The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
Large fires in central-west Utah found their way to my backyard - Moab. By mid-afternoon the density of the “particulate matter” obscured the line between sky and ground. No matter where I went, people, trees and rocks all wore the same cologne - that of a campfire with everyone cooking overdone hotdogs. While neighbors and others bemoaned the smoke, I saw possibilities so I made the short drive to the Richardson Amphitheater, the large area containing Fisher Tower, Onion Creak and Professor Valley. I made a small group of smoke-toned images. The smoke is still here so I’m going out again today. I like it. Say what you will. As long as there is light, you photograph.
Feedback Requested
I’ll listen to whatever you want to say. My goal was (obviously?) a mood. I was thinking primordial. What do you get? I’m intending to play with the whole set, likely going very high key or the opposite. I tweaked the color to +7 Vibrance and Contrast about the same. I don’ t know how to add fire smoke aroma to an image yet. This middle ground is a starting point. Thanks
Bruce, I think you achieved a mood. I like the color and I like the way some features fade into the smoke. There’s an appealing simplicity to the image.
I’m not entirely comfortable with the crop. The foreground feature has more visual weight than the background features and the image seems a little bottom-heavy to me. Here’s one alternative that occurred to me but I’m not thrilled with it. You might well find a better solution.
Thanks for the input Don. I have a much wider version of this scene that reveals a portion of the ground that runs from my feet to the buttes. In terms of visual weight a large mass of lighter material can balance the weight of a smaller darker one. I find that work in this image. If the lower piece had any blacks in it then it surely would be bottom heavy.
Bruce, I do like the starkness of this. And the surreal nature of the color. I actually like your crop. It give a good repetition of the diagonal lines . What Dan’s crop does do is take out that round mound on the LL. If you were going to keep working with this image, maybe lighten it so it’s closer in tone to the background. If you plan to go back, maybe a few steps to the left and a little lower angle might help lessen it in the frame or get it out. And it would help emphasize those diagonals on the left side of each hill. Nice image, and hope you are not breathing in to much of those overdone hotdogs.
Let me know once you do, because I have the same dilemma. Smoke images are tricky, because if viewed in isolation it’s hard to tell if it is smoke, dust, lens filters, processing, etc. Knowing that it is smoke does change the understanding of the image.
I like the three peak effect and the diagonals leading up and to the right.
I was curious what this would look like with added contrast. I added a gentle s-curve in photoshop, and here is the result:
I’m not suggesting it as an improvement, but find it interesting how Photoshop changes the color when working with luminosity in rgb. It was also interesting to see how things changed when I changed the blending mode to color only and luminosity only.
This certainly evokes feelings one get when seeing images of smoke from a fire - and wildfires in particular; sadness, danger, destruction, etc. Although it’s certainly possible it’s a giant sand storm? although not as prevalent in the desert SW. You’ve certainly captured that mood and evoking those feelings. Yeah aroma would give it away too, although hot dogs don’t really come to mind… ha ha! I liked the fact that you were able to make lemonade from lemons…
I think your processing and original presentation work great for depicting and iliciting those emotions. I think the comp is well balanced as well. I do like John’s rendition, which goes to show there are many possibilities and directions one could take.
Thanks Lon, a very fair response. Not a sandstorm. Images made with the aid of the Cottonwood fire outside Beaver Utah, which has scorched nearly 100,000 acres so far. It’s been on national news for days and is being reported as Utah’s worst fire EVER. We’re burning down here. On my drive home from Cortez yesterday, there were two fires, one in the fields due west of dove creek and one in the Abajo Mtns that overlook Bears Ears and Canyonlands.
Cheers!
Bruce
John, Thanks for the effort. I like this interpretation as well and will keep it in mind as I continue to resolve the image. I’m glad I took this opportunity but certainly don’t want to wish for more. Two new fires erupted just yesterday in the region to the south, Dove Creek, CO and Monticello, UT. Big winds have somewhat cleared Moab skies. It was a treat to work in that light and color and yes, color is always influenced by changes in contrast, which is why I did so little on this delicate scene. After making a whole image or selection contrast change I always reselect and make a matching saturation layer and often a color balance layer as well.
Cheers!
Bruce
I feel like the exposure is perfect and the clarity is just right. I like your composition too. Nothing too close to the corners, nothing centered. Each layer is equally less clear than the closer one. I’m sorry about your conditions. We’ve just had two days of rain here in Bozeman and I can see new snow well below treeline this evening.
