Seeing the Light

Image Critiques Landscape Critiques
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Seeing the Light WEB.jpg
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Critique Style Requested: In-depth

The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.

Self Critique

I just had my Sony a6000 converted to infrared. I am fascinated by what it did to the Joshua Trees, and I don’t know what to expect, but I like what happened.

Creative direction

I am trying to figure out what to think about the success or failure of the infrared process. At this point, I am still determining my vision.

Specific Feedback

All feedback is welcomed. I want to learn how to improve this way of capturing landscapes.

Technical Details

a Sony a6000 was converted to the standard 720nm filter.
The settings were: ISO 100, f/8, 1/200 sec. handheld.
It was opened in LR, where I used a B&W profile. My initial effort to load an infrared preset was unsuccessful. Then I used PS and the TK9 luminosity filters to do the color-balancing and finishing touches.

Description

This was taken during a photo workshop in Joshua Tree National Park. I felt like a kid in a candy shop with my converted camera and all the opportunities it presented with the Joshua Trees as subjects.

1 Like
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Barbara,

It is amazing what gets illuminated in IR. Those Joshua trees are just glowing! Looking forward to seeing more from this camera.

3

I agree with Youssef on this Barbara. Those Joshua Trees look really intimidating. Like a blast of light and spines! Great composition in this by the way. I really like the IR look here.

4

Infrared suits this image very well. I think you’ll enjoy experimenting with it.

5

Great fun to experiment w/IR, yes? JT NP is a FANTASTIC place in which to play with it. You did it justice with this image! IR in B&W is all about contrast I’ve found., and you handled it well here. So the more light the better - which is great as it lends itself to middle of the day photography when color is so boring. Next time you’re there, check out the Cholla garden in the late afternoon back lit light! Sand dunes are a blast with IR too…

6

Really striking Barbara; the leaves look like sharp icicles!

7

Thanks to all of you @Don_Peters , @connie4 , @Ed_Williams, @John_Williams, @Youssef_Ismail
regarding the IR approach. @connie4 Joshua Trees are wonderful subjects. We spent time in the Cholla garden and I have the pictures to prove it. More to come.

8

Nicely done. Please keep experimenting with the IR. I love the glowing FG set against the darker BG rocks.

9

Thanks, Michael. Finding subjects where I live isn’t as easy as in Joshua Tree National Park.

10

Beautiful image , especially the tone , making the foreground pop out with the whites !!!

11

Thanks, Gill. That was the fun part of the IR.

12

Overall a very successful IR image, IMO. I like the textures of the plant. I’m not sure that the sky adds much here, but the plants do a great job of holding my attention.

13

@Tony_Kuyper thank you very much for your feedback. I have questioned leaving the sky in the scene and may decide to crop it. I want to say that I use your filters for every photo I edit. I would be lost without them.

14

Really fun and surprising shot Barbara – the Joshua Trees look like ice crystals. I would say that because the infrared distorts reality so heavily here, I’d like to see the coposition tighter on the trees. Maybe my problem is I’ve seen too many Joshua Trees in their “natural” colors, but ultimately this is an abstract, so why not frame it to emphasize that?