Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
I was taking a hike and noticed these groupings of rocks. Out of context, they look as if gravity has been suspended. The smaller rocks ought to be falling off their small ledges. They don’t because all of this was actually at my feet on the trail I was following.
ISO 100, 135 mm, f/16, .4 sec.
They do look suspended – those longer pieces look like a vertical cliff face. Great find, well presented, with tonalities that don’t overwhelm the subject.
Both of these are really cool, Don. I don’t know if you used any “creative” filters on these or not, but they have a very three dimensional look. Somehow they give me the sense that they belong as illustrations in a children’s fantasy book. I expect to see gnomes peeking around the rocks.
Love these, Don. The first is my favorite of the two because it’s almost abstract.
Diane, Dennis, Bonnie, thanks. The first is my favorite as well
I didn’t do much processing on these but I did run them through Topaz AI, which applied a little sharpening. I was surprised that the photos needed any sharpening because I used a tripod and a sharp lens. Sometimes I suspect that Topaz makes some kind of change just to convince us that we’re getting our money’s worth.
Great find and set of images Don! The illusion of suspended rocks works so well. I love the arrangement of the rocks in both images. The overall framing looks great in both.
In the top one, the rocks appear to be traveling along a ridgeline. Rock climbers would be an appropriate description. 
In the bottom image, the rocks seems to be spilling down off the rock ledges. I think that image needs some color cast correction as it appears a bit yellow/green to my eyes. I think it could benefit from some color separation.
Don, the touch of optical illusion (with rocks that should be falling…) works great and it’s nicely enhanced by the 3D sense in both shots. I prefer V1, because it is warmer, thanks to more of the orangish stone. Your description of Topaz AI sounds like it’s applying some amount of what’s called microcontrast. Adobe calls the same thing “Clarity” in it’s software.
Alfredo, Mark, thanks for commenting.
I’m not seeing the color cast in the second one but I’ve never been very good at seeing color casts.
Mark, what you say about the Topaz software makes sense. I had reduced the clarity on these a little in Lightroom. Maybe Topaz was determined to restore it.
