Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Fifty million years ago this area was part of the Great Inland Sea, a vast waterway stretching from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The harder sandstone caps protect the softer sediment from erosion, eventually creating hoodoos. I really liked this section for the hundreds of erosion lines covering the edges of all the hills, going back into the distance. You also get to see the different stages of hoodoo development as water erodes the formation.
Specific Feedback
Any feedback would be great. Compositionally I was trying to focus on the foreground formations, while also showing the contextual area beyond. This was shot just before sunset, after an entire day of sustained 50 MPH winds and gusts of up to 70 MPH. This left a lot of dust in the air, giving a nice diffused light.
Technical Details
Canon 5DII, 24-105L @ 40mm, f16, 1/4 sec. ISO 200
I know the place well. I like the light here. You had favorable light. That place can yield wonderful images. I feel this place can yield more impactful images. I would study the forms and work on specific compositions rather than an overlook of the place. As far as a critique of this image I would address the pie slice in the bottom right. Gotta pay attention to that sort of thing when setting up the camera. But the light is really nice and that gave you gentle shadows that show off the hoodoos nicely. People shoot this place with greater saturation but I like your interpretation. This was one of Georgia O’Keefe’s favorite places to paint. She would take multi-day trips to paint here.
Thanks for your comments Igor. The light at the end of the day was quite nice, which made up for the conditions the rest of the day. My brother and I had to take turns shielding each other’s camera from the blowing dust and sand, just to keep our lenses from being sandblasted. I actually purposely left that slice in the LRC in, as it gave some detail of the soils in the area. I think it’s not as noticeable in these relatively small images on this site, compared to viewing a larger image and getting to see the full detail. But point taken, always look around the edges!
Scott, I like the long view here. The foreground areas with all the “toadstools” are quite striking, they are set off very well by the warm tones and smooth platforms in the middle. I could also see focusing in on the toadstools for some dramatic views.
I like the wide view of the terrain, Scott. The soft light and the formations receding into the distance add to the image. That slice in the lower right caught my eye in the thumbnail, though it is a bit less noticeable when viewing the larger image. Leaving it in isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it all depends on what you intend to do with the image. If it’s a straight artistic image, I’d omit it, but if it’s intended more as documentation, I’d include it for the reason you stated.
I could definitely see a closer shot with just the foreground hoodoos-just need to add a few elves.
Thanks Mark, I do have a couple other images of just the toadstools that are pretty interesting, a lot of cool formations down there.
Thanks for your input Dennis. I do have other images without that in the foreground. It would be hard to crop that out in this photo without compromising the hoodoos.
