I’ve just got back from a photography workshop around Crescent Head which is in NSW, Australia.
We barely had a cloud in the sky all week which made for beautiful winter weather but not so great for photography lol.
Specific Feedback Requested
I would like some feedback on this one about any aspect, but particularly around the rock on the right hand side.
While I like the light on it I feel it could be a bit too distracting?
Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
SS 1/15, ISO 50, f18, 16MM. Processed in LR & PS
Hello and welcome to NPN, Sam. I have never been to Australia so I’m looking forward to your contribution to our community.
Looking at this shot, I think you and I had the same weather on our recent photo workshops on opposite ends of the globe. At Lake Superior it was the same - nice weather and no clouds and I did the same - made everything about the rock.
This works well for the most part. The big stacks are well spaced and balanced in the composition and the sun’s low angle helps bring up details. The light on the right is stronger, but it’s expected. You could experiment with a local adjustment brush to bring it down a bit. I held my hand over the rock as if it was cropped away, and I don’t think it’s as strong a photo without it. While you’ve got the local brush out, you could also ‘paint us a path’ in front of the sun and the rays you created. A subtle wash of light there with a reduction on the right could help keep our eyes where you want them. Not that we can ignore the sun, but you could finesse it a little. And maybe bring up the shadows very slightly on the two big rocks in the mid-ground. Just a touch.
Welcome aboard, Sam. Very nice first post and you did very well in tough conditions. I like the light on the right rock, but I would be tempted to burn it a bit just along the edge of the frame, keeping the attention inside the image. I would clone out the bright bits along the left edge, but very minor stuff. Looking forward to seeing more of your work and reading your insights and thoughts on the work of others. Welcome.
Welcome to NPN Sam, this is a great first post. I look forward to seeing more of your work, and aslo don’t be shy about commenting on the images of others here too, it’s a great way to meet members of our community. You made the most of this blue sky, and I think you handled a challenging exposure situation well. The composition also looks well balanced, with lots of interesting details to appreciate.
Regarding the rock on the right side, I think it stands out as a potential distraction because it’s luminosity is so much brighter than the rock on the left. As @Harley_Goldman mentioned, slightly darkening the rock on the right would help, and I think you should try to make the luminosity on the left and right rocks more similar. My next comment is more subjective, but I might consider burning down the rocks just below the sun, to call more attention to the sunburst. I hope you don’t mind but here is a rework where I have burned both the rock on the right, and the area immediately below the sun.
Welcome to NPN Sam. Wonderful first post. As you can see, you will get a lot of useful input on your images. I also agree with Harley’s an Ed’s input on burning down the right rock. Hope you enjoy the NPN community and I look forward to more of your work.
Welcome to NPN. What I find most interesting about this image is the leaning rock. It’s like a leaning building in that you think it should fall over yet it stands. That tension creates interest. The right side of the image holds most of the interest for me and the left is much less so. Yet because of the placement of the sun a crop doesn’t work. You will likely enjoy it here on NPN where often great advice is offered.
