The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.
Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive
About This Image
Malin Head, Donegal, Ireland
Ireland has some truly epic coastal cliff scenery and Donegal is wild and spectacular especially on a big sea day which we were fortunate to get on our second visit to Malin Head the first day being a complete wash out. Huge heavy waves thundered into the basin at Malin slamming into the rock stacks sending plumes of spray skyward thence continuing its forward momentum to break on the rocky beach surrounded by thrift covered cliff tops adding a splash of magenta amongst the grassy tussocks. A truly awesome sight.
Fuji GFX50S, Fuji GF 23mm lens, f/16 at 2 Seconds, polariser +0.6ND medium grad, ISO 125.
Feedback Requested
Love to hear your thoughts.
Technical Details
Fuji GFX50S, Fuji GF 23mm lens, f/16 at 2 Seconds, polariser +0.6ND medium grad, ISO 125.
Ian: I always enjoy your takes on your part of the world and this is no exception. Ireland and Scotland are on my bucket list and this makes it even more so. Interesting that you used a grad filter in this age of HDR and processing wizardry. I also like how your SS rendered the water. Superbly crafted image.>=))>
Ditto to what Bill said in appreciating and enjoying you sharing images from your part of the world and indeed this is no exception.
Georgeous seascape. I think your composition is so very nicely balanced between the flowered bluff, the ocean and rock, and the sky. I also agree with Bill on the chosen shutter speed. I really like how it gives the viewer the sense of the rising and falling surf.
Not a nit really, but a question on the sky. It appears to have no color. I suppose that’s entirely possible, but almost comes across like the sky was processed for b&w. Knowing your integrity, I don’t expect you did anything other than crop this one. But I’m just finding in intersting about the monochromatic sky.
Hi Lon, yes just a single exposure using one of my old spare Hitech graduated filters. The filters are relatively cheap plastic ones, alas I dropped my glass one and it shattered, now replaced. It is quite possible that the Hitech one has a colour cast, albeit they are usually fine up to two stops in terms of neutrality. The reflected light on the sea near the horizon suggests it was pretty sludge grey so not too out of kilter with the sky above it. I do recall it had just stopped raining and despite the heavy seas and huge waves there was barely a breath of wind. Of course I could have blended the exposure though with the movement of the sea I find the results are not always too my liking, more to the point I am chronically lazy when it comes to post processing so I prefer to do what I can in camera at the time of taking the picture, most times it works out fine occasionally it goes pear shaped and it’s grumpily consigned to the round filing cabinet beneath my desk.
Hi Ian,
This is spectacular. I love the color in this, and in my experience in Oregon (which some say has similar weather to Ireland) the coastal sky can be quite gray, and even in the inland valleys, when the sky is gray, colors seem to pop more to make up for it. I’m always amazed at the spring azaleas on a gray day here.
in the main subjects and the I can image the tiniest of crops of the top (where that the clouds seem to make an X, just right of center), but why? It’s wonderful as is.
This seascape is so wonderfully balanced and I like the contrast with those delicate flowers on the right side and those rugged rocks on the left. I also quite like the details in the water created with your chosen SS. Like @Lon_Overacker I wondered about the sky as well. I had to chuckle with your explanation as I too still carry my split NDs with me although I hardly ever use them as I do not seem to shoot many grand landscapes anymore. Beautifully done.
Stunning, gorgeous, etc… I’ll second those adjectives. I’m a sucker for a grandscape with foerground flowers, so this punches some nice buttons for me Ian.
Visual Notes
[A1] The greed in me wishes there were more flowers here, but sometimes the plants don’t read the books on composition.
Stunning image, and the bright colors of the flowers in the foreground really contrast with the somewhat gray feeling in the rest of the image. Stormy day indeed! I think the composition is perfect, as well as the movement in the crashing waves.
Part of me wishes there were more flowers growing in that spot as well, but on the other hand they form such a beautiful frame around that corner of the image, and having more might reduce that.
Beautiful composition Ian, as always. It is an engaging photograph with everything one would want. An interesting patterned sky, sharp jagged lines in the rocks with texture, great action in the water, nice flowing lines leading the eye through the photo, great color pop in the foreground with sharp detail.
I can see what @John_Williams is asking for, but if that area was covered with flowers, how would the eye ever get past that and move out towards he rocks and then sky. No, your choice of where to stand was perfect, no additional color or flowers needed.
Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I felt privileged to be at this gorgeous place and I reckon I stayed there for the best part of five hours watching the light change and exploring slightly different viewpoints I may well introduce one or two more that I am very pleased with on a future occasion.
