The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
You must be getting really tired of all my rocks by now. But to me they’re all different.
I waslked by this one many times before falling under its spell. Nothing really special at first glance. It’s the light that I like. Hawaii has that liquid light. My theory is that the humidity causes the light to glow. Half shadows are very full yet gentle.
Specific Feedback
Do you respond to this image?
Is it too dark?
Do you think this is better in b&w?
Technical Details
GFX50R, 45-100mm, f/11, focus stacked.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Brilliant. Distinctly yours - yet not repetitious. A beautiful look at these stones and needles. I totally see the “glow” and the quality of light. Just beautiful.
B&W? nah. I love the cool tones, but more importantly the pine needles would likely disappear because of similar tones throughout. The warm/brown needles against the cool-toned rock is just a beautiful blend.
Too dark? Nope, not at all. My response to the image was literally brilliant. You know me, most times I don’t h ave an emotional reaction or most scenes don’t invoke deep feelings or meanings - but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a beautifully crafted image.
Of course I do respond to border patrol and nitty things. If printing, I would clone out the fraction of needle bottom center edge. I had to stretch to find something…
The list of “this is one of your best” is getting crowded.
Hi Igor,
The soft delicate light is hauntingly beautiful in this intimate landscape. For me this image is a study in contrasts. You have the graceful lines of the pliant pine needles as they adorn the unyielding strength of the rocks; kind of like yin/yang. This is being super nit picky, but I would remove that one needle in the LRC as well as that one along the bottom edge just right of middle. I could see this making a beautiful print. I almost forgot; yes, no and no to your three questions.
What a splendid image! Neat, with beautiful “liquid” light, as you say, absolutely not too dark - and also for me it works better in colors. And yes, it conveys emotion. The focus stacking is doing an excellent job. Yes, maybe a little cloning of some needles - for example the small piece at the center of the lower boundary… but matter of taste.
Thank you for the positive comments and the editors choice.
I thought I would add a bit more about how this image came about. This picture was meant to be a discard. By that I mean it was a warmup picture. The real image was supposed to be of the trees whose needles are laying about. That’s where most of the work went into. However, to get to those trees I had to navigate over these rocks which could easily turn an ankle and ruin my trip. So I had to look carefully where I stepped. And in the end all that looking led to an image. As for the tree pictures - they were too cliche. You know - winding roots. But I wasn’t convinced of this picture until I came home and printed it. When I saw those dark rock textures rolling out of the bottom of the printer I loved that. I guess seeing a print come out is a bit like the initial vision of the subject itself.
A wonderfull small scene. Before I read your questions, I was thinking how perfectly the brightness of the image was chosen. The cool, blueish rocks are surrounded by dark stones as a natural vignette. The needles are the warm part of the image. That would be lost in a B&W version.
Keep it as it is, please.
