The photographer has shared comprehensive information about their intent and creative vision for this image. Please examine the details and offer feedback on how they can most effectively realize their vision.
Self Critique
In order to capture the more distant mountains we traveled to a higher vantage point east of the city. I wanted the late sun to skim across the golf course and provide some depth to the scene. I’ve been shooting grand scenics for years but now I’m turning more to the less dramatic and more contemplative point of view. I really like how the light on the golf course works along with the backlit trees. The just-out-of-frame sun glow is nice as well. The sky is properly interesting. I just don’t get any real emotion out of the photo. It’s a “nice” photo with some positive points but not very exciting.
Creative direction
I’m not sure how to proceed or if the image is even worth working with further. I would like the image to provide a sense of serenity. To me, a really good image provides that feeling. I’m thrashing a bit for sure and trying to develop a creative vision. It’s not going well.
Specific Feedback
I’ve received positive feedback from non-photographers, even including a really good painter. Perhaps the problem is a lack of concept other than just making a pretty picture. Maybe I’m trying to include too much in the image. There may be too many ideas here. I have tried to downplay the HDR processing because I’m simply trying to gain dynamic range and not gain special effects. It occurs to me that concentrating on the backlit trees might be a better way to go. They’re very interesting.
Technical Details
Fujifilm GFX 100s, GF 45-100mm @ 79mm, f/11 @ various ss (HDR), ISO 125, tripod. HDR processing in Affinity, post processing in ACR, Photoshop CC.
The colors were so rich and saturated because of the HDR processing I used Channel Mixer Monochrome and faded it back to 40%. Color Balance and Photo Filter (Sepia) were then used to lend a muted tone to the image.
Description
We’ve been searching around for a high point east of the city which would allow us to see the higher more distant mountain peaks. This golf club is one of them. There are a couple more high point sites to explore which are a bit more distant. We’d been waiting for the turf to turn more green with the warm weather and it finally got there along with the foliage filling out in the line of trees on the west side of the golf course. The view does include some significant peaks of the area which was a goal.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Fred, I love the scene if not the HDR treatment (but that’s a personal taste thing).
I think you’ve nailed the mountains and foreground but suggest you disappear the red flag as it distracts from the overall, painterly feel of the image.
My big issue is the sky. Definitely too HDR, especially that dark cloud.
Thank you for the comments. My wife didn’t like the flag either. I may just change the red color to something less visible first to see if it works. I’ll also try some different treatments with the sky and clouds to make it less ominous. All good suggestions and worth pursuing. I appreciate your help with this.
Fred, you’re right about the light and shadows on the golf course being very interesting. The depth of the scene looks very good. I would expect a touch of blue in the center of the sky where it’s clear. Here it looks greenish. I would like to not see the blown region near the sun…maybe a slightly different shooting position. Knowing Ft. Collins somewhat, I wish you luck finding high ground East of town…
That’s some pretty spectacular light, Fred. I think you’ve got something very workable here. If it were mine, here’s what I’d do:
Linear gradient to darken the immediate foreground, which would push my eye into the rolling sunlit hills
On those hills, I would likely deepen the shadows by 1/2 stop or so, leaving all the highlights where they are
Crop from the right side just enough to eliminate the blown out highlights at the extreme right edge
Crop about 2/3 of the sky off the top
The shadows feel too warm, and I’d introduce some cooler tones to them
Probably use a linear gradient to darken the top 1/3 of the remaining sky, again keeping my eye in between the darker FG and sky, where all the magic light is happening
Honestly, not major changes but I do think they would benefit the image. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m working up some alternative processing samples and I’ll certainly do one using your suggestions. Thank you for your help. Actually there are at least three decent high ground positions we’ve found so far. We’ll be exploring them as the season progresses.
Oh my. You’ve given me some really fun things to do. Hopefully I can follow your directions for another version of the image. Thank you for spending the time to make these suggestions. I really appreciate your help.
