The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I spotted these delicate seeds attached to the spider web in the “weeds” next to a boardwalk along the ocean. I felt the background was too bright and distracting. Any other opinions on that?
In ACR I used the color mixer and white balance to mute the colors but I felt they were still too bright. Then I used the burn tool. This did enable me to get around the seeds’ “wings” with a small brush. The challenge in darkening the background was to preserve the spider web and spider.
Specific Feedback
My questions: any other ideas for the background (you can see the original), is it too dark now? Any other ways to separate the background from the white seeds and spider web in order to darken it? Any suggestions on the composition/crop? Any way to make the whites brighter? I am open to any thoughts and suggestions!
Technical Details
Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 12-100 telephoto lens, 1/400, f4.0, ISO 200, 100mm; lens polarizer
I used LR and PS software
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
You mentioned being able to see the original background, Ann, but I don’t see a post of the original. Adding that might make it easier to make suggestions on how to achieve what you’re trying to get in the background. I think you did a fine job of it from the looks of this image. With my lack of processing expertise, I’d say pick up a piece of black velvet or similar and throw it in your kit as a background. I still save my old navy black silk neckerchief for things like that-packs very small, but it is a bit shinier than I like.
Wonderful!! Composition looks fine, as do the whites! Humorous little mini-seed over on the right! Whatever you did was amazing – I see no evidence of tampering with the evidence. And yes, I would also welcome any clues for making selections down to the pixel level.
@Diane_Miller , @Dennis_Plank : Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I like your idea, Dennis, to have a black cloth. When I took the photo, I did not realize how much the background would stand out.
I like the dark background! You could lighten shadows just a bit and bring the highlights up to make the webs stand out. You could use Luminance mask and remove it from the seed heads if they get too bright. I also think it could work to rotate the image counter-clockwise so the webs come down from the top right. That might enhance the composition.
@Paul_Holdorf: Thank you so much for your suggestions. I like the idea of rotating the image . I will also try your other ideas. This is really helpful!
Excellent advice, Glenn. Thanks for pointing that out. The web seemed to go away a bit, but I suspect a little prework in LR with the local adjustment brush to boost highlights along the web would take care of that.
@glenn2 , @Gill_Vanderlip , @Diane_Miller :Glenn, thanks for suggesting a good way to darken the background. I’m sure Inwill use this technique often! Gill, thanks , thanks for your comments. Diane, I was delightfully surprised to get an editor’s pick!
The EP was well-deserved, but thank the mods there – Bill Fach and Kris Smith.
The multiply technique is a very old thing and a blunt instrument. If it’s too strong you can reduce it a little by lowering the opacity of the layer, but doing a Curves adjustment layer gives you much more tonal flexibility, and an easy way to mask as needed. Even better is a TK Multi Mask, with amazing control over tonalities in whatever range you choose.
