Pink Necklace

Image Critiques Landscape Critiques
1

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Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

@steve_kennedy and I spent a couple of days photographing rhododendrons around Mt. Hood in June. Steve and I seem to attract rain when we get together, and this trip was no exception. We hoped that meant the clouds would drop down to where the rhodies were blooming. But, alas, although they came tantalizingly close, they never reached the elevation the flowers were at.

In my experience, fog can create depth; it makes it easier to see what is close and what is distant in the two dimensions of photography. Without the fog, I found the rhodies to be a tough subject to photograph. Around Mt. Hood they grow in forests that are quite cluttered, and I found most of my compositions looked a bit flat and busy. However, when I was taking this photograph the sun popped through just for a short while, and I felt that helped a bit.

Specific Feedback

When the sun popped out, I didn’t have time to switch lenses, so the composition is a bit crowded. That tight foreground also makes it difficult to straighten the trees. Is that tight comp a deal breaker for you?

Any/all feedback is appreciated!

Technical Details

NIKON Z 7II
NIKKOR Z 24-200 f/4-6.3 VR at 24.0 mm
1/13 sec. at f/22 and ISO 800
3 images focus stacked using Helicon Focus and Photoshop
Two additional images at 1/25 sec. and 1/100 sec. for dynamic range

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2

I was curious what this would look like with a drop shadow:

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1 Like
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Hi John,
I see this after my last post about hardly using my wide angle anymore and this makes me want to get it out and use it again! :grin: The tight comp and trees are definitely not deal breakers for me. Even though you guys did not get the fog you hoped for this bit of light streaming through the woods is the next best thing as it does add depth to this woodland scene. Needless to say, the sunstar is the icing on the cake. Beautifully done and no suggestions from me. BTW, I do like the drop shadow.

4

Fog, Smaug, who needs it? :grinning:Not you with this nice image. I really like the ray of light on the ground even more than the sunstar. Lots of depth to the image. I haven’t shot anything wider than 24 mm in years. We just don’t have the landscapes for it on the east coast. Can you do the 4 sided drop shadow in PS. I’ve only figured out how to do two. No, I don’t feel the image is too compressed.

5

I think I remember you guys having lots of rain on this trip too. Wasn’t it the day after we shot Abiqua Falls?
Not having thick fog to play with certainly doesn’t make this image a deal breaker. Not at all. In fact, I really quite like this image a lot. You have beautifully detailed flowers at their prime in the foreground and you have three triangles in the image when you use the light shaft and the fallen log as triangle edges. That makes the composition pretty nifty for me. I also feel like the trees in the background provide needed depth without necessarily drawing attention to themselves making for a very balanced image. I also really love the colors in the light shafts/starburst. Pinks, greens, purples, blues, oranges, etc.
I love the drop shadow!

6

John, this looks good. The flowers are in perfect condition and they show up well in your photo. As David says, the triangle of attention that pulls from the flowers to the sun works well and makes the habitat clear.

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Thank you @Ed_Lowe , @Michael_Lowe , @David_Haynes, and @Mark_Seaver for your comments! (Although, the fact that only Moderators replied is a critique in and of itself :wink:.)

My apologies Michael! I forgot to reply to this. You can do that in Photoshop. When I go to the Blending Options there are several Drop Shadow options, and I can get the 4-sided by selecting more than one.