Steamboat Rock Moonrise

[Wade_Thorson]

Hi. It’s been a while. I made this image a couple of weeks ago and processed it, but wanted some feedback. I was hanging out in Sedona eating a late lunch at this location and thought I would check Photopils to see what the moon was doing that night. To my surprise the moon was to rise right behind Steamboat rock and track directly behind it. You only get one chance at events like these, so I spent some time setting up this shot. I tried to get a comp that wasn’t just a close up of the moon (although I took one of those as well) and was something that captured the immediate surrounding as well. This was a six image stack of various focal points and exposures in PS. I blended back in the moon from one exposure because it had moved over that time and got mushy.

Type of Critique Requested

• Aesthetic: Feedback on the overall visual appeal of the image, including its color, lighting, cropping, and composition.
• Conceptual: Feedback on the message and story conveyed by the image.
• Emotional: Feedback on the emotional impact and artistic value of the image.
• Technical: Feedback on the technical aspects of the image, such as exposure, color, focus and reproduction of colors and details, post-processing, and print quality.

Specific Feedback and Self-Critique

Moon shots can be hard to convey the feeling of being there, and including it in a wider scene may diminish the imapact. The scene might be a bit chaotic, but I’d like to know if it’s too distracting.

Technical Details

Nikon Z7 II, 24-120s f4 @37mm 1.6s f13 iso 64

[Igor_Doncov]

I know this is a shot about the moon but it’s the agave at the bottom that piques my interest the most. Well, that may just be peculiar to me. There’s couple of suggestions that are likely to be repeated.

1. The color of the sky looks off compared to the rest of the image. I believe it’s the aquamarine that’s too strong.

2. the moon would be better shown if it wasn’t partially blocked. If it had been a large moon then that would have worked but since it’s small in the image the intent is more confusing.

Actually, the composition is a bit awkward in that all the interest is in the right half with the small moon on the left. It feels like a left crop would be good but that puts the moon too close to the left frame. I guess waiting for things to line up can be trying.

[Merv (Mervin Rosenquist)]

@Wade_Thorson

Moon shots can be hard to convey the feeling of being there, and including it in a wider scene may diminish the imapact.

Hi Wade,

This is a very nice scene, and for me, it has a nice artistic feel to it.
I think the composition and perspective were well done.

Edit: BTW, very nice job on the stacking!

I think you’re right in saying that the presence of the moon may be diminished to some degree when included in a wider scene like this. However, the inclusion of the moon as an element that adds to the scene is a good thing IMHO.

The way you composed this with the agave and the tree being as prominent as they are, says that the agave, tree and the other FG elements are the main attraction, then the moon wrapped around the right side of that vertical rock adds a nice, natural element to the scene overall.

@Wade_Thorson

The scene might be a bit chaotic, but I’d like to know if it’s too distracting.

By “too distracting”, are you referring to the inclusion of the moon being the distracting element?
If so, I don’t think so personally, it seems to fit into the scene rather nicely and in a natural way.

If you are referring only to the FG elements of the scene as chaotic, then “no” on that one as well, I don’t find any of it to be chaotic in a distracting way, it feels like a natural arrangement to me.

@Igor_Doncov

The color of the sky looks off compared to the rest of the image. I believe it’s the aquamarine that’s too strong.

I agree with Igor in regards to the color and intensity of the sky.
Of course, that color and brightness may have been intended to be that way, and if it was, then please ignore this point.

I do feel that you might consider toning down the brightness of the sky just a bit, the reason is to add a little more contrast between the sky and the moon.

Another point I think you might consider is the color cast on the agave and the tree, there is a purple and magenta cast on those elements that cause them to sort of blend in with the other FG elements, and although that color cast may have been there in person, I feel that reducing the purple and magenta saturation would add definition to those elements (by color separation).
Consider reducing the purple and magenta color cast (as mentioned), all the way up the tree into the sky area.

This is probably just me, but I felt like the image was leaning just a tad to the right, but again, that’s just me.

Most importantly, my suggestions for your consideration are nothing more than an option for you to consider.

I really do like your composition with the inclusion of the moon, nice touch IMHO.

I’ve included a screenshot of your image in Ps where it shows the colors sampled on the tree.

And, I included a version where I adjusted the color and intensity of the sky. Again, this may not be even close to your desired effect. It’s just an option.

Your Original (below)

Optional Example (below)
Note: The slight rotation to the left caused it to be cropped slightly on all sides, it was a side effect of rotation.

[David_Bostock]

Hello Wade, welcome back! This is a wonderful composition. I think this would make an excellent large print hanging on the wall. It doesn’t look chaotic to me at all. The elements in the frame feel properly positioned and sized. It certainly reminds me of the Sedona area.

I’m not one to comment on colors but I do think @Merv’s color balance tweak helped the image to feel even more realistic of the beautiful Sedona area.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work soon, Wade.

