Continuing my infrequent walks around the house, I tried here to take advantage of the fact that I have clear views of my beloved Mt. Olympus. What drew me to this shot was the low cloud coverage above the mountain, which in combination with the tree line on the lower part of the image, highlight the mountain ridges even more. The larger buildings at the left are kind of distracting, but also kind of make this scene transcend into cityscape territory.
Specific Feedback Requested
… interested to know how this makes you feel, really.
The square crop works really well and for me really makes this image. There is something about the lines and layers which I find very pleasing and the square crop emphasizes that. It is actually the sort of image I could easily imagine framed on a wall, perhaps as part of a set of similar simply B&W images. I think it conveys a sense of calmness and serenity - it reminds me a little of Bruce Percy’s photography although not quite as minimalist.
The subject is impressive and the snow capped peaks work well as B&W. The image is also nicely simplified by removing colour.
I don’t find the buildings particularly distracting and I think they actually add another layer
I like the subtle texture in the trees and overall layering effect created by the tones throughout the image.
In terms of critique, I like the overall softness of the image and I wouldn’t want to lose that but I do think the tones could be pushed a little here to use more of the dynamic range available, particularly around the mountain. Also, a soft darkening gradient from the top of the image may help keep the eye in and better balance the dark foreground.
I’ve had a little play with it to try to demonstrate what I have suggested above. I’m not sure how effective that has been working with the jpeg but hopefully the changes come through - although I don’t think anything drastic is required.
Thank you for your very nice and informative reply here Brian… It’s a joy to have people commenting on my work on this way, putting in the time and effort to formulate their thoughts and impressions. Yes the square crop is a central element and decision for this composition. Note to self: check out Bruce Percy’s work I do like your version, with the added punch on the mountains… works quite well and I’ll probably use it going forward.
Niko’s my comments essentially mirror those of @brian15. I’m not bothered by the buildings, and I like what Brian did with adding some more punch with contrast, it especially helps the sky and mountain. I’ll be honest, usually I’m not a big fan of square crops, and in reviewing this image, I evaluated crops of both the top, or alternately the bottom. But nothing worked as good as the square, you have achieved a nice balance of the three primary layers within the scene.
I think the darkness in the trees works for web display, but if this is destined for print, I would consider adding slightly more shadow detail in the trees.
yeah I can understand that a square crop can feel counter-intuitive for landscapes, but I have been using it frequently, and I like it. It allows me to narrow down and isolate the particular element that made me want to shoot in the first place. On the print, I unfortunately have not put any time or effort in printing my images, but I definitely want to do that. Nothing’s like seeing a photo printed, it definitely comes alive.
I do like your version, with the added punch on the mountains… works quite well and I’ll probably use it going forward.