The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
This image is from a recent trip to the California Redwoods. This particular rhododendron was spotlit by sunlight, which really made it stand out.
Feedback Requested
I have other versions of this image that are wider, and show a bit more of the redwood forest, but also more clutter. Does the relatively tight composition work?
Technical Details
Sony A7riv with a Tamron 20-40 mm at 40 mm and f/11. Basic cropping and processing in Lightroon
I like this one a lot, Will. the lighting works beautifully to show off the rhododendron and while it’s supposedly the star of the show, it lends so much sense of scale to the redwood that they balance one another beautifully.
The tight composition works. I really get a feel for the immensity of the redwood tree. If you showed the entire diameter of the tree, I don’t think it would look as huge. The spotlight on the rhodo is wonderful. Nicely done.
The spot light coupled with the overall darkness of the BFG and the redwood really sets the attention on the rhododendron. There is no doubt about what the subject is and the remaining elements all support that subject. I might consider warming the color balance a bit, but you were there and have a better sense of what the colors looked like.
I think the composition works quite nicely, Will. Even though the trunk is really large in the frame, the spot lighted rhoadie, even though small in size, seems to balance it out with it’s exuberance.
Everything has been said already. I immediately selected this image from the thumbnails on the opening page. Wonderful. The light on the rhododendron, placed on the diagonal from the LLC. The dark giant tree on the right edge. I like this image a lot.
Will: Superbly composed IMO and the mood created by the subdued BG and the immensity of the redwood is wonderful. Very well seen, captured and presented. >=))>
Thank you all for your comments. As @Youssef_Ismail suggested, I tried a slightly warmer version of the image (though I kept the fog areas in the background blueish). Its posted at the top. I think it improves the image overall, and makes the redwoods look more red.
As to what the actual light was like: Well, color balance in a forest with fog is always kind of weird, so I just go with that looks good to me in post-processing
What I love is that you’ve been able to capture just how gigantic these trees are, something I have failed miserably at the several times I’ve been in the redwoods. The fog and light splash add beauty, and the overall effect is stunning. I like your crop, because it keeps the rhodie big enough to be the star. If the view was wider, it might start to be an afterthought. I prefer the revision. The warmth adds another layer to the beauty.
The added warmth in the repost really works with the redwood and seems to add a bit to the Rhododendron. I think it detracts from the rest of the background where it makes the green background foliage look a bit odd to my eye.
@Dennis_Plank , in the warmer version, do you mean that the greens in the background look odd when compared to the foreground, or that the green seem off just on their own?
I like the warmer color balance but I have to agree with @Dennis_Plank. Some how the color adjustment bled into the BG foliage as well. Maybe use a soft brush at 80 to 100% black and just brush over the mask on the color balance layer to keep the BG from getting affected.
@Dennis_Plank@Youssef_Ismail I’ve done one more variant (my last, I promise!) which keeps the warmer redwood, but returns the greens to where they started. Thanks very much to both of you. This is what NPN is great for: really constructive criticism from those with the eyes to see the small details.
What a great image you have here Will. That one lone rhododendron alongside the giant redwood tree gives the shot a sense of scale, which is so helpful when photographing in the Redwoods. And capturing that spot of light on the rhody just adds to the effect. You were correct in not showing the wider scene, as I find that the intimacy of this photo works so well. Wonderful!
