I am mainly unsure about the balance between foreground and background in this one, as the foreground is quite prominent and high in contrast whereas the background is more washed out by the atmosphere that was present.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Simple two-image focus stack, no exposure blending. Captured on a stormy evening at Coles Bay photographing The Hazards, a spot in Tasmania, Aus. The light broke through the rain and illuminated the sky beautifully, and treated me to a strong double rainbow. The foreground rocks are covered in a vivid orange lichen, and is full of these grooves and shapes.
If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.
@benmazephoto
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
Benjamin, welcome to NPN, what an outstanding first post !!! If you have more images like this, i’m really looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Let me start by saying that this is a very strong composition, those lichen covered rocks are a wonderful foreground. In terms of the relative amount of real estate devoted to rock/water/sky, I think you have achieved a nicely balanced composition. With leading lines like these, the rocks deserve to play this much of a role in the image.
What may be making you unsure about the foreground/background balance is the luminosity. I think some localized dodging and burning can achieve a better luminosity balance. This would take an already strong image up another notch. Distant objects are usually lighter and softer than foreground objects. You already have the softer part, you just need to tweak the luminosity.
So for this image, I would dodge the highlights in the sky, mountains, and water, to gently increase their luminosity. I would burn, or darken the shadows in the foreground, perhaps adding some more vignette in the lower corners. Increasing the the luminosity of the background will make it more prominent, and pull the viewers eye towards it. I used TK Luminosity masks to target lights and darks for dodge and burn adjustments. The image is also slightly tilted clockwise, I would correct that as well. If you don’t mind, I did a rework of your image to give you a directional idea of what these suggestions might look like.
Welcome to NPN. What a grand and wonderful first post! You’ve captured quite the unique seascape in a couple ways. The weather, atmospheric conditions are dramatic and of course the double rainbow tops it all off. But you’ve combined those conditions beautifully with a almost stark and striking foreground element.
What’s weird to me, in a good way… is that one might automatically think or wish the rainbow wasn’t crammed in the corner… and perhaps that is troubling you with the composition and balance? But I think everything is balanced nicely given the rain squall on the right, the cool greens in the ocean and of course the foreground.
And… I think Ed’s tweaks have taken this up a notch - or two! Great potential in this image and the best news is that you’re already starting off with a great image.
Welcome aboard. We look forward to your images and participation. Don’t be shy and just right in with some comments/critiques.
Thanks for the feedback Ed! Highly appreciate the kind words.
I was aware of that wonky horizon, just had not gotten to it yet. Really like the results you got there with the increased luminosity of the brights and some burned darks as well. I had only been working through mid-tone masks, and for some reason hadn’t thought to touch the brights/darks. I’ve since used luminosity masks and some curves layers to rectify this. I’ll try adding some more vignetting as well - they’re already heavily vignetted due to the brightness of the light hitting those rocks. I’ll have to be careful to keep it looking natural.
Thanks again!
Thank you Lon! I’m looking forward to the constructive nature of this community and am enjoying it already. Yes I too quite like how the background balanced out in that way, having those elements on either side with the main mountain in the middle, mirroring the tri-structure of the foreground rocks.