I like the light and the composition in this. Those are the two main elements of most images. I agree with mark that the overall green color cast is not optimal. I would adjust it still more by making it cooler but work with all 3 sliders in the color cast layer. Perhaps giving us a look at the raw file would help.
Thank you for the comments. There were 5 RAW files in this HDR process and the TIFF file after HDR processing. Attached are JPEGs of one of RAW files and the TIFF file from the HDR software. They are both JPEGs since they are rather too large in original format.
My biggest issue with HDR software is that the output looks like it was created by HDR software; the programs tend to create too much localized contrast. The end result is higher contrast in areas where it shouldn’t be so strong, with haloing throughout. It’s almost as if high radius/low amount sharpening had been applied.
To illustrate what I mean, here’s an old image of mine, followed by the same image with high radius/low amount sharpening applied:
I typically get around this challenge by manual blending, but it might be worth playing with the HDR software settings to see if there is a way to reduce local contrast. Another option might be to blend one of your original photos with the HDR version?
Yes, I agree it can produce strange artifacts. I keep working with it and trying to minimize the effects. Thank you for the samples. They make an excellent point.
Hi Fred - I don’t know much about HDR processing software, but I agree with the others that it maybe didn’t work so well here. It is a calming scene, and the light is to die for. Because you want it to be more serene, I wouldn’t use any kind of HDR software to process it. As pointed out (thanks for the explanation @John_Williams), it adds too much contrast. And lots of contrast isn’t something that usually works if you want a serene or calming feel.
I think you could have gotten all the dynamic range needed with just 2 or 3 shots - 1 or 2 for sky, one for land. You could then blend them by hand and finish processing with targeted adjustments. To illustrate, I took your “raw” file and processed it in ACR and PS (ignore the right-hand sky where I did a fast clone just for some color in that blown area). As John suggested, I darkened the sky just a tad. I didn’t lower the shadows on the grass, but I did dodge the highlights there to bring them out a bit and burned down the lights in the immediate foreground. Cropped off the top of the sky (generally, more pano crops feel more serene). That’s it.
The color in the sky was beautiful after the exposure was brought down, with that gradient from purplish to golden across the frame. Your HDR software made it almost black and white which doesn’t feel right with the warm light on the land.
Also, low angle light like this picks out the contrast in scenes very well. It’s usually not necessary to add any more contrast (like the HDR software does).
Are you familiar with Sean Bagshaw’s videos/methods for exposure blending? His latest video series addressed just the situation you have here. He also has a youtube channel where you can get an idea of what he teaches.
Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions and the sample image. I appreciate your ideas and your time in illustrating them. As I said, I’m searching for answers. It may be a while before I can sift through all the great tips and suggested procedures to find those answers. Every reply has shown the directions I might explore and trying them all will take time. Thank you again.
I’m a little late for much help here Fred, but I agree with the others that maybe the HDR software didn’t do you many favors. You have sublime light in the RAW image you provided with great shadows falling across the rolling fairways and I really don’t think you need to do much other than merge this image with one other that doesn’t have the blown highlights. I would love to see the other files and maybe even have you provide all 5 in the processing challenge category where you will get some really good feedback as well as ideas going every which way but I have to say that you have a wonderful scene that is not optimally processed by the HRD software which creates too many halos and artifacts all over the scene. The last thing is that the colors have all gone to a greenish/yellow hue which isn’t doing this image any favors.
I do think this is worth trying to redo. You have good clouds, a mountain backdrop, and lush green rolling fairways with almost magical warm sidelight from the right. Yep, definitely worth trying to figure this one out. I really appreciate you sharing this Fred.
BLTN was the name of a production video company I worked with long ago. It means, of course, “better late than never.” And so it is. Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I will be going back again to work with these images. Everyone has provided interesting and useful insights to assist in furthering the evolution of this scene. I hope I can apply them properly. HDR may not be the answer but it does ensure a nicely bracketed set of RAW exposures to work with.
