Ocracoke Lighthouse Lightening storm

Image Critiques Nightscape & Astro Critiques
1

Ocracoke Lighthouse ChrisPort 2023.jpg
Ocracoke Lighthouse ChrisPort 2023.jpg989×1500 97.1 KB

Critique Style Requested: In-depth

The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.

Self Critique

I like the feel, drama, and emotion of the photo. The focus is soft, sharpness is lacking with a motion blur.

Creative direction

I was just looking to capture the power and beauty I was witnessing.

Specific Feedback

I am just curious if the image is still pleasing and impactful despite its technical flaws-- is it worth printing it? Thank you.

Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.

Conceptual: Feedback on the message and story conveyed by the image.

Emotional: Feedback on the emotional impact and artistic value of the image.

Technical: Feedback on the technical aspects of the image, such as exposure, color, focus and reproduction of colors and details, post-processing, and print quality.

Technical Details

FujiFilm Xt2, 140mm, f/3.2. This is a blend of two photos both at the same focal length and f stop, one at 40sec and another at 5sec. RAW.

Description

While vacationing on Ocracoke Island, I saw a storm on the horizon, at the time I was riding my bike home from dinner. I happened to have my camera gear with me after a family shoot though the light was already fading at around 9:15pm, I thought the storm might backlight the lighthouse from a dock I saw earlier in the day. I am really out of practice but thought maybe I can try to capture this moment. The dock I set up felt very sturdy when I set up the tripod though the wind was pretty strong. I weighted down the tripod with my smaller pack but I swaying was too much and I took it off. I set my focus on infinity because I could not remember how to set it to hyperfocal distance in the dark. I took a few shots and thought it was a bust really, I could not get the lighthouse in focus and most of the pics looked blown out. I was able to recover some highlights as I was shooting raw. The two best shots are blended above. In any case, I might have captured the feeling though I feel like I missed the shot. Bummed at myself for letting my photography skills fade away and when a great moment presented itself, I did not have the skills to capture it.

2

In spite of difficulties, you captured a very dramatic scene. The lightning is in focus, which make the soft focus of the FG less of an issue. The dim light on it also conceals the focus issue well. The action is all in the sky. In addition to the lightning, the clouds stand out dramatically. And it looks like you did a very good job of the composite.

The viewer could wish to see more of the lightning bolt on the right, but I assume that is the full frame. Capturing lightning is not easy – you don’t say if you had other frames to choose from. You ask about cropping – if you have options to move the lighthouse out of the center that would be worth considering, as well as other shots with its light not so bright. The colors look believable.

For me, the texture on the water is a bit distracting. It might be blurred a little, or possibly it is better in the 40 sec exposure.

If you have several attempts at both the short and long exposures, there might be other possibilities, but I can imagine I might have been lucky to get just these two.

3

Thanks Diane, that is great feedback. I will blend in the water from the 40sec exposure and maybe adjust the exposure to call attention to the clouds, as you say that is where the action is at. Appreciate it.