# Peace **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** landscape\ **Created:** [March 23, 2026, 9:28am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210 "2026-03-23T09:28:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ralf\_Mantzel](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ralf_mantzel/32/83956_2.png) [@Ralf\_Mantzel](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ralf_Mantzel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 9:28am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/1 "2026-03-23T09:28:18Z")
![20250907-DSCF4410.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/2/8/2847e36863f6abd1b5ac7c7f286debcb609943cf.jpeg) > **Critique Style Requested:** _Initial Reaction_ > > Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression. ### Questions to guide your feedback What is your emotion, feeling when you are on a spot like that? ### Other Information _Please leave your feedback before viewing the blurred information below, once you have replied, click to reveal the text and see if your assessment aligns with the photographer. Remember, this if for their benefit to learn what your unbiased reaction is._ ### Image Description I came across this shot from late summer last year. This is a place where I like to spend time, where my thoughts can flow free, my mind gets empty and where I recharge ### Technical Details 41mm, f6.4, 1/120s, ISO 500 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Williams](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/john_williams/32/28797_2.png) [@John\_Williams](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/John_Williams)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/2 "2026-03-23T14:17:21Z")
Peaceful, exactly as your title suggests, is my initial thought. The tranquility of the water and dappled lighting work well together. Feel free to throw in the rubbish bin, but I also like a beckoning version trying to draw the eye to that bright spot the water leads to (an alternative version, not suggestions for improvement): ![20250907-DSCF4410 copy](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/b/b/bb5ef5c5ab9da04cf7c290620a9c7d2e216f4813.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Plank](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dennis_plank/32/27033_2.png) [@Dennis\_Plank](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dennis_Plank)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 3:49pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/3 "2026-03-23T15:49:05Z")
I think your title is superbly apt, Ralf. A wonderful scene. There are two items that tend to nag at me. One is the little patch of sky reflection right at the bottom of the frame that tends to pull my eye and the other is the light colored patch of bushes half way back on the right side of the stream which tends to lock my eye to it-I think just a very slight reduction in luminosity on it would let the eye roam around the image more easily. The composition is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/4 "2026-03-23T15:50:03Z")
Ralf, this looks very nicely quiet, inviting and contenplative. I agree with @John_Williams that removing the bright white sky reflection at the bottom is a good improvement. I’m also finding that the bright shrub to the right of center reduces my attention to the stream rounding the corner, so I’d suggest a subtle burning-in of that bright bush. ---
**Author:** ![Ralf\_Mantzel](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ralf_mantzel/32/83956_2.png) [@Ralf\_Mantzel](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ralf_Mantzel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 4:44pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/5 "2026-03-23T16:44:07Z")
Thank you, John! Your version is a great, I missed that ---
**Author:** ![Ralf\_Mantzel](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ralf_mantzel/32/83956_2.png) [@Ralf\_Mantzel](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ralf_Mantzel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/6 "2026-03-23T16:46:59Z")
Thank you, Mark! Good point! I didn´t realize that also ---
**Author:** ![Ralf\_Mantzel](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ralf_mantzel/32/83956_2.png) [@Ralf\_Mantzel](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ralf_Mantzel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/7 "2026-03-23T17:02:08Z")
Thank you, Dennis! ---
**Author:** ![Ralf\_Mantzel](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ralf_mantzel/32/83956_2.png) [@Ralf\_Mantzel](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ralf_Mantzel)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/8 "2026-03-23T17:08:54Z")
Here is a slight rework with your feedback and also a small crop on the top. The white sky on the right upper corner was also a bit disturbing. I put it here as it is about initial reaction. I really appreciate your feedback. I´m still thinking also for a B/W version, but it is quite hard to make it in a good way and I´m still trying. It changes the mood ![20250907-DSCF4410-2](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/6/0/60b0425ac4a69ed175982fe868b5e228d43e5678.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Plank](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dennis_plank/32/27033_2.png) [@Dennis\_Plank](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dennis_Plank)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/9 "2026-03-23T19:50:47Z")
I like the new version, Ralf. I certainly understand about the black and white, particularly with the current tendency to want to use high contrast, it doesn’t do peaceful well. ---
**Author:** ![tom.marin](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/tom.marin/32/72972_2.png) [@tom.marin](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/tom.marin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/10 "2026-03-24T14:20:30Z")
I like this revised version very much… it is as you said in your title, peaceful and wonderfully composed. ---
**Author:** ![Ralf\_Mantzel](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ralf_mantzel/32/83956_2.png) [@Ralf\_Mantzel](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ralf_Mantzel)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/11 "2026-03-24T14:34:20Z")
@Dennis_Plank @tom.marin Thank you very much!! ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Fricke](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/scott_fricke/32/83810_2.png) [@Scott\_Fricke](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Scott_Fricke)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 6:17am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/12 "2026-04-02T06:17:24Z")
Tranquility came to mind first. When I come across places like this I find I take a few shots, then put the camera down and just be in the moment. A lot of times when I am out shooting I tend to have ADHD and want to move around and shoot everything, these are the type of places that make me slow down and simply enjoy being there. May only very small suggestion would be to crop off the right a little to eliminate the visible sky in the upper right corner, my eye seemed to drift off towards that corner since it is the brightest part of the image. With that gone, I seemed to just move around the image more. Excellent image Ralf! ---
**Author:** ![Ralf\_Mantzel](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ralf_mantzel/32/83956_2.png) [@Ralf\_Mantzel](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ralf_Mantzel)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 12:43pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/peace/50210/13 "2026-04-02T12:43:53Z")
Thank you, Scott! Yes, I should it crop a bit more. Strangely, I alway think I loose something when I crop 🙂