The Canyon Road

Image Critiques Landscape Critiques
1

Wanted to see what I would see along an old Cleveland National Forest road, just had to get out of the house and spend a few hours at ease in this quiet canyon bottom. When I can, I like to try and get a good “road” image . I like this spot and pulled to the side next to a vacant cabin. A leashed staked dog from another cabin property (about 300 yards away) started barking and did not stop until I finished up (10-15 minutes). I very much expected the dog owner to come a calling to me, but he never did. I thought if he did and presented a challenging tone I might say something about road right of way or National Forest right of way or Id probably just say that I’m finishing up, but it sounds like this is most fun the dog had all day…anyway…

Sun had slid behind the canyon ridge and I set up the tripod after a few high ISO shots to get some focus and exposure data. Comp was a little tight on the right with a stone wall and a compressor and the cabin; but I loved the spray of branches, the textures and the colors.

Specific Feedback Requested

Any comments and critiques are welcomed. I posted a second image with the same processing and then went very soft on the LR Clarity and Texture sliders. With the variety of oranges, yellows and greens I wanted to see if a soft impressionistic version of the image would hold my interest. The more I pushed it the more I liked what I was seeing, something soft and painterly. I liked it quite a bit but would welcome any comments and if you feel it works or it just looks like the image is out of focus. Would you push it more this way? Thanks for looking and reading, by the way, I do like dogs.

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
Nikon D7100, Nikkor DX 16-85mm @ 78mm, 1/3s @f16, ISO 100

Canyon Road (r)-1
Canyon Road (r)-12000×1333 2.02 MB

Canyon Road 3
Canyon Road 32000×1333 1.68 MB

1 Like
2

Real nice scene. I prefer the processing in the second. I would be inclined to burn down the tree coming in from the right, as I find it pulls me out of the scene. Great take away from getting out the house.

3

Thanks for the in put on the tree @Harley_Goldman. Might look better to match the tone of the other Sycamores.

4

I got caught up in the leading lines of the road! Where do they lead to or from. Good use of a seldom used composition.

5

I think it works both ways, although I have a preference for the second image with the soft glow effect. What I really like is how you chose to show the bend in the road leading out of the frame, rather than the more cliche approach of looking down a tunnel of trees along a straight stretch of road. I agree with Harley about burning down the tree in the URC. And in the soft glow version, I would also suggest burning the grass in the LLC, to make it more similar to the luminosity of the grass in the first image, to offset the bump in luminosity from the glow effect.

6

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. @Greg_Giesing, the road was never considered for leading lines into or out of the frame, the simple curve was enough to provide an element for the viewer to travel through the image . It was complimentary with the curves and arches of the trees. I do like the idea that it might move the viewer out of the frame maybe wonder what else is ahead…more to come perhaps. @Ed_McGuirk thanks for the suggestion, I had tried to tame the LLC, but I do see that it may need some more attention in the soft glow image so it blends in a little better.