As far as the eye could see was a landscape of lava covered in moss up to a foot in depth. In addition, the exposed lava was covered in lichen. The lava was from a volcanic eruption in the late 1700s and the moss was over 100 years old and felt spongy to hand compression.
Specific Feedback and Self-Critique
I struggled whether to try and capture the enormity of the moss covered lava field or focus on a small macro image. I eventually decided to try and document the enormity of the landscape and explain how long it took for the moss to cover the lava to this depth.
Technical Details
Ninon D800 e camera, Nikon 240120 mm lens, f22, 0.4 sec, ISO 100. Processed in PS and Nik Color Effex Pro
I like the composition. I think lowering the exposure and adding a little contrast would help the image. Looks like a great area to explore more and I would definitely look for some closeups.
Hi Paul,
What a unique and fantastic area to photograph! I concur with Garry that the scene needs reduction of brightness and contrast. That leads to more texture in the land and detail in the clouds. I would also like to suggest a crop removing distraction on the left side and button. Now the eye will follow the ravine to the mountains. Since you were the one there, I will leave it you your discretion regarding the hue, saturation, and color of the landscape. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Paul. What a thrill it must be to stand and admire this area. Your photo does help take us there. I agree with what has already been said here regarding the highlights and overall exposure of the scene. It appears very bright to my eyes, but since I was not there, I cannot really say that was how intense the light was at the time you captured the image. The big rock on the left does compete with the ravine and mossy area. I can understand the need to have the rock there to show the scale of the area. However, you have already accomplished that by including the mountains in the background. So, the crop that was suggested seems to be a good suggestion. I like the detail you showed on the moss. It is as if I can almost feel how soft it is. What a beautiful image you presented us!
Hi Paul!
What I like about this image is how it helps us understand the vastness of the lava field. Like you said, it’s jaw dropping. I agree with others that have pointed out with a tighter crop and bringing down the exposure and more contrast in the moss (more dodge & burn perhaps) would help. Thanks for sharing.
