Due to the lack of rain in the West, there is no shortage of dead trees. While headed to Taos, NM, I came across this scene, an abandoned field, the open gate, and the dead tree. The sky was stained with wild fire smoke which produced the orange tinted sky.
Type of Critique Requested
Specific Feedback and Self-Critique
This image was taken in 2016 and originally post processed to B&W. When I revisted th eimage recently, I decided to reimagin it in color.
Technical Details
This image was processed in PS along with other tools. First, I worked the highlights and contrast in Camera Raw. Next, I dodged the dirt road and tree. Using TK Actions8, I adjusted luminosity in hue/saturation, then with specific color / brightness tones.
Not sure what type of feedback you’re seeking here since you didn’t check any boxes for that, but here’s a few things from me =)
I am seeing a lot of Chromatic Aberration, so wondering if you have tried to get rid of that.
I like the framing of the tree using both corners.
I would love to see the b/w version… the color from fire smoke always reminds me of depressing times and destruction, but I see why you liked the color rendering here.
This is just oozing with mood and atmosphere. Almost a melancholly feeling - sad for the smokey skies and just a lonely, desolate and remote kind of feeling. All this reaction a good thing because it brought out some emotional responses for me.
I hadn’t noticed in the small version until I read Matt’s comments. Upon opening the large view I too see the chromatica abberations - the green haloing around the tree/branches. But also, the foreground and tree look like the shadow and midtones have been raised to the point where it became grainy/noisy. Interesting because the sky looks pretty good. Thanks for including your layer stack - although can’t really tell or explain what I’m seeing. What it reminds me of is when I used to try and process an under exposed Velvia transparency… trying to recover shadow detail - that just wasn’t there. I don’t want to belabor that, but the non-sky part of the image seems over done (although viewing the smaller image, I’m still getting that emotional response and I like the look.)
Hope some of that made sense. Maybe a good candidate to post your RAW in the Process Challenge gallery?
I love this image. It’s oozing with symbolism and suggestiveness. I think you did an excellent job and even though it’s not technically perfect I think it’s an excellent image.
Matt, Thanks for your comments and insights. I addded my review requests to the orginal post. Re your questions, I checked for chromatic distortion and did not see any on my Mac Studio display. Below are the RAW image and a B&W rendition I did back in 2016, which I plan to revisit.
Finally, what does the image say, that many parts the the West, particularly the Southwest are under much stress due to climate change, forest fires are more common, the fire season lasts longer, and fields, even if only grazing fields are being abandoned. Life is changing on the land…
The reason I joined this group was to learn more about my photography. A lot of people comment favorably on my images, this and other critiques indicate that they need more work.
Even if not knowing that the red sky is due to wild fire smoke the image has a sad mood with the dead tree, the abandoned field and in this context my interpretation a sundown. I like a lot the composition/framing i.e. how you have placed the road, the tree in the centre, and how the tree branches reaches the upper corners. A really great image.
I love that - nice retort. I think including that in your description has value. I know there’s a lot of debate online about whether or not a picture should have any words that go with it but I think oftentimes it helps to share the message of the work from the perspective of the photographer, which in my view adds value.
I haven’t read the debate but have thought a bit on the subject. The problem with a title is it tells you what the author sees and that affects what the viewer sees. Another words, the author is interpretation it for you, which shouldn’t happen. But that only applies to the more abstract images, like the work of Minor White for example…
