’t think you need any more separation between the FG and BG trees as this is pretty much exactly how I’d see it if I were standing next to you. The light on the Tower is gorgeous. I can’t say that I felt the same energy you described but that could be because I was paying too much attention to the “Caution: Rattlesnakes” signs that were posted everywhere.
It seems that some people don’t mind the tree while others do think it’s to dominant. Personally, I’m slightly in the later camp. I tried playing around with a crop but while it made a slight improvement (IMHO) the tree is still fairly dominant. I don’t think there’s a way to fix that with this image. If I go back one day I’ll try doing something differently.
