The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I’ve been thinking about the weather in the southwest and hoping for positive outcomes. It seems like so far, based on reports I’ve seen, they have avoided complete devastation. Surely there will be much work ahead. This has lead me to revisit some images from Death Valley, including this one. This image was made after some buddies left the park and I was there with my wife and son. We pretty much drove around to different places and I’d jump out and hand hold a shot or two along the way. The lifting clouds around the peaks really framed this central peak. I wanted the badlands in the foreground to provide some more sense of place.
Specific Feedback
At first glance, I thought the badlands in the foreground were too soft but I think I’ve been able to wrangle some detail out of them. Curious about the overall processing. I toned it with some warmth just using the lightroom split toning feature and just enough information from @David_Kingham to be dangerous.
I like the slip toning effect, it give the image a layer of drama and surrealism (a good one).
The tone you picked reminds a bit of the tones of Ilford film after processing (good memories )
I would try to eliminate that dark banding on the top, other than that I really like the result.
Cheers
I here you about thinking about Death Valley. I just received David Kingham and Jennifer Renwick’s book titled Reverence: Death Valley and it got me wanting to head there immediately, particularly after the storm they just got. I’ll bet there is lots of damage but also new areas to uncover and find and I can’t wait.
I love the three distinct layers in this image and the side light bouncing off those mountains and along the valley floor. The foreground has enough detail since it’s not really about them but that main central peak. I do find the very dark top of the frame a distraction but one that can easily be fixed.
@João_Ferrão and @David_Haynes Looks like I was a bit heavy handed with the burning. I’ve added a new version which actually removes all of it but I think still keeps you in the frame a bit.
Nice rework, David. It pulls me into the scene. I’ve never been to Death Valley to photograph…only passed through…I’m looking to get there in early November. The damage to the park was fortunately not as bad as it could have been, from what I’ve read. Looking forward to an incredible trip in a couple of months.
There is a nice composition of successive layers of wavy horizontal lines from bottom
to top. To me there doesn’t feel a great enough tonal difference between the light and dark areas. Actually I think I’m having trouble understanding what this image is trying to say. For a brooding DV this is probably a good tonal range.
That second one is a home run, David. It might just be my eyes but the lighter tones appear to have a bit more luminosity and they nearly glow, especially the ones closer to darker tones. Composition is spot on and overall processing looks really nice.
@David_Bostock This was from my first trip and I look forward to a return to explore some familiar and some new spots. So much to explore there.
@Igor_Doncov I could probably look at dodging some of the midtones/lights a bit more in the center of the image without making it look washed out. I don’t know that I know what it is/I am trying to say either…That is something that I’ve wrestled with a lot. For me photography is about two things, the first is responding to something that grabs my attention (sometimes I don’t even know why it grabbed my attention. This time it was the strong peak, sidelight, and atmosphere), the second is an escape, a way to beat back a busy mind. So far, I’m generally happy with those two things, but searching for that deeper meaning is an area I hope to grow in.
