The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
This image was made just off one of the main roads in Death Valley. I drove by it so many times and wanted to photograph it but we were always on the way somewhere and when you are with a group it can sometimes be hard to just stop whenever everyone wants. So I waited. When the family came in I threw the car into park on the way by one day and jumped out for 5 minutes to make this. I think Iād still like to revisit it under slightly different conditions.
Specific Feedback
I got nearly exactly what I wanted, but not quite. I didnāt really want that top right corner to be in the sun, but itās what I had to work with. I also wish more of the right side were in shadow, but again, sometimes you get what you get.
Iām really trying to figure out if Iām over thinking this, but something just doesnāt feel right in the edit and I canāt put my finger on itā¦so Iām coming to you for help! Have I looked at it too long and its fine, or am I missing something?
Hi David, of the three, the third one feels best to me. This has so many angles in it that I tend to think in a more graphical, geometric mode. Somehow accenting those angles might help.
FWIW, this might make a great āhow would you process thisā exerciseā¦
Cool scene, David. The first thing that caught my eye was the overall geometry of the scene, then that light reflecting off the left slope onto the under side of the rock. With that in mind, I took a crack at emphasizing those two things. I think emphasizing the light/dark areas in the back slope gives a frame for the rock. Darkening the URC doesnāt look too odd to me, but YMMV.
Hey David, great find, I donāt think Iāve noticed this rock before! I like the flow of this, but I agree that something is off in the processing. The biggest issue to my eye is that it looks like an HDR because the shadows have been pulled too much. The bright light on the left just doesnāt jive with the open shadows on the right, I feel like the shadows should be much, much darker. Also, did you apply clarity to the rock? It looks a bit ācrunchyā to me and is lending to that artificial feel as well.
Itās really hard to make this look the way I want working on a jpg, but this is a bit more of the direction I would take it, take this with a grain of salt of course!
I also like cropping this to get rid of some of the emptiness on the left. I think Bonnie nailed with the 5:7, I think my choice of 4:5 may be too tight. This has a lot of potential, but I would give it another go with fresh eyes.
I think you may have been going for a high key type of look here, but these type of images lend themselves better to overcast days where you can control the light more. This type of high contrast scene generally doesnāt work well for high key. Hope this helps!
I dunno ā I prefer the 3rd version ā I like the unusual nature of the high key low contrast look, and the rock stands out more. And Iām a sucker for bluish shadows. I think darkening the URC could be good, but tweak the contrast at the same time to keep it harmonious. Wonderful find and well worth puzzling over!
This is amazing. I photographed the same rock. The light conditions were different. Itās amazing how the presence of shadows changes things. I found the climb up to it a bit difficult. Youāre much younger of course.
Your composition is outstanding, David. From a processing perspective, I do prefer Bonnie and David Kās versions. The sunlit areas in yours are a little too bright, and the shadows seem a little too open in relation to the sunlit areas. Going back and forth between Bonnie and David Kās versions, I think I prefer Bonnieās. What might also be interesting would be to warm up the sunlit areas a touch and cool off the shadows, giving it a bit more contrast and pop. Just a thought. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks everyone for the comments. I think Iām going to keep this one but make a copy and go back to the drawing board to see where I end up. Something about it doesnāt sit right with me. I think a higher contrast is the answer but I need to mess with it. Iāll be sure to post another version here once itās done. Appreciate all the feedback!
Here we go with a redo. I havenāt slept on it so I may regret thisā¦
@Bonnie_Lampley I tried to emphasize that reflected light a bit more in this one. I didnāt crop anything yet, although Iām still considering it for sure.
@David_Kingham It is probably too close to the main roads for you I went all the way back to the raw file which I assume I could post as well. This was shot pretty early so while there are shadows, it wasnāt a super dynamic image. I did try to emphasize that contrast more in this one. I like what youāve done with the colors, pushing a bit more of a ārustā color than a yellow color. I may need to revisit that in mine. The sharpening applied to the original was from your micro-contrast action, maybe I just needed to reduce the opacity on it. I left it off of this one.
Thank you, @Diane_Miller. I hope you enjoy the reprocessed image.
@Igor_Doncov thats it! Isnāt it wild how this can happen. It actually gives me a really satisfying feel knowing that Iāve found subject that other photographers I admire have shot completely unbeknownst to me. On this trip, another guy who I really enjoy his work, made nearly an identical image to me on two separate occasions. Neither of us had any clue we had done it. It was a signal to me that I was on the right track. I shot it from the road, so maybe next time I need to hike up!
@Bret_Edge Thank you sir! Iāve tried to emphasize that color contrast as well in this one. Interested in your thoughts.
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I went all the way back to the raw file which I assume I could post as well. This was shot pretty early so while there are shadows, it wasnāt a super dynamic image. I did try to emphasize that contrast more in this one. I like what youāve done with the colors, pushing a bit more of a ārustā color than a yellow color. I may need to revisit that in mine. The sharpening applied to the original was from your micro-contrast action, maybe I just needed to reduce the opacity on it. I left it off of this one.