What changed:@Tom.Marin@Bonnie_Lampley@Marylynne_Diggs@Lon_Overacker thank you for your suggestions. I changed the crop to a bit more panoramic. There is less of the dark tree on the right and it has more light. The large grey cloud now works as a vignette rather than a key object. I also added some clarity to make the ground better exposed.
Added after receiving feedback from the community.
The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic + Technical
About This Image
The weather was changing from hardly acceptable to hopeless. I was lucky to get to this place before the sky was closed yet too late to have more sunlight. I drove there with the intention to capture blue&white clouds in front light but had to quickly change the plan and catch the front of clouds completely covering the sky.
I used a NiSi Landscape CPL.
Feedback Requested
I’m not sure if this is an interesting enough topic for sharing a photo.
The image is a bit dark however it shows the reality at that moment. I have already added some light overall, brightened the shadows and especially the ground.
I think this image is well balanced with the brooding sky with highlights embedded—with the orange-ish field below it on the left side—nestled in the dark green plants—with the dark tree on the right anchoring the shot. My only question is if this paints enough of a story or would a tighter pano type crop create a more intriguing image?
@tom.marin Marin Thank you very much for your feedback. I was taking more photos while that huge mass of brooding clouds was moving forward with the hope for a dramatic sky but the farther it was, the photos were less interesting.
Hi Jacek, I recently had a problem with a photo that had a foreground, mid-ground and background using my full-frame equivalent 24-120mm lens. I found out it would have been much better to use my telephoto lens that has a 300mm full-frame equivalent reach that would have compressed the scene and not decreased the size of the background. Perhaps your photo might have benefited from a telephoto as well? Just a thought.
This is a very fine pastoral scene and certainly interesting enough for a topic! I love the low hills receding into the background and the shapes the worked fields make with the greenery. I’m on the fence about a more pano crop, but it might be worthwhile to try it. That would emphasize more of the land, I think.
@Bonnie_Lampley Thank you so much for your feedback. I have tried a more pano and didn’t like it. I would lose that pinkish glow at the top which I like. And I already have a few panos from this place more focused on the land, so I wanted sth new and different.
Hi @JacekZielinski,
This is one of those images where what drew us initially (the pink light in the cloud) might not be what keeps a viewer’s interest later.
To me, the image you shared second is more interesting. Partly it’s the closer view, but it’s also the tree at the right edge. In the first image, its mass was a distraction for me. The bare tree in the second is in less competition with the fields.
FWIW, I looked at where you are from to see where this might have been taken. I assumed Ohio, USA. I was struck by the similarity in this scene with areas of Ohio and Wisconsin, both of which have large Polish populations from the early 20th Century immigration. Clearly the place felt like home for good reasons.
@Marylynne_Diggs Thank you so much for your comment. It’s not only the crop that makes the 2nd image more interesting. There is more sunlight and more colors on the fields. Attractiveness of this place depends a lot on the season and the stage of farmers works beeing the best when trees change colors. There is a long line of trees on the left starting from the position of my camera of which I’m showing only the far end now.
Most certainly interesting enough to share - in fact it’s quite lovely and pastoral as I think someone else mentioned.
I really like the rolling hills and mix of natural and culitvated vegetation. And you have a very complimentary sky.
I had a similar reaction as Marylynne as far as the foreground tree goes. For me, it’s pretty heavy, mostly because it’s so dark relative to the rest of the landscape. Yes, I believe you said the general darkness was reflective of what you experienced, but visually for me, it’s heavy in the comp and some areas even lack detail. Really though, it fits more in to someone’s personal preference and not something that is necessarily an issue. I will say that you certainly included enough of the tree that it’s obvious you intended to include in your composition.
Personally, I think there is enough interest in the landscape without the tree; especially with the very interesting and lovely sky. Sounds to me though that this is a location you frequent trying under different seasons and conditions. ( I do that A LOT!) So I think you did well in capturing that in this photograph.
WOW, what a signficant improvement (in my view) !! Thank you for taking the suggestions in to consideration.
Most importantly, the tree on the right feels so much more integral to the overall scene and composition. Yes, I can see how the overall experience and scene was on the darker side, given the conditions, lighting, etc… but the tree now just seems so much more in place - not “heavy” as I described it earlier.
The crop and narrower format works well too, although the big thing for me was that tree. Kudos to you! Well done!
