Please share your immediate response to the image before reading the photographer’s intent (obscured text below) or other comments. The photographer seeks a genuinely unbiased first impression.
Questions to guide your feedback
Do you feel the image works?
Other Information
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Image Description
Torrents of early spring washing away the remains of a messy winter…
Technical Details
Sony A7RIVA
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8
f/11,1/15s,iso100,+1.0
Tripod
ACR/PS
Specific Feedback
Do you feel the image works?
Critique Template
Use of the template is optional, but it can help spark ideas.
Hi Guy, this definitely feels like a torrent. I think the composition is good, it draws my eye in. It might benefit from a contrast boost…also, I wonder what it would look like in B&W.
Hi Guy,
The water flow looks awesome; plenty of water swirling about the rocks! To answer your question; yes the image definitely works. My only suggestion would be to crop or clone those couple of patches of snow along the top edge, middle right of the frame. IMO this makes a beautiful B&W. I hope you do not find, but I did a rework with Nik Silver Efex using High Structure Smooth and this is how it turned out. Very nicely done.
Guy, absolutely! I love the flowing water here; the texture as well as the colors - (tannins in the water?) B&W could work very well here, but a case here where the color version is just as compelling.
Ed’s B&W version is very nice too. I was also going to comment on the patches of snow up top. This works better without the patches. And to some extent, the same might be true for the patch in the ULC, but is much less problematic.
This is such a great little scene and one that I hope you grabbed some other, maybe even tighter compositions. This works very well as you have framed it.
I like this image and I think your choice of shutter speed was perfect to capture the texture of the water. I also feel the monochrome is the right choice for the image. I think the color doesn’t really add to the image. The snow and ice at the top is a little distracting, but I’d probably try darkening it down rather than cloning it out.
Hello Guy. My first thought was this needs a BW conversion. There’s not much color anyway and I find the tannin or what ever is discoloring the water distracting.
Nice one Guy. You’ve really isolated a nice cascade to emphasize the waterflow around and through the rocks. I like @Ed_Lowe’s B&W conversion. I feel sometimes color can actually detract from an image. The only small nit I had was the mud/tannins in the water. Ed’s version took care of that.
I’m late here but just have to say that after immediately popping up the larger version, I had the feeling I needed to get up and wring out my socks. Seriously, I think this is very, very nice. Perfect SS and what might have been a difficult composition handled very well. I’m not usually fond of brown water but here the pop of color from the tannins is wonderful and adds some interest that is missing in the B/Ws. I would clone out the two snow patches at the top, but cropping worked well. I don’t know how far you choose to go with removing things but I wouldn’t mind losing the patch in the corner. But it’s not a big deal. I’m really enjoying lingering with this one.
Guy, the flow looks great, lots of movement and texture. The color version shows the brown that I expect during high water events when the river/falls is near civilization/farmland.
Thank you @Diane_Miller, @Mark_Seaver, I thought the brown was in keeping with the sense of sweeping away what the winter had left… I’m glad you both found the image successful.
This one is very interesting Guy. My initial impression to your question of if this works or not depends on how you define “works.” In the sense of unique, beautiful, etc., the answer is no for me. In the sense of telling a story, the answer is yes. I think you’ve nailed it with the above, and it has to do with the combination of the clutter in the snow and the color in the water; both evoke an end while leaving room for hope for what may come.
Interesting difference in reactions, too. For me it does work as beautiful, but better with some removal of distractions on the edges. I had to have a look and here is a slight crop from both sides and cleanup of the snow at the top edge, and I removed the stick in the water, but that was a minor and very optional thing, for me. Here it is, FWIW. If beauty is to be the emphasis, more could probably be done with some vignetting and maybe local contrast things.