[Bret_Edge]

There’s a lot to like here, Wade. I’m especially fond of the soft light, pastel colors and the agave in the bottom right. I do agree with @Igor_Doncov re: the composition and the moon. 100% personal preference but I would have liked to see the moon not obscured by the thumb of rock. I also feel like the lower branches of the tree (which has so much character!) blend a bit with the background. I don’t know if a lower perspective would have put them more in the sky, or if that was even possible. Regardless, it’s a lovely image of a beautiful location.

[Bill_Fach]

Wade: Not much to add to the previous thorough critiques but I like the color palette and the disparate elements. I do think the moon would be a more compelling element if it wasn’t obscured. Since this is a moonrise waiting about two or three minutes would have solved the issue. Still a fine capture of a unique moment. >=))>

[Lon_Overacker]

Wade,

Welcome back! I think this is a very nicely composed desert landscape. The primary elements area showcased nicely and balanced quite well. I say this knowing the tree and nice agave plants are more heavy towards the right, and seemingly making this off balance a bit - but it’s actually the presence of the moon - and including the tension introduced by it’s placement behind the tower… that actually mentally balance this image for me. Yeah, the moon is of course small, but the idea and it’s physical presence oddly create a balance in the overall presentation.

My only nit and suggestion is the blue in the sky. If I may, a little on the bubblegum side. I do really like the pink/magenta in the whispy clouds - it’s that earth’s shadows presence. The aqua/turquoise is a tad electric - at least for me. Of course colors are subjective and personal choice/preference. All the rest of the colors and processing in general look great.

I agree with David B. that this would be great hanging on a wall!

Lon

[joaoquintela (João Quintela)]

This is very nice Wade.
I love the composition you got here.

I’m , probably, not the best person to mention colors ( i do tend to exaggerate sometimes), is very personal, but I do agree with Igor and did like the way Mervin is pointing.

But my biggest concern is to position of the mood. I would like to see it entirely. As it is a little distracting.

Nevertheless, a very nice image.

[Merv (Mervin Rosenquist)]

Hi Wade

May we get your your views on the various comments about color, the various comments on the moon, etc.

Your thoughts would help us to know if we were helpful in some way (as a group) or if we have offended your image in some way?

I hope you’re well!

Warmest regards,

[Wade_Thorson]

@Merv

…Hi Wade May we get your your views on the various comments about color, the various comments on the moon, etc.Your thoughts would help us to know if we were helpful in some way (as a group) or if we have offended your image in some way?I hope you’re well!Warmest regards,

Hi Mervin. Firstly I really appreciate the comments and suggestions, and no, no offense taken. I really appreciate the time you took to reprocess the sky in the image. I do like what you did and especially like the way it brought out the clouds a bit more. I tried to reproduce your suggestion in LIghtroom but felt like I just made it a bit sterile and began to wonder what your exact process was in PS. I typically do the heavy lifting in PS then adjust the colors, crop, and sharpening in LR. I must admit I got a little analysis paralysis and settled on removing some of the aqua and leaving some of the purple because that was what I thought was there that evening after looking at my other images in the series. Thanks again!

Adjusted Repost from suggestions.

[Wade_Thorson]

Thanks everybody for your suggestions and comments. I really appreciate the feedback and it was exactly what I was looking for. In regards to the chaos I was asking about was more in relation to the dead branches surrounding the large tree. There was just a lot there, as I would prefer a more simplistic comp. And regards to the moon, I actually shot the scene a couple of different ways one with a close up of the moon rising just to the left of the spire, and another one after it had risen completely away from the spire. I do like the tension that is created by the moon being parly obscured by the spire. There was a lot of shooting taking place, and I was unable to set this same comp up after shooting the close ups. Who says landscape photography isn’t an action sport.

The Full Moon Shot

[Merv (Mervin Rosenquist)]

@Wade_Thorson

and no, no offense taken.

Thanks, Wade!

I’m relieved that there aren’t any feelings of offense and to be honest, that was my main concern.
Secondary was wanting to know if myself and others were helpful in some way.

I like the rework much better and of course it isn’t about what I like in any way.

I was afraid that I might have removed too much of the magenta in the sky but working with the posted jpeg was very limiting in that regard.

The color edits I did were mostly done in ACR which is nearly identical to Lr, Ps was just the best way to demonstrate the color sampling I did on the tree.
My apologies for not sharing the process and program I used, I forget to write things down sometimes.

I really appreciate the response and I really do like your reworked version, including the color of the sky!

And I appreciate your vision with this as well, and personally, I still like the moon as it was presented. As I said before, I like the moon being partially tucked in behind the spire, It feels like a natural element and I don’t find it distracting in a negative way.
To me, a negative distracting element is one that doesn’t have any interest, the moon has a pleasant amount of interest in the scene so it becomes a positive distraction, I hope that makes sense.

I still don’t find the amount of bushes, trees or ground elements distracting or chaotic but that’s just me.

The landscape oriented composition with the full moon next to the spire (thanks for reminding me what they are called BTW ) is great as well, that one really showcases the mood of the time of day and it makes me think of a howling wolf for obvious reasons
Love the colors, luminance and the simplistic feel in that one.

Good job on the colors and composition as well!!

Thanks again, Wade!