Original edit:
Rework:
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I took this picture in an area of large meadows with lots of wildflowers and grasses. Yarrow has bunches of small white flowers during the summer, but I prefer how it looks in winter when it turns a nice golden brown color. I liked how this pair looked against a snow-covered background.
Specific Feedback
Any feedback welcome. In particular, I’d be interested in hearing how people react to the background in the image. Is it too bright? Not bright enough? I shot this on an overcast day with flat lighting conditions, so the snow was a little drab at the time, but I’d still like it to be recognizable as snow.
Technical Details
17-70 mm lens shot at 50 mm, 1/320 sec., f/11, ISO 100. I shot this with my camera set to aperture priority mode, and the unedited file came out pretty dark. I made some light and minor color adjustments in Lightroom. The main thing I tried to do was to get the snow to look right. I increased exposure and whites quite a bit to brighten it up. I also removed a few small blades of grass or stems from the upper left corner.
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This is a nice image John. I really like how clean it is, and the BG is great. You could also look at doing a portrait orientation with this one.
Hi John, I love yarrow, I love high key images, I love this photo. I think your image is right as-is. But, I didn’t realize it was yarrow in snow until I read your specific feedback and then looked closely. So I have a question: Were there any little micro-features in the snow that you wanted to capture in your final image? If so, they aren’t apparent to me (other than the sweet little give-away at the base of the yarrow stems). In that case, I’d suggest you might need to bring the snow back down a little. But as I said, I like the piece as presented and I wouldn’t mutz with it at all if you don’t need to. And likewise I’ll comment on the negative space in the image: it works nicely for me as a 3:2 aspect ratio. If you plan to print and frame it, you have enough space on the left that the piece could even be cropped to an alternative ratio (or custom) to fit the place you’ll hang it. Say, maybe 5:4 or 4:3 (or custom). Not necessary for the image, but possibly advantageous for the finished presentation piece. Beautiful work, John!
John, this is a very good looking pair of yarrow stems. I am slightly surprised at how golden they are, but assume that’s part of your going for a high-key look (at least the ones around here get quite dark as they age…) I do like the brightness of the plants. I expect that finding this nicely angled pair took some looking. Have you tried subtle burning-in of the snow? Getting a tiny bit of texture would make it clear that you have snow for the background. The overall brightness looks good.
@Ed_Williams @Michael_Thornton @Mark_Seaver - Thank you all for the thoughtful feedback! You’ve encouraged me to think a bit more carefully about this image and what I intended to achieve with it. I captured and edited this photo last winter, so I had forgotten exactly what I was going for, but it’s coming back to me now…
Michael, to answer your question about any details on the surface of the snow, there really isn’t anything there. I went back and looked at the unedited image and played around with the sliders a bit, and it’s really just a blank page. I remember liking that characteristic at the time, as I wanted to create a really austere image. I also liked how, because the background is so nondescript, the yarrow seemed devoid of any context. I think it’s a bit abstract in that sense, until the viewer notices—as you did—the two little holes in the snow at the base of the plants. I liked the idea of the viewer having to take some time to figure things out, and I think that feeling of uncertainty is pretty true to what it’s like to be in a snowy landscape in flat light. It can be pretty disorienting. So, that’s what I was hoping to convey. Again, thank you for asking the question and prompting me to clarify my thinking. I also appreciate your comments and suggestions about the aspect ratio and possible other crops.
Mark, yes, you’re correct, the light golden color is at least partly a result of my editing and going for a high key look, although even in the unedited version this pair are a pretty nice golden brown. I did make a small adjustment and brought down the exposure to see what that would look like. I’m attaching that version above. I don’t necessarily prefer one version over the other, but I do like the richer color of the yarrow in the rework. And yes, it did take some time to find these two flowers arranged as they are, but I think the greater challenge was to find a couple of flowers that weren’t crowded by a bunch of other plants and grasses. I was lucky to find these in a spot without many distractions in the background.
Again, thank you all for the feedback. I appreciate it!
John, thanks again for sharing this image. It deserves to be printed and framed. I’m looking forward to your next submission!
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Thanks for your encouragement, @Michael_Thornton. I just might have to do that.
