Edit: I cropped some off top and left (now right) per @Diane_Miller 's suggestion. And flipped it. Thanks for the suggestion @Dennis_Plank . I like it!
Critique Style Requested:Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I’ve been sitting on this since I was last active here on NPN. I hope to re-engage and Lord knows, I have gobs of ICM’s/abstracts created in the last year or so. I’ve really missed not only posting, but also commenting/critiquing. I hope to continue.
Over recent years, I’ve really embraced the ICM technique (and related abstract, in-camera techniques.) This is a bigger topic for a separate discussion, but I can say one thing for sure that I relate to is that for the most part, I must have a connection to the scene before even considering using ICM. In other words, at least for me, it’s much more than just a random choice of subject matter and random movements. I must first feel engaged and drawn to the situation; the light, colors and subject. In this case, I was heading down the hill at the end of the day and had to stop when I saw the light of the setting sun, combined with some very nicely placed clouds, against a bank of oak trees on a hill top. The scene itself was just like many sunset scenes we are all attracted too… so I decided to try some motion blurs.
Specific Feedback
I would appreciate any comments and suggestions for improvement.
Technical Details
Nikon D800E, 28-300mm f/22 1/4s @iso 100. Single ICM
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Nice one, Lon. I like the warm foreground to cool background colors. The warm foreground trees feel like there is fire licking at their trunks. Nice to see some of your work again too.
Wow, this totally reminds me of a nuclear bomb blowing everything sideways and flames along the bottom. Super moody image. I’d call it, Detonation.
I’ve missed your posts, and your comments and critiques. Good to have you back and hope everything is well with you.
Yes, welcome back to the ICM King! I love your comment about how you choose a subject! This one is gorgeous with the lines indeed looking windswept and the trees looking like remnants after a fire. Wonderful lines!
For me, the UL corner feels a little empty – I wonder about a small crop from the left and top??
Lon, good to see you back! The overall warmth and the dancing trees (or maybe they’re skiing…) are highly attractive and contrast well by the blue/magenta sky. Given the long, angled color streaks, it’s hard to imagine that this is a single shot.
Diane - good call on the crop. I’ve adjusted my master and the crop really makes an improvement. Although I decided not to repost.
Good call David! I like the analogy, impression. I originally was thinking along the lines of a burning lava flow!
Thanks Mark. Yup, single frame. But one of the techniques I use actually include 2 movements during exposure. Even at 1/4, there is time to change directions of the camera and typically I start with a horizontal movement, and then direct the camera up or down in a quick jerk. So I can see how it may appear like 2 images combined.
Thanks again for the welcome back! I actually have many more ICM’s to share than straight nature landscapes. Hope you don’t get bored!
Welcome back, Lon. This is a very interesting post in that it reminds me not at all of a beautiful sunset, but more of a wildfire in a high wind. The oak savanna comes through nicely. The thinness of the trees on the left makes me wonder what this would look like flipped horizontally (I haven’t tried it).
Great idea! With that, a good reason to go ahead and repost. I’m kinda liking the left to right flow. And you’re right, I can see how this could be viewed as a wildfire. Lord knows, we’ve got too much of that in CA! I also cropped a bit per @Diane_Miller 's suggestion. I painted a little magenta in to that corner as well. I’ll post above. Thank you!
