Critique Style Requested: In-depth
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
Hi all,
I have a hard time editing this image in a way so that I like the result. I feel that the colors are still a bit all over the place. There were green and magenta casts everywhere, so I desaturated it and re-colored it with color grading. Still, I’m not sure with the outcome.
Also, the lightning strikes (it’s a time blend of 3 images) are quite weak (ok, it’s still daytime), but I’m looking for a way to give them more glow without painting over them manually. Exposure masks don’t seem to do a lot here. Does anybody have some experience with that?
Thank you!
Creative direction
I want to achieve a moody and dramatic image, sun and storm fighting over supremacy.
Specific Feedback
Do the colors look realistic to you? Could it be darker, even with a colder temperature?
Technical Details
Description
I took this image in Utah at Factory Butte last week and I was pretty lucky with the circumstances. While it was getting dark, I was surrounded by three thunderstorms (in safe distance). I had two cameras, but only one tripod (and only two hands). So I tried to get the best out of it by shooting timelapses.
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
- Vision and Purpose:
- Conceptual:
- Emotional Impact and Mood:
- Composition:
- Balance and Visual Weight:
- Depth and Dimension:
- Color:
- Lighting:
- Processing:
- Technical:
That is dramatic. Cool idea for combining images for the 3 lightening strikes!
What struck me at first look was that the darks feel quite muddy, especially in the foreground. Perhaps bringing up the contrast in the darks would be interesting. I took a crack at that, along with experimenting with what could bring out the lightening strikes more. I though perhaps darkening the lighter bits in the sky by somehow making the lightening more prominent. Here’s my idea. I took it into ACR and cooled it a bit (since you mentioned that). In PS, I put a curve on the foreground darks only (chosen using a TK9 panel mask) to increase that contrast. Burned those brightest bits on the middle left, too. For the lightening, I made an edge mask (again using the TK9 panel) which picked out the lightening bolts very well. I then expanded that mask by a few pixels and put that into a levels layer to bring up the exposure (may have overdone it). My burning in on the middle left wasn’t that great, but you get the idea. Here’s the result:
Here’s the PS layers:
1 Like
I love the dusty look to this image. I was able to brighten the lightning using a luminance range mask in Lightroom Classic. I slid the bar at the top until just the lightning and a bit of the brighter sky on the left were masked, then used a brush to subtract that bit of cloud from the mask. I couldn’t help make a few other tweaks. I brightened the bit of sun on the back of the butte, added some contrast to the foreground and clarity to the sky. It’s honestly lovely without all that, other than being a bit blown out on the left. Love the shot
2 Likes
This brings to mind the Lord of the Rings, One Ring to Rule Them All and Mordor. I actually like the darker treatment of this that @Bonnie_Lampley came up with but for some reason the sharp tops of the lightning strikes bother me. I think the strike on the right that has a slightly lighter/mistier(?) top looks better than the sharp ends of the other strikes. Weird what catches your attention in some of these incredible images. I absolutely love this one.
1 Like
Hi Bonnie, I find quite amazing what you’ve done! I got to go through that bit by bit. Thanks a lot!
1 Like
A wonderful image, and I think @Bonnie_Lampley brought out the magic beautifully. The rather sudden upper ends of the bolts is easy to fix and would be a good idea. A fantastic scene worth a lot of trouble!!!
1 Like
Well, one more take on a near perfect take…but, as we all are of want to do, remove the “near” and make it very perfect…or something like that.
I liked Bonnie’s edit but felt there was too much emphasis on the lightning, therefore sacrificing everything else to achieve that power and light. A nice take on the subject but not to my taste.
Paul got the closest to where I ended up but while he got that “wispy southwest feel,” he sacrificed a bit of the composition I feel Markus was attempting to convey.
The lightning was the cause of the shot but the butte was reason for taking the shot and this is seen directly by the way he set up the foreground elements to lead the eye to the Butte, Factory Butte to be exact.
In my edit, I tried to capture some of Bonnie’s sound and fury, Paul’s accentuation on the light while keeping Markus’s compositional purpose.
1 Like
Hi Chris, (and all others),
thanks a lot for your version! It’s funny to see how you all brought back the foreground bit by bit, whereas I tried to take it back as much as possible.
In my version I blurred it with Gaussian blur, darkened and cooled it down (that’s perhaps what Bonnie found to be “muddy”). It’s a “trick” I learned from Marc Adamus that can be applied in busy parts which demand too much attention. But actually, the foreground is not that unattractive as I found at first. It shows some nice structures. Maybe I have to rethink that …
This what I first saw when I downloaded your image…well, when I saw it on the site page. This comes from being an art teacher as well as a photography and film teacher. I always stressed to my students: what’s bringing you into the scene and what’s leading you out- gracefully. From here, I could make my determinations as to light, emphasis and tonal value. in either case, you could easily enter from the left and exit BR or v/v.
2 Likes
I really like the composition.
As I don’t have any “big views” near me, I’m always fascinated by the grandeur of this type of photo.
It’s amazing how many good editing suggestions we get, and make us think, in just one photo.
Nice one.
1 Like
