The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
Surprisingly (for me), the grasses that grow around some of the thermal features in Yellowstone are lush. Their colors were simply gorgeous and really popped in the steam and low light of a rainy day.
Specific Feedback
I fiddled with the green tones a bit, as some appear rather too green as rendered by the sensor. Do they look ok? Need more adjustment?
Technical Details
Fiddled with the greens, increased contrast a bit, added a vignette, all in ACR.
The short answer is I wouldn’t change a thing. Now for a longer answer… The first thing I like is the ground purple line at the bottom of the image. It contrasts well with the MG greens, yellows, and oranges. You did a very fine job in taming the greens, especially – even if I can’t see the original photo. I like the overall softness and colors you captured. I also agree with your assessment about how lush the grasses can be around those thermal features in YNP. If a visitor takes the time to stop and admire them, they’ll see how beautiful and colorful Yellowstone is. This is a dreamy image. It’s hard to imagine how hot that area is by looking at this image. If you hadn’t mentioned the location, one could think it was a swamp or marsh in the early morning hours.
Bonnie, With your other Yellowstone post still in mind, I just knew this was yours before seeing your name. I love it. The soft pastel painterly look and the mood created by the mist makes this image speak to me. It takes some perceptive deep seeing to make an image like this. I think of Anna Morgan’s article in Nature Vision Magazine and the commentary on her website as I marvel over this image. The colors are fine as is. One question is whether this could be sharpened a touch more without losing the wonderful soft look - I am not sure, but looking at the large view of the image it appears a bit blurry. Perhaps that’s your intent. This image is an educational experience.
Yah, it is a bit blurry. I don’t think there’s much I can do about that. I was being careful (using a tripod, even), but maybe it’s a combination of the the camera (the small RX100) and the dense atmosphere.
BTW, @EgĂdio, I can’t tell you how much more fun that camera was to use than my big-girl camera with the 100-400mm lens. I wasn’t enjoying the experience so much until I switched to the little camera. I can live with a bit of softness (it works with my aesthetic and the prints look fine to most people) as a trade-off for the better experience in the field.
Bonnie, I just spent 10 days in Colorado photographing fall foliage in the Gunnison area. I was hesitant at first, but I only took my new bridge camera I got a month ago. Back in July, I was in Colorado hiking with my big-boy camera (if I may borrow your nomenclature). With the higher elevation and weight, that 50-400mm lens was noticeable in my hikes. This time, the bridge camera I took was so light and was a joy to click here and there. What makes it even better is that I can also shoot macros with the same camera. Yeah, I totally understand what you say about the trade-off.
A low contrast, brightness, a bit of softness also for the little mist, the neutral but vivid colors all adds up for the pictorial colors. I really love the image.
Having just been to Yellowstone with you and also photographing this place, I’m encouraged by what you’ve done with this image. I’ve been struggling to come up with something I really like. I think this is because I had a preconceived idea of what I wanted. I like the more detailed grasses in the foreground and the way you brought out the sparking droplets on them. I find the softness in the rest of the photo very appealing. I love that this was taken with your Sony RX100. I plan to get one soon.
Thanks, @Chris_Baird. The grasses at this spot were just lovely, weren’t they? I think you’ll have a lot of fun with a small camera like the RX100. There are other manufacturers besides Sony - you might try some out (rent?) as some seem like they might be more user friendly. EgĂdio LeitĂŁo here has a Lumix FX2500 that he likes.
Bonnie, I think that this image is absolutely stunning! The colours in the vegetation are bright and in combination with the mist from the thermals create a very appealing, relaxing, and peaceful view. Also, when I view this large, I really like the bright highlights on he purple leaves in the foreground. I assume that they’re water drops but they’re awesome.
This looks like a painting. I know that’s said often enough but really, this looks like a painting to me. Very impressionistic feeling and once again, the atmosphere is tremendous. This is my favorite of your series so far. I love everything about it. The very shallow depth of field really makes this scene pop for me and it also reduces the clutter that could have been an issue with so many textures and colors in the image. That sharp foreground fading into a soft and dreamy mid and background are what help create that painterly feeling for me. Stunning.
