Nest Eggs

Image Critiques Macro/Close-up Critiques
1

Bandon north jetty-53632-ARW-Edit.jpg
Bandon north jetty-53632-ARW-Edit.jpg2048×1622 1.85 MB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

I’m not really sure this qualifies for this forum. The image is probably covers an area about 8x10 inches, so if that’s too big, you can move it to landscape. This was taken at the base of the north jetty in Bandon Oregon and I was attracted by the pile of stones in the joint of the much larger jetty rocks. For geology and history geeks, the jetties in Bandon were both quarried out of a single large rock called Tupper Rock, but known to the natives of the area as Grandmother Rock and considered a sacred place. The rocks are known as Bandon Blue Schist, a rock formed at low temperatures and very high pressures. Surprisingly, the best history I’ve found on the quarrying of the rock outside the Bandon museum (a very worthwhile stop) is on a real estate company blog.

Specific Feedback

I’m unsure about the crop on this one. I started with a looser crop, but there was a notch in the rock on the right that entered the top of the frame so I decided to crop tighter. Also I should have stopped down more or taken a couple of shots to get that top right corner in better focus-is it too distracting?

Technical Details

Sony A7RV, Sigma 28-70 f/2.8 @ 70 mm, hand held, f/16, 1/400, iso 1600. Given the dark rock I ran this through DxO PureRaw 4 for noise reduction and processed it further in LR & PS CC. I cropped it and used an old Topaz plugin in PS to enhance texture then used the selection tools and point color tool in LR to bring out some of the stone colors a bit more.

Taken February 18th at 9:54 a.m.

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2

A lovely clutch of eggs. I’ve never thought to look at the base of the jetty. I’m always busy looking at the driftwood. I don’t mind the softness in the corners, but that’s just me. I think I would crop it in just a little front the right. Just feels better to me.

3

Thanks @Chris_Baird I’ll take another look at the crop.

4

Cool find! The collection of eggs is very interesting and there is a nice line of eye movement leading up from the LL then sweeping back down with the darker feature on the right. I’d hate to lose that with a crop. Maybe emphasize it a bit by bringing up the lights there just a bit? Or something…

It may not be macro but it’s sure what I would call close-up. Nicely seen and presented!

5

Dennis, the nestled eggs sense is strong here. There’s lots of interesting details in all of the rock, with the bit of clam shell making a counterpoint. The softness in the urc does catch my eyes…burning in the brighter arch there should help. I use less than about a foot on the long axis as my boundary for close-up

6

It does remind me a nest of eggs, Dennis. A lovely image and I am good with it in Macro/Closeup.

7

Dennis: Really nice find and a fine capture. I like this cropped a bit tighter, especially from both upper corners. I also made the little pebble in the LRC go away. The color in the schist is a really nice complement to the brighter color in the eggs. Well seen and composed. >=))>

Dennis
Dennis1808×1436 2.82 MB

8

Thanks, Bill. I like your crop. I’ll have to give this another look.

9

Dennis, a Unique find, and nice geology lesson too! :slight_smile:
Nice variety of colours of the “eggs” , set off nicely by the black rocks.
I like Bill’s suggestion..

10

Bill brought out the best of this image with the tighter crop. Lighting is outstanding and the softness of the light is perfect for the subject material…Jim