The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I hiked down to the confluence of Tower Creek and the Yellowstone River because it’s one of the easiest ways to access the River. The big yellow slope on the far side of the river provides some color, that was nicely saturated under the overcast/stormy sky. I had the place completely to myself for an hour of quiet exploration. This was originally a panorama of 7 vertical shots, but the 3:2 crop provides a better balanced view.
I like this composition, Mark. In this case, I would probably be inclined to burn some areas (pines, clouds) to really draw out the bright yellow from the rest of the scene. I personally really enjoy a yellow/grey contrast, and if the sky were a bit darker, I think the rock would pop even more.
I also have to admit that I would love to see what this would have looked like with a 10 stop ND filter to blur that water and soften the sky. I don’t know, maybe others find that a bit of a cliché, but I like the moodiness of those sorts of scenes!
The only suggestions I’d have would be to take down the brightness of the sky a bit, and, perhaps to increase contrast in the water. Maybe with a clarity adjustment. The water is what leads my eye through the composition, so I’d like to see it better defined.
This is excellent, I quite like this landscape - including the comp. Interesting too that you mentioned you had set up and captured as a pano. Interesting because with the bend in the river this actually has the feeling of a pano - yet obviously it’s not. Not sure if that makes sense.
Agree completely the cloudy conditions allowed for the colors to really make a stand here. I think the processing is spot on. The only suggestion I have would be a slight burn down of the large rock in the LRC. Not an image killer as it serves to anchor that corner, but I think just bringing it’s brightness more in line with the rest of the shoreline might be something to consider.
I also think the water is about as real as you can capture, as if I was there witnessing the scene.
Lon
