What changed: Reduced highlights and exposure slightly on the brightest light rock area, increased exposure and texture on the barn slightly, and added a little warmth to the shadows.
Added after receiving feedback from the community.
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
I took this on a trip to the Utah national parks on a very cold morning in March. I have a lot of different shots as the sun rose, I had difficulty deciding which one to pick.
Feedback Requested
How is the white balance? Do you see in halos? How is the color on the cliff. Do you think a shot a few minutes later would be better? Any other suggestions/comments appreciated.
Technical Details
Camera: NIKON Z 8
Lens: NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S
Focal length: 29mm
Shutter speed: 1/200s
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 3200
You did a great job capturing this scene. I like how the road wraps around the barn leading my eye through the scene, the beautiful light on the cliffs gives a sense of the new day to come. The cool tones of the shaded foreground/barn give me the feeling of a cold morning!
It is always interesting to shoot the same scene, even just a few minutes apart as conditions evolve. I can not say it would be better or worse to shoot any later other than you might have a much more harsh/contrasty scene as more direct sunlight fills your frame. You told the story of the moment which was cold and the beginning of a new day and this works really well. I don’t see any halos and once again the white balance is telling a story of cool/cold shade and warm first light.
At first glance I thought maybe a bit more light in the shaded areas was needed but after playing with the image, I can see a couple of versions. Your cool original pretty much “shows” the story as you described it. Here is another take, lightening up the lighter tones in the foreground and adding a touch of warmth to the color balance. I used a mask and brush in LR.
The white balance looks fine to me, Elizabeth, and I 'm not seeing any halos. I really like the way the eye is led through this image in so many ways, the fence, the road, the path, the trees, the rocks and even the light all lead the same way, which is really cool. I thought about toning down the sunlit areas a trifle, but when I tried to do so, I quickly realized that I didn’t know what I was doing well enough to get the effect I wanted, so maybe someone else will try who knows what they’re doing.
P.S. I added the non-nature tag to this because of the importance of the man-made structures to the image.
The warm morning light is gorgeous and I love the fact that you have two graceful curving lines with the fence along with the road to draw the viewer into the scene. The white balance looks just fine to me as does the color on the cliff face. It would be hard to say what the light would have looked a few minutes later without actually seeing how it transforms the landscape. Very nicely done.
Elizabeth: I’ve seen a number of images of this scene but this one is marvelous. Your handling of the light and the comp are spot on and your revision merely elevated this from A++ to A+++. Congrats on a very well deserved EP. >=))>
Coincidently I drove by this location yesterday and did not recognize it on the way out Scenic Drive, but on the way back, as I rounded the corner past the barn, I thought, WOW, that’s @Elizabeth 's subject!!! However, on a busy weekend in the park, mid-day, the scene did not do your image justice. Congratulations on the well deserved “Editors Choice”, you really captured a fantastic version of that scene!
