# Roma Gorge and Rework and reworked rework **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** landscape\ **Created:** [October 11, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347 "2025-10-11T01:09:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Glenys\_Passier](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/glenys_passier/32/33963_2.png) [@Glenys\_Passier](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Glenys_Passier)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/1 "2025-10-11T01:09:47Z")
![144A6411-3 with colour bal and DM](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/6/2/62e7ab37e926d5349a46b58c641b35886b8e4eb2.jpeg) Rework ![144A6411-2](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/2/0/204f23342c62d6962d1b4ee1e650ce9d074a6245.jpeg) Mid tones lifted. Original ![144A6411-1.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/c/4/c40ae0c3e656fcd3f2d74b626a7c49a218959067.jpeg) > **Critique Style Requested:** _Standard_ > > The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image. ### Description Roma Gorge is located west of Alice Springs. There’s no road, but a track that follows the course of a dry creek bed. There was a very small waterhole at the terminus of the gorge that little zebra finches were bathing in. We watched them and listened to their incesant chatter for quite a while. We found Aboriginal petroglyphs that have been aged at 6000-8000 years old. ### Specific Feedback I am no landscape photographer, but I have photographed incredible landscapes. I hope one day, I can do them justice. All comments welcome! ### Technical Details ISO500 70-200@70mm Hand held f4 1/500 * * * ### Critique Template Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas. Vision and Purpose: Conceptual: Emotional Impact and Mood: Composition: Balance and Visual Weight: Depth and Dimension: Color: Lighting: Processing: Technical: ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 12:15pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/2 "2025-10-11T12:15:50Z")
Glennie, this looks like a wonderful place to “visit”, even though it’s clearly an adventure to get there. This photo has a lot going for it. The rock wall behind is nicely abstract and colorful. The slanting slope with the trees contrasts dynamically with the big wall behind and I’m still looking at the lower left debating whether or not there’s a pool of water there. The flat “surface” line suggests yes, but the shrubbery is clearly not reflectd. What I do think you could do is add some mid-tone contrast to better separate the trees and slope from the wall behind. I took a quick try in Photoshop, the mid-tone contrast added quite a bit of saturation to the wall, which seemed unnatural to me, so I also added a modest desaturation. While I used luminosity masks to pick the mid-tones for the curve layer, you may be able to do something similar with an unmasked curve layer (or using a tone curve in LIghtroom). ![144A6411-1_ms](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/0/b/0b9feadb9c29cf19d3f74fd1d5d9a3b976aea6b6.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_Cameron](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ian_cameron/32/583_2.png) [@Ian\_Cameron](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ian_Cameron)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/3 "2025-10-11T14:44:10Z")
The trees and rusty iron colours of the rock work extremely well with those blue green leaves and the white trunks, are they Red Gums, Ghost gums? I went to the Red Centre way back in 1998 and was blown away by the lesser visited landscapes of the Australian desert landscapes. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Peters](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/don_peters/32/87970_2.png) [@Don\_Peters](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Don_Peters)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 5:30pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/4 "2025-10-11T17:30:09Z")
I like this one very much. The somewhat flat, painterly look seems appropriate for your subject matter. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Lowe](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/michael_lowe/32/7118_2.png) [@Michael\_Lowe](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Michael_Lowe)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/5 "2025-10-11T21:37:27Z")
This is really nice imho. It has a painterly look. But I also like @Mark_Seaver’s rework as another alternative. I like how the trees are composed against the canyon walls. For a non landscape photographer you did pretty good. Looks like our US southwest. ---
**Author:** ![Glenys\_Passier](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/glenys_passier/32/33963_2.png) [@Glenys\_Passier](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Glenys_Passier)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 1:27am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/6 "2025-10-12T01:27:41Z")
Thank you @Michael_Lowe and @Don_Peters ! Thank you Mark! That rock ledge had me thinking for a little bit. I tried your suggestion by very subtly lifting the mid tone contrast. I hope I have pushed them far enough. I feel the image has come to life. The original does look a bit flat in comparison. Thank you for the nudge! Thank you Ian. Your are correct. These trees are Corymbia aparrerinja..ghost gums. They certainly are a big part of central Australias beauty. We are always blown away by the beauty of our “lesser visited landscapes”. Our deserts are amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Igor\_Doncov](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/igor_doncov/32/579_2.png) [@Igor\_Doncov](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Igor_Doncov)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 2:43am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/7 "2025-10-12T02:43:54Z")
