The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Yesterday I did three hikes at Canyonlands NP, each time exploring an area I’d not yet visited. The first two were nice hikes but I didn’t find much that inspired me. The third - and shortest - kept me busy for over three hours. This was a hike just under 1 mile R/T, so it’s safe to say it was a target rich environment. The conditions were also good upon arrival, and only got better from there.
I’m a sucker for pinyon pine and juniper trees. This one, gracefully stretching its limbs to mirror the shape of the sandstone outcrop from which it sprouts, caught my eye and kept my attention for a long while. I explored every angle with my camera, and this was one of my favorite perspectives. I had initially considered cloning out the tree in the background but the longer I worked on the image, the more I came to believe that it needed to remain as I like the perspective it offers. I also think there’s more of a story of place with it in the frame.
Specific Feedback
Anything and everything…fire away!
Technical Details
Sony A7IV
Sony 24-105mm lens at 24mm
ISO 100
1/20s @ f/18
Handheld (gasp!)
Lightroom > Photoshop > Nik Color Efex
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
I love those moments when I get lost in a subject; it sounds like that happened to you here!
I think this scene works quite well. That’s a great juniper with a lot of character, and the sandstone and sky drama provide some nice framing.
I’m not sure if you have added a vignette, but I think this could use one (or more). You might add it asymmetrically to darken that upper left corner more (unless you are after an effect of light reaching out to the tree).
I like the tinting, but you might play with reducing the cyan just a tiny bit.
This is nice, Bret. I love the perspective from this angle. I agree the BG tree should remain. It gives the image some depth which is hard to achieve in a 2 dimensional medium. I have to be totally honest, I’m not a fan of the blue/cyan tint. JMHO
Bret, excellent composition. Leaving the distant tree helps balance the scene with the front pine. I did find the blue / cyan cast strong and used Bill Chambers cast removal process here and just an idea for another look. As always, if the composition and focus are there all other changes are optional and personal tastes in the end.
Thank you for the comments, everyone. I think I went a little overboard with the toning. I’m experimenting with a new technique and still getting it dialed in. I’m not a fan of warmer black and white images, which is what led me to begin experimenting with this toning process. I do find @Paul_Breitkreuz version to be an improvement. It feels more pure black and white, without warm or cool tones, and I like that.
As always, great feedback from you all. Thank you!
Hi Bret,
I have to say that I am loving the low POV for this American Southwest landscape along with the way that FG juniper seems to mimic the diagonal line of the sandstone formation. I am glad you decided to leave that BG tree in as it adds so much depth to this image. I could see backing off the cyan tint just a little, but that is personal preference and not a critique. I hope to see more from this particular location since it kept you busy for three hours. Beautifully done.
Bret, this does look like an interesting location with tons of compositions tell subtly different stories. I expecially like the near mirror image symmetry of the two trees. If you wanted to emphasize the tree(s), you might crop from the left, while cropping from the right emphasizes the shapes and texture in the hill on the left. You could push the contrast in the sky to have it look a bit stormy… And this is just one image… Sounds like an awesome location to visit and revisit.
Thank you, Ed. I’ve got a backlog of images to edit, many of which come from this location. I’ll certainly post another one soon. I appreciate your feedback.
Thanks, Mark. I have already cropped this a bit and toyed with the idea of maybe doing a 4x5 crop, taking a bit off both sides. Might have to give that a shot. I enjoyed my time at this spot and will return for a second go.
Hey Bret,
I have to come right out and say that I like the idea of the blue tones in this black and white but I prefer @Paul_Breitkreuz rendition better. I think the perfect version might be somewhere in between because I see the wisdom of what you were trying for and I get it, just a little too far.
What’s not to like about a scene from the American Southwest? This image has great depth because you left that smaller tree in the background giving dimension as well. The way that main tree hugs the curve of rocks is terrific. Kind of intimate in a way. Like they are paired together. You’ve got a great sky to work with and I particularly love the shaft of light entering from the upper right corner and targeting that main tree. The angles work great.
I think I would crop from the left side to remove the bump in the top of the rock and also because I think the center and right portion of the image are stronger and all of the angles are pointing to the right side of the image. Something like this:
I also think you could play with the leading lines in the foreground to make them pop a little bit more in directing the eye through the scene with a little dodging and burning just to accentuate those lighter and darker tones in the rock. I’m at work and don’t have the ability to do more than crop an image but hopefully you get what I mean. You could even accentuate the shaft of light entering from the right. All in all, a really terrific image that makes me want to head your way with camera in hand.
