The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
At sunrise I was in a high spot where I could see for fifteen or twenty miles. The sky was partly cloudy . The sun came out of a bank of clouds behind me and offered this up.
Specific Feedback
How are the colors? I had a hard time with the white balance. I shot with daylight white balance and the result was very yellow. Auto white balance didn’t work well. I wound up leaving the white balance on daylight and moving the slider towards blue until I reached this compromise.
The saguaro was the only foreground interest available. I know there are some shrub branches intruding at the bottom but I decided they didn’t bother me.
Technical Details
ISO 100, 124mm, f/16, 1/6th sec.
Critique Template
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Lovely!! The FG bushes don’t bother me as they give me a place to stand while I enjoy this. The colors are spectacular and the layer of shadow adds so much nice depth. The WB works for me – it feels well balanced on the shadow area which is probably the best reference. Well done!
Don: I have to admit that my first impression was indeed “too yellow”. But as I looked a bit more carefully I think its more of a dynamic range/contrast issue. I tried masking the saguaro and simply toning down the exposure. Not sure it’s better but for me it does decrease the impact of the bright color. I love the scene and the play of light on the BG as well as the dark sky. back to you. >=))>
Diane and Bill, thanks very much. I don’t think there’s a right brightness for the saguaro in this instance. I was reminded that I don’t take front-lighted shots very often and that they can produce some overpowering colors.
For whatever it’s worth, this is what the RAW file looked like with daylight white balance.
Spectacular light on this scene. I too have had a lot of issues with white balance shooting the saguaro in both early morning light and late afternoon sunset light. I think you nailed it. Although it looks quite saturated in the yellows and greens, that’s the way this landscape looks with early and late light. I love the play of light and shadow through the frame. The sky is nice and doesn’t draw too much attention away from the rest of the scene. Those background mountains with the gorgeous light adds a ton to this composition. I love that the saguaro stands out so well against the dark shadow area of the hills. This is a really beautiful image, Don.
I really enjoyed this trip to Saguaro country. The dark sky and sunny/shaded areas convey the feeling of the sunlight breaking through. I played with it, and found myself adding some shade to the lower right and to the mountain behind the saguaro tip. Also wanted to dodge the dark hill in middle left. Sure, I played with the saguaro, darkening its tip a little, but the original is really engaging, especially with Bill’s tuneup.
Hi Don,
I really like the interplay of light and shadow here as it has created this wonderful depth to this desert landscape. I also quite like the darker cloudy sky as I feel it adds to the scene and the FG shrubs do not bother me at all. For my own personal tastes I do like the small tweak with the FG saguaro from @Bill_Fach. Beautifully done.
