The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Mt Chappell Island as shot from Flinders Island just after sunrise. The clouds broke over the island letting in some rays onto it which attracted the eye.
Specific Feedback
Looking for C&C on the composition, the positioning of the horizon (ie not the rule of thirds) and lighting.
Technical Details
5Ds, EF 16-35mm f/4 at 16mm, f/13, ISO100, 3.2s
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Dear Mark Orchard,
Thanks for positing this image. It is a wonderful scene. My eyes jump back and forth between the highlight of the water in the foreground and the highlight from the sun in the horizon. The rock in the middle of the frame with a dark horizontal line tends to block my eyes from moving freely between these two areas of highlight. Suggestion: Crop out the part of the lower part of the image just below the rock just mentioned; then you would have a dark horizontal line echoing the bright horizontal line in the horizon. Would that work?
This is beautiful! What do you think of cropping out the top part of the sky? I didn’t think the top was as dramatic as the rest of it. I gave it a try, see what you think - its just thought. I really like the texture in the rocks and the longer exposure to show the wave motion.
Stunning image! I wouldn’t want to crop out the lower area as Leo suggested - the rocks and water are too compelling.
I like Elizabeth’s crop suggestion, though - the top of the original image doesn’t add much. Her crop showcases the finest elements of the image
Your C&C is much appreciated but I’m not a fan of the crop as suggested. To my eye both the dark clouds at the top and the sea at the bottom lead the eye to the island.
Mark, I really like the original image you’ve posted here. I can see the equal sky/sea split seeming a bit too symetrical, but there are so many great features in both the sky and the sea/rocks to give up any of them. If you considered any change in composition maybe just a small slice off the darkest part of the top to reduce the equal split a bit.
This photo is 3-dimensional! Both the foreground and the sky have a real depth to them that makes the photo appear to be 3-dimensional. I think especially the sky with the dark clouds and brighter clouds further away. I would keep the original crop.
This is absolutely a beautiful image. Maybe a tish off the top of the sky, but honestly, it works either way. It looks so real, 3D. Love all the drama of nature!
Compositionally I really like this! The image has a lot of depth, a great sky, an amazing foreground, and that little island in the center background is a fantastic focal point. Still, I can’t help but feel that something is a bit off. Maybe it’s the fact that the whites in the water are too bright in an otherwise dark(ish) scene but it feels unsettling (to me anyways).
Sometimes a split horizon can work if there is more “weight” on one side than the other. I think it works here because of the “heavy” rocks under a “light as a feather” sky. I still prefer not evenly splitting an image but you really cant lose any of that fantastic sky or the foreground! I love the light in the sky, and understand what you’re doing with the foreground lighting, but wonder if maybe it’s a little bright. I think the darker yet wispy clouds above really add important depth to the image. Nice work!
