This image really captures to me what autumn in Japan is all about. The vibrant shades of the many different colors found in Japan. With this image though I struggled with weather or not to crop it down or to include the light I slightly enhanced at the top. I was able to get this in a single exposure. My tendencies are to over due the saturation and the Orton effect. So I would really like some feedback or pointers. I fell like I haven’t in this one? I don’t really have anyone here to bounce images off of so thank god NPN is around. Let me know your thoughts or tips. Thank you.
Description:
Specific Feedback Requested: Any
Pertinent technical details or techniques: Single exposure, TK panel used in PS to work on the luminosity and color.
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My sense is that there are no rules on how much orton effect is ‘right’. I like my images tack sharp so no orton effect level is acceptable. I struggle with the idea of ‘how much is right’. I have seen images where it was applied almost unnoticeably but it did saturate it somewhat. In your case it’s been applied pretty heavily giving the image a kind of dreamy look. The image also has fog in the bg so the orton effect seems stronger further back than up close. I’m not sure that’s good. Overall, the effect seems appropriate for the Japanese Culture because their art seems to dovetail with thistype of handling of an image. Much of photography is culture sensitive. If I lived in Japan and was exposed to their art daily then my perspective would be affected.
Mark, this image has a lot of impact and emotion in it. It showcases the varied colors of autumn in Japan, and I love the way the dappled light looks on the rocks near the waterfall. Color and saturation are very subjective things. I think Orton falls under that umbrella too. It also depends on the intended use of the image. Strong Orton might be received favorably at places like 500px or Instagram. At NPN the style of many here leans towards subtle use of Orton (if at all) , and that may influence some comments you receive here.
I’m assuming you applied Orton to the entire image. For me it nicely softens the boulders and vegetation in the areas of dappled light. But at the top where there already was light and fog, the Orton just feels too strong. It makes the rocks near the top edge become distracting hotspots. I would reduce the intensity of the Orton in the top section.
I think cropping the top away would rob this image of some of it’s vitality, I would just dial back Orton at the top. But here is another crop alternative to consider. I think it places more emphasis on the waterfall area by eliminating the sunlit green bush on the left. I did burn the top section a bit too.
What a gorgeous scene, I see several comps within what you captured. I like the feel and mood of the scene with the Orton effect it definitely leans artistic/impressionistic vs “straight” landscape.
From what my eye sees…The lower left tree and rock could be a comp of its own. The gorgeous fall color of the trees on the right/upper right side could also have a composition within that area. You have come across a wonderful scene that has lots of options for expressing what your feeling. I am not that familiar with landscapes from Japan, thank you for sharing and I look forward to seeing more of your work!
What a beautiful scene Mark. I know nothing about Landscape photography in Japan so I can’t comment on that but you have captured some beautiful colors. For me, Orton is image specific and sometimes I don’t mind more of it but other times I find it obvious and intrusive. Without knowing what your processing intentions were I would say that it almost works for me but I do find that the foggy, atmospheric mood in the background maybe just a tiny bit too much but it’s not bad. I find the 2 hot rocks to be more of an issue along the top center and kind of an eye grabber. Easy to fix for sure. I find the right side of the image to be far more interesting than the left side and I do like the crop that @Ed_McGuirk applied to the image removing the bright spot on the very left edge of the frame and the green tree. It makes it a little better balanced to my eye. As others have said, I see other compositions in this frame that you could play with.
Ed I do like your crop and the burning you used in your example. I struggled softening the top and to be honest. To answer your question about where I applied the Orton. I applied it to a light selection 2 if I remember correctly and a yellow color range. This is probably where I went wrong by selecting the color range and intensity. I agree the more I look at this that it does feel too strong at the top. I will take another swing at it to see how I feel about it. I appreciate your feedback and example. Taking the time out of the day to help others admirable and truly appreciated by me. Thank you.
Thank you David for your feedback. I wanted to soften the image a tad. I agree with the comments on the background. I’m going to go back and take a look at the overall softness of the image. I will post my changes back in the feed.
Thank you Keith for input. There are several compositions here I agree. I will be heading back to this location to further explore it that is for certain. I do like the painterly feel in images that call for it. I want to keep it simple though and get away from the IG over done look. As some of the others have stated I want it subtle if any.
