Quiet Beach

Image Critiques Landscape Critiques
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Mendo_032616_0090
Mendo_032616_00904500×2532 8.41 MB

This is part of a series (informal at this point) from a beach in northern California (Mendocino County, if anyone is interested). I like the mood that the high-key treatment gives - open and free, but quiet.

What technical feedback would you like if any?

Any tech feedback is fine - does the technical processing support the desired mood?

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

Does the photo convey quietness, freedom? Is it interesting? Any comments on composition are welcome.

Any pertinent technical details:

Sony A7, 35mm, f8, 1/60s, ISO100.

You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
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I like your interpretation with this image, particularly those small plants rising from the sand on the left.

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Bonnie, the high key treatment is very effective in conveying the open/free/calm mood you were aiming for. The composition also re-inforces the open/free feeling with the sense of depth created by your composition. the leading line is nice, but I also like how the repeating small dunes pull your eye to the horizon. My only nit is that I think the sky could be reduced in luminosity a bit, I think you can easily do this without losing the high key feeling. I took a quick stab at this. The slightly darker sky has a cooler tone, which contrasts nicely with the warm sand.

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142fa075d2051a8e551fb2bc3066236d67e3b311_copy4500×2532 2.76 MB

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4

This works really well, Bonnie. It does convey a nice, calm open feeling, with the dune pattern leading out to a strong depth to the image. I like Ed’s treatment of the sky, although the original also works.

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5

Bonnie,

I love this. Definitely a sense of calm and quiet. I also get the sense of being alone - as if no one else is near; they’re no foot prints and I really like the ripples of the darker sand as a wonderful draw in to the scene. I also really like the presence of the waves and mountains in the bg; obscured by the sea mist, this also helps with the mood and atmosphere.

I do like Ed’s tweak of the sky, but like Harley, both work.

Great job capturing the sense of a place.

Lon

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Thanks for the comments, @Harley_Goldman, @Lon_Overacker, @Igor_Doncov, and @Ed_McGuirk. I like Ed’s suggestion on the sky. I had darkened it a bit, but slightly darker and cooler is better.