Revised processing:
Original processing
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I’ve been fortunate to spend most of the month roaming the prairies of Canada and the northern US, looking for more material for my nascent “Grasslands” project. This came to an abrupt halt due to a family medical emergency in Colorado, but while waiting through that stress, I managed to get the camera out on my parents’ property and make my first attempts at ICM. I’ve been struggling to capture the sense of motion that is part of the essence of the windy prairies, and while I’ve had some success with long exposures (15-20 seconds with a 10-stop ND), I still haven’t quite managed to record that feeling of the rippling waves of grass on a breezy afternoon. This ICM effort seems to come closest to achieving that goal, and I rather like it, but I’m curious if others feel the same.
Specific Feedback
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Does this image evoke the sense of standing in a field of grass as the wind sweeps past?
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Being among my very first attempts at ICM (after much study of others’ work), what technical aspects could be improved to better achieve a strong image?
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I was shooting towards a low horizon sun rapidly being swallowed by an advancing thunderstorm, and I’ve done quite a bit of tonal work with this image, especially bringing the foreground seedheads a bit brighter, dimming the bright areas in the URC which was nearest the sun, and generally enhancing the overall contrast between the green stalks and yellowish seedheads. I haven’t done much with the color itself, other than reduce some yellow and slightly desaturate the URC most impacted by the sunlight. Suggestions for improvement? Thank you!
Technical Details
137 mm f/32 for 3.2 secs at ISO 50. I opened the shutter and left the camera stationary for a moment, then panned to the right fairly quickly.
Nice effect. Prior to reading your description, I thought it was a reflection in water. I didn’t recognize it as being grass. To me, I don’t have the sense that I’m standing in a field of grass. It does feel like ripples, though. I, too, am struggling with ICM and can’t offer any advice in that area.
Jeff
I like the effect you were going for. Most ICM work I do is 0.6 sec or less but the infamous… it depends applies. So much experimentation and multiple shots with different shutter speeds and motions is required to hopefully get the effect you are looking for or as occurs many times an effect you did not expect but like. Keep practicing is my only advice. Check out ICM Photography Magazine to really jump start your journey.
Hi Jeff, I quite like this image. I’ll provide my thoughts below.
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Does this image evoke the sense of standing in a field of grass as the wind sweeps past?
Yes it does to some degree. I think the ICM technique was a good choice to convey that mood. I like the energy in the grasses.
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Being among my very first attempts at [ICM] (after much study of others’ work), what technical aspects could be improved to better achieve a strong image?
Your technical details and technique are solid. Holding the camera stationary for a brief moment during the exposure allows an echo of the subject to come through. The movement to the right makes it feel like the wind is moving in that direction too.
- Suggestions for improvement?
I think you’ve done a good job with the overall tonality and colors. Perhaps shift the yellows a bit more to the cooler side especially in that URC where more yellow is coming through. You could also crop this to a pano. I encourage to keep experimenting and thanks again for sharing your image here.
I like it! I agree with Alfredo, I would play with cooling down the white balance to see if you can introduce more color variety. It has a strong yellow cast right now.
Thank you @Chris_Baird, @Mario_Cornacchione, @Alfredo_Mora, and @Eric_Bennett for your feedback. I really appreciate your insights. I’ve posted a revised processing option where I slightly desaturated the upper half of the image, and rebalanced yellows to blues (+20) in both the midtones and highlights. I tend to want to keep the warmish yellow/green in the foreground grass stalks. At first glance, I like this revision, based on your suggestions @Alfredo_Mora (and which I had just finished as you posted @Eric_Bennett). Too much cooling in that part of the image? Too inconsistent with the warmer foreground?
Jeff, while I like the definition in the foreground grass, I think the colors above look a bit washed out. Perhaps tweak the yellows a bit less than from the original. Thanks.
Much appreciated, @Alfredo_Mora. Agree that the second version was a bit too subdued, so I’ve posted a third version that splits the difference a bit, and also has a bit more darkening in areas of the upper right to enhance the sense of layering. I really value your feedback on this.
Looks just right Jeff. Nicely done!
