The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
There is no time I’d rather be out with my camera than in the pre-dawn light just before sun rise. It is a time of quietude and reflection, to be not “in” but “of” the natural world. This was my state of mind when I found my way to this place. As I walked along the upper ridge – 25 meters above the water of our island camp site – I could see in the dim light how the forest seemed to fall away to the water below. It felt almost like a canyon winding its way down to the lake through split and eroded granite, covered in the detritus from the forest floor. The piles of pine needles and almost no light made my descent slippery and treacherous, but I was determined to get down off the ridge in time to catch the first soft light as it touched the rock. And as the light began to bring out the bluish green, almost ghostly hue of the rock, it felt as though I had somehow been deposited into a timeless, primordial past. I remember being awe struck to the point of forgetting that I even had a camera and it felt somewhat of a sacrifice to disturb the moment and take out and set up my gear (though, in the end, I’m glad I did). This picture is not what I actually saw but it is an attempt to capture much of what I felt – the mystery and other worldliness of this place.
In post I was very conscious of working with the colour palette and lighting to accentuate the mood of the scene. I love the way the cascade of pine needles seems to mimic the movement of water – not present in that moment but which, over thousands of winters and springs has shaped this landscape.
Specific Feedback
I wonder about the blue in this picture (especially on the left) and whether it should be toned down. I wanted to juxtapose the watery coolness in the peripheral shadows with the warmer greens and golds that are more central. I would be most interested in your thoughts and feelings around this image and the extent to which you feel I have been effective in conveying a mood. If you have any suggestions that might serve to improve the image, I would love to hear your feedback.
Technical Details
Critique Template
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Yes, it creates a definite mood. The blues seem fine to me and they set off the warmer tones nicely. I like it very much.
The backgrounds rocks in the upper left are fairly contrasty and keep tugging my eye up there. If this were mine, I’d consider lowering the brightest tones in that area or brightening the shadows.
To say it with David DuChemin: Shoot what it feels like. You definitely did.
I love the image and the presentation with the white border. Great hues and texture, and the pine needles almost flow down to the edge of the image. I can imagine your sensation of awe. It reminds me of a mountain hike, some 25 years ago, that I still remember very well. I was alone and it was so silent, that I felt that my footsteps disturbed the mood.
I can see what @Don_Peters means, but I wouldn’t change anything.
I find that “cascade” or “waterfall” of the pine needles mesmerizing and I like how their warmth (in colour) contrasts with the coolness of blues and greens surrounding them. When I view this image, I feel in awe of how beautiful the natural world is and I somehow feel as though I am in some sort of shrine where it is appropriate to not disturb anything and to only talk in whispers. In all honesty, I’m actually fascinated and surprised at how strong of an emotional/spiritual response I am having to this image so my hat off to you, this is really outstanding work!
In terms of your request for specific feedback I don’t think the blues need to be toned down. At least on my cheap monitor here at work it looks good. Also, the change in your revised version is so subtle that it took me a few moments to realize what had changed but then again that could be due to my monitor…
Kerry I too love that time of the day just before the dawn. Usually ten minutes before the hair is very clean, the sharpness is maximum, the colors are cold, vivid, special. I love the mood of the photo, the fight between lights that enter and shades that resist, the splendid contrast of colors. A truly beautiful photo.
Well seen image. I particularly like the light and the shadows it creates on the rock faces. It looks like a vignette was applied? The light on the pine needles really changes in the lower right corner. Don’t know if that’s a natural shadow or a vignette.
@Don_Peters - Thanks for your feedback, Don. I rather like the contrast that helps, I think, to give the image a dark, brooding feel. When I make the image very small, it helps me to assess whether there might be excessive visual mass in one area or another but for me, at least, this one feels pretty balanced. That being said, I did lift the darkest shadows along the left side but only slightly. There is no pure black and if you enlarge the image you’ll see there is some detail throughout. @Han_Schutten - Thank you for sharing your story and I’m very pleased that my story and this image helped bring that special memory back to your mind. @Tom_Nevesely - Your description of the feelings this image evoked for you is so beautifully told and I really appreciate your sharing. I am truly touched by how strong your feelings were in response to this. @Giuseppe_Guadagno - I am so pleased that this image helps to connect you and me through a common experience of that special, and I might even say, sacred pre-dawn time. @Igor_Doncov - As usual, much appreciation for your feedback. I did apply vignetting but not in the tradition way. Instead, at a certain point I changed the blend mode to “multiply” and then pulled the opacity back and painted it out where I didn’t want it. I wanted to get a slightly claustrophobic feel - that the scene was somehow contained by darkness, which is how it felt when got myself down off the ridge. That area in the lower right was in heavier shadow but I may very well have pushed it a bit too far in that area. If you go up to the revised version, you can see that I backed it off a bit so that it hopefully feels a bit more “natural”.
