The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Tuscany is a land of smooth, rolling, soft hills furrowed by the work of men.
Specific Feedback
At the end of the work of editing I felt that I could have done something better with this photo but I was not able to do better. Have you any suggestion?
Technical Details
Z7ii, Nikkor 70-200mm at 145mm - f/16, ISO 140, 1/125s
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
The photograph conveys a scene of the quiet of hills and valley along with a a sense of a lot of hard work by generations of Tuscan farmers. You asked “what better?” “Better” depends on what you like about the photograph and how it makes you feel; if you tell us a little about that, then thoughts about “better” could be offered in that context.
I notice that the distant hills seem quite bright, which pulls the eye toward that area. If they had a bit more texture, they might play a more secondary role. I tried Lightroom De-haze in the version below. I also brushed some of the contours in the foreground with decreased black point, to add a bit more interest (to my eye).
Giuseppe I love how this image captures the serene, undulating landscape of Tuscany, with its rhythmic, furrowed hills guiding the eye gently towards the rustic farmhouse.
The color harmony here while slightly more muted than normal, dominated by the earthy tones of the land, creates a cohesive and calming mood, perfectly reflecting the tranquility of the Tuscan countryside. Technically, the exposure is well-handled, ensuring the details in both the shadows and highlights are preserved, giving the image depth and dimension.
The image resonates with a sense of timelessness and the quiet toil of agricultural life, amplified by the solitary cypress trees lining the road, adding a symbolic touch of endurance and resilience.
@Dick_Knudson thanks for the appretiated comment and the suggestions. Yes “Better” is generic and I think it stands for more impact and emotion. I tried to implement your advice and I think that now the impact is “Better”. Thanks again.
@Saundie thanks for your detailed and thorough examination of the image. For many months in a year the colors of the landscapes in Tuscany have nice neutral colors that I love. Thanks a lot for your constant attention to my posted photos.
I think this is a lovely image. The layers (top to bottom) and the repetition of trees left to right really work for me.
I also like the lone tree in The foreground. To me, the top layer remains a distraction even with the re-posts.
If it were mine, i would be inclined to let go of that top layer and pull the viewer deeper into the middle. In that vein, I offer up this crop of a screenshot as an example to play with if you are so inclined.
In general, I am not one that likes to crop other people’s work unless there is an obvious lack of compositional control. I like your vision as it stands but my eye keeps going to the middle ground structures and hesitating. I had to download the image and pull both vertical and horizontal guides to discover what was causing such consternation to my old eyes: the foreground structure is perfectly vertical as are all the trees going up the hill, but the horizontal on the roofline of that long structure is about 1 degree down looking from right to left. I love the shot and can imagine how it must resemble the Palouse in the spring but that roofline nigs at me until I want to scream - well, maybe more of a wince but as is, I would never hang this on my wall and that’s a shame because t is a really nice image.
Every time I see your posted images I wonder if you were a landscape painter in a past life…maybe the 1600’s or something. There’s something “old world” about your composition and processing but I can’t articulate what it is I mean.
Another lovely shot. My only comment is maybe a tighter pano crop that loses the top RH paddock.
I am always drawn to your images. Truly inspiring.
Have you thought about grouping them into a project and posting them here?
I would love to see it.
Thanks for these images
Steve
@Marylynne_Diggs and @Mark_Orchard thanks for your good advice that I have already put in action in the re-post below. I have darkened a bit more the floor and ceiling of the image for giving more attention to the central part. I am very glad that you like the photo. @Chris_Calohan thanks for having highlighted a mistake that I have not seen. I hope that now the image is right also horizontally. @Steve_Rosendahl I thank you so much for your encouraging words. There is a way to group some photos into a project? Oh yes, I have found the channel, thanks.
I like that you have “fixed” the roofline and added some tonality separation but not so happy that you have cropped so much as now the scene becomes about the middle ground and farmhouse and to me, loses too much of your original theme: “Overlapping Hills.”
Sometimes we find ourselves succumbing to suggestions to the point where we lose our original “mind’s eye” which first envisioned such a calming, easy to read story about the Tuscan countryside. Changing the roofline is a nice gesture, tough in the end I likely would have hung it as originally posted even if it nagged at me. It is indeed, a magnificent rendering of Tuscany. Bravo!
Giuseppe, this is an interesting change from the other landscapes that you’ve posted recently. I really like how subtle the color changes are in the fields and how much texture you’ve captured in those same fields. The lone tree in the foreground makes me smile as I wonder why it’s there. I could see burning-in the farthest greenish fields as that would reduce how much interest they gather. Your cropped, repost works very well.
Giuseppe,
I am not sure how I missed this wonderful landscape, but I am glad that I found it while scrolling. The rolling hills are reminiscent of the ones in the Palouse region. The earthtones are perfect and I am totally enjoying the undulating hills and all the diagonal lines and repeating shapes of the trees. I absolutely love this! FWIW I prefer your original version the best.
