Canon EOS REBEL T2i
EF-S15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
1/200th, f/8, ISO 100, 78mm
Going for the ‘layered’ effect. Trying to show ruggedness of landscape as well. Please leave your thoughts and ideas. I can take the praise or the heat!
Jim
Jim, I think this image needs some more work. First the dark rocks in the lower left seem to have an un natural darker part on top. Masking artifact? Second, I would bring out more contrast in the distant layers: darker darks, lighter lights. And lastly, I would like to see more of the tree tops or bushes on the bottom. It’s a good start and works well in black and white.
The composition is solid. My son has a Canon and it’s quality is noticeably less than a full frame camera. Some of your limitations are due to the camera. You might pick a day when the sky has more tone variability. But the overall layered design with each succeeding layer being fainter works well here. I think the subject matter chosen has great potential.
Hey Tony thanks for the critique. I appreciate your perspective on the image and the scene.
I would have to respond with that’s what I think the scene should look like in black and white. I’m happy with the way it looks. I was there in person and I want to convey what it looked like to me standing there actually looking at it. If that makes sense.
Again I appreciate your taking the time to do a critique and I look forward to getting input from you in the future.
Jim
The foreground shows the ruggedness of the landscape and you definitely have nailed the layered effect. I can’t image the frustration that wagon trains faced in trying to “go west”. As a personal preference I would like to see a bit more saturation overall.
I think you have nicely achieved your layering effect and I like the high key look. I find the cutoff bush tops in the fore a bit distracting. I might be inclined to add back some more of that (assuming you cropped it out or nothing nasty is lurking there). Not an image breaker, but noticeable to me. I like it.
I like this, Jim. There’s a lovely range of tones and the comp has the hills coming in from different heights and playing off each other beautifully. If I have a nit it concerns only the larger version, where I find the light a bit strong in the distance and sky.
Jim,
I like this a lot too and you most certainly created and are conveying a layered look and impact. In fact, the layered look is not only a result of the landscape itself (alternating ridges, distance, etc.,) but more importantly the diminishing contrast - and I’m assuming you processed this way to emphasize. You have pretty normal contrast and tonality up front, with decreasing amount of contrast as you get further in to the scene, approaching that high key look on the far mountains. This works nicely, and oh, the pano format works great too.
Only a couple things to mention. Harley mentioned the bushes at the bottom - and specifically for me the ones in the LLC; either clone, crop or bring more back. Minor, but thought I would mention.
The only other thing is to second Tony’s observation. It’s the dark part of the first slope/ridge on the left. It’s not that the edge is dark necessarily, but there is evidence of either haloing, or some very loose painting/selecting that bleeds in to the next layer. No doubt you saw and want to present the fore ridge as being darker to emphasize the layered scene, that’s clear. Just saying that in processing it looks like just the edge of that ridge was adjusted cause the effects in the next layer. Also, the contrast of everything else besides the edge/ridgeline, the contrast is really flat and so it kinda conflicts. Not sure if that makes any sense.
I do really like the whole set up and where you are/were taking this. A few processing improvements would really take this to the next level.
Lon
Thank you Lon I appreciate your input and I’m going to reread this again tomorrow when I’m fresh. LOL that took some time to do that critique and you have my appreciation for that. Thank you very much. Jim
Hi Jim - I don’t think your camera is imposing any limitations here, as the issues I see are all in the realm of composition, not technical.
I also don’t think the sky necessarily needs more going on in a rendition like this - it’s essentially acting as another layer of the image, and it works that it’s the brightest, as these layers cascade from dark to bright as you get further into the composition. That said, a nice dark/stormy sky would also work well here if you still had light on the middle layers of the landscape.
The main issue I see with the composition is the apex of the “dip” in the foremost layer coming so close to the edge of the frame. This nearly forms a tangent with the edge and it’s visually very tense - it’s hard to get my eye past that. It basically needs some breathing room below, as Tony mentioned. Failing that, I would at least darken the bright bushes in the lower left of the frame, as they too grab the eye and rob it of its ability to explore the rest of the frame.
Overall I think the layered composition here is a solid idea, and it just needs some refinement along the border. Not sure if you have the exposures to go wider, but if not, in my estimation this is a location and composition worth photographing again, if you have the means!
Thank you very much Lon, I think that was an excellent excellent critique. You said what you needed to say and I take it very seriously. There is an art to critiquing and you have so mastered that skill. I enjoy hearing anything good even something minor and the way you presented possible improvements was above board. Thank you thank you thank you.