Incredible image. I just love it. Personally I feel that this image thrives as a low contrast image. The added contrast makes the texture of the cliffs compete with the tree. Even the added texture to the tree leaves breaks up their shapes. I know that the original looks flat at first appearance but I believe that the low contrast will look great as a print on matte paper. For me this image is about color and shapes and not texture. It’s a delicate image and it’s important to keep that sense about it. ![144A6411-2id](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/b/e/be73c975091e651990389236ac46cfc0d8b91304.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Rob\_Sykes](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/rob_sykes/32/66393_2.png) [@Rob\_Sykes](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Rob_Sykes)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 2:50am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/8 "2025-10-12T02:50:01Z")
Glennie, this photo is grand, and for me, it works because the green gum and the red rocks are diagonally opposite on the colour wheel. I have spent some time in this area and normally the contrast is too great for good photos. Was it cloudy? My only suggestion is to try adjusting the tone curve so that the lhs is closer to black and the rhs is closer to white. This helps isolate the tree further and gives more depth to the photo. I have gone a bit crazy to illustrate. ![tone curve](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/1/6/16b101b1aac6351ed91f322f132e2feaa555767e.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Igor\_Doncov](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/igor_doncov/32/579_2.png) [@Igor\_Doncov](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Igor_Doncov)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 3:06am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/9 "2025-10-12T03:06:21Z")
I also would shift the color balance ever so slightly to yellow. That emphasizes the difference between the leaves and everything else. ![144A6411-3](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/4/e/4e002c4dac2086edbd37c06a9c8e44ac2e608bf8.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Diane\_Miller](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/diane_miller/32/27391_2.png) [@Diane\_Miller](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Diane_Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 1:16pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/10 "2025-10-12T13:16:41Z")
I meant to comment here earlier but I got too busy again. I think this is a striking image and I’m delighted to see some good comments! I have a slightly different approach to adjustments, in that what strikes me first is an area of low contrast from the larger tree up toward the UL corner. I wondered if that area could be corrected and came up with this. There are three different masks – the first two are curves to increase contrast and the top one is just a subtle darkening. I may have overdone it, but just tossing it out FWIW. ![144A6411-1-DM](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/4/8/4878a0518d8dde1f4322305412e1792f8f474296.jpeg) ![Screenshot 2025-10-12 at 6.03.55 AM](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/3/9/397e05a1f323a099961530775c0c4ae506255804.png) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Williams](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/john_williams/32/28797_2.png) [@John\_Williams](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/John_Williams)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 2:40pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/11 "2025-10-12T14:40:56Z")
Fascinating image Glennie, and I find the discussion with the different suggestions to be just as fascinating. Oddly, I enjoy both the higher and lower contrast versions; they say different things. I think this one comes down to personal vision. For me, if I was forced at gunpoint to choose I would take your rework with a bit of @Diane_Miller’s ULC clarity thrown in. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Fach](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/bill_fach/32/78290_2.png) [@Bill\_Fach](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Bill_Fach)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2025, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/12 "2025-10-12T19:20:56Z")
Glennie: What a marvelous place. I don’t recall ever seeing an image from there so this is a real treat. I’ll ditto @John_Williams comments. For someone who describes herself as a non-landscape photographer you’ve done extremely well here and clearly underestimate yourself. Very nicely captured and presented. \>=))\> ---
**Author:** ![Glenys\_Passier](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/glenys_passier/32/33963_2.png) [@Glenys\_Passier](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Glenys_Passier)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2025, 1:49am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/roma-gorge-and-rework-and-reworked-rework/48347/13 "2025-10-13T01:49:15Z")
Wow! There are so many wonderful suggestions , and, each suggestion has its merit. I have them all! I have settled with Igor’s suggestion of a very subtle colour balance shift to yellow. I’ve also worked on a little more contrast in the top left as suggested by Diane. I don’t want the image to scream. I would like to suggest a quiet dignity. I hope it feels both intimate and monumental and perhaps a little secretive. Things I’ve just noticed. The bottom right corner looks a bit yellow now and there’s a funky pink corner on the top left hand corner. Thanks again for all the comments and suggestions!