The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
In 2 Samuel 1:19 David laments the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan at the hand of the Philistines. While exploring the Redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants I came upon this scene and was immediately reminded of the story. It was very quiet and it definitely put me into a contemplative mood. Even the mighty fall. But this one at least is a source of new growth.
Specific Feedback
As you might imagine, this was a challenging exposure with the direct sunlight filtering through the canopy combined with the deep shadows inside the root cavity. I shot this with HDR in mind but was not happy with the results output by LRC. I sat on it for some time but a couple weeks ago I acquired Luminar Neo and decided to give it a try. It was significantly better and produced this result. This stuff is scary impressive.
Technical Details
Sony A7rIII
Sony FE 16-25 G @ 22mm CPL
ISO 400, f16, exposure times 1/5 sec - 20 secs HDR
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Whenever I come across a scene like this, I wish I could have heard it land. But I wasn’t there and as you know, there is some doubt as to whether they make a noise under those conditions or not.
This is a challenging subject and I’m not sure I’d have done any better, but one thing I might have done is to go with a darker presentation for more drama. It certainly warrants it and I don’t get as much presence with the consistent bright light that you had to work with. Just a thought.
…and one little stone went in the sling, and the sling went round and round!
That gaping maw really sucks your eye in, and I think this image does a good job of showing the grandeur of these guys since you get to see the tree heading into the distance (and not cut off like the trees still standing).
I agree with @Kris_Smith that the lighting is even, and my thought would be to increase the midtone contrast.
Hi Bill,
This image definitely tells a story about the cycle of life we all face. The old fallen giant does a superb job of directing the viewer into this stately grove of redwoods and you did a nice job with some really tricky lighting. I do like The increase in contrast suggestion from @Kris_Smith and @John_Williams as it looks just a touch flat. I also like the bit a mystery as you peer into the dark interior of the fallen redwood. Nicely done!
