Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
As many of you already know, there were several NPNers that met up in Yosemite the first week of May during the high waterfall season. The waterfalls didn’t disappoint and were generally, roaring with lots of water. Most of you probably already know that we had significant weather for most of the trip except for departure day. My departure day was actually the night before so I don’t have any of the magical light that happened the following morning but we did get plenty of mood. There were low hanging clouds wrapping themselves around all of the granite peaks of the valley making for some interesting abstract and intimate opportunities along with the occasional grand landscape opportunities when rain and heavy cloud cover allowed a little bit of light in. These two images are relatively abstract, converted to black and white because there simply was not much color in these shots with a fairly high key effect. I was going for a charcoal/pencil art look to these.
The trip was supposed to have Tony Siciliano meeting up with us but as many of you know, he had a moderate stroke several weeks before our departure. It was sad not to have Tony on the trip but we hope he can make it for the next gathering on November 1st for Fall colors in the valley. Any and all of you are welcome to join the fun. It was the funnest photography trip I’ve ever been on. Period. Great people…All of them. For sure we will get better weather in the Fall for the next trip.
Specific Feedback
You’ll notice that I have two images of the same scene cropped differently. Which do you prefer?
Do you like the high key? Far enough or not far enough?
Is this more of an abstract or more of a landscape scene? Did I reveal too much or not enough?
Technical Details
Nikon z9, 180-600mm lens @ 220mm, ISO 1000, SS 1/1000, f/8, Hand Held for both images
Dave,
Wow, I’m loving this more now that I’ve seen it again. I didn’t realize at first that these images are 2 different one. They’re very close of course, but I had to look closely after you wrote, “both images.” 
Tough call! They both have they’re strengths and both work beautifully. As to the high-key, more or less, I think this is processed just right.
I love the square crop; just the right amount of balance between the swirling fog and granite rock - oh, and in both, my favorite part are the line of trees in the LRC. Talk about scale! Those trees tell a big story in both.
In the taller version, my initial thought was too much up top, empty space. But what’s amazing and so subtle, is that to me the trees stand out even better in this version. The fog is obscuring the left rock just sligly more, and less so in the LRC, thus giving those “little” trees (probably 30ft high or more?) more focus and attention. I suppose you could shave some off the top, but not all the way to square.
Glad you posted these! Love them both!
Hi David,
This is lovely. To me, it’s more of a landscape, but it’s clearly abstracted. Abstract Landscape works for me as a descriptor.
I am so torn between the two crops. I like the thickness of the lower clouds in the square crop, which i think helps us stay more focused on the “edges”: rock, trees, atmosphere in context. In the square version, the rocks on the left are much heavier, more dominant in my impression of the scene. So, I think I’m going toward the portrait crop.
Like Lon, I think going with the second image, but cropping a tish off the top (and I would say an even smaller tish off the bottom) might be the perfect balance.
Really nice either way, and as presented. Just wonderful mood and a sense of being in the clouds with rock and trees.
ML
David: Oh these are so good. Reminded me of pencil etchings and I hope you will take that as the high compliment intended. Marvelous rendition of a marvelous place. >=))>
Tough call. I really like both versions. Very cool B&W capture of a special place. Ansel Adams would be proud.
Love, love, love the high-key approach you took here Dave. This is fantastic. Everything works superbly here, but those little trees on the right really push this up to next level.
My vote is a 4x5 crop of the vertical, lopping off just a bit of the top.
Definitely the vertical. The subject is vertical and that tall aspect ratio works better. I also prefer the slightly lighter blacks in the verticals. Since it’s a high tone image I would extend that to the darker tones as well. I would not crop any off the top as negative space is appropriate for high tone compositions. I would not have darkened the trees and ledge on the right. Let the big cliff dominate and the right be subordinate. Don’t give equal weight to both. With images like these I like to use oriental art as my inspiration.
Sorry to hear about Tony. I didn’t know.
David, both of these show fine artistry. I much prefer the square crop as it doesn’t have the big empty space at the top. The slope with the four trees makes a great visual anchor for viewing the rest of the scene. Your landscape vs abstract question is hard to answer…I’d call this an artistic landscape, but it also is quite dreamy. As I look longer, I’m starting to see a face or an animal’s head in the bit on the left…
David,
Yes the vertical crop is the way to go, it is much more balanced. Love the fog covering all but a few little windows allowing the granite to come through. It imparts great mystery in what is hidden in the fog. Nicely captured.
Thank you all for you’re invaluable input on these two images @Youssef_Ismail , @Mark_Seaver , @Igor_Doncov , @John_Williams , @Dave_Douglass , @Bill_Fach , @Marylynne_Diggs , @Lon_Overacker.
Lon, I’m glad you like the processing on these. They are both done slightly different as you mentioned. Yes, This really was all about the trees and the scale that they convey when dwarfed by the cliffs of granite in the valley. I left the portrait version tall because I wanted to convey the feeling that the clouds go on forever which on this trip, they really did. I also wanted to help convey that scale. In both images there is a tree on the rock face wall of the left rock face. I very much love that tree as well as the trees on the right side of the frame. Thanks again, Lon!
Marylynne, I’m glad you are enjoying the mood in both scenes. That was my intent. Yes, the squarer crop does focus more on the edges, rock, trees, fog ,etc. Good catch. The two crops definitely portray things differently and they both have a different feel making hard for me to choose between them both. Thanks for your insight.
Bill,
Absolutely I took this as a compliment. In my description I even mentioned that I wanted these to look like pencil art/charcoal art so you nailed it. Thanks
Dave, Thanks for your kind words. Glad you like both versions. Ansel would likely be in the dark room dodging and burning! Thanks for the. compliment.
John, so fun to have you on this trip. Thanks for your thoughts on the high key look and glad you like it. I know high key is not for everyone. Thanks for the crop input. Taking a look at that this afternoon.
Igor, Great advice on letting the blacks come up with the whites. I think I’ll try that this afternoon as well. I’m glad you think not cropping off the top is the way to go. I have those same thoughts. My dad does lots of oriental watercolor painting and I should ask him about this. Tony is getting better by the day and hopefully can make the Fall colors trip in November. Maybe you can too. Thanks again, Igor.
Mark, so funny that you mention the face of an animal…I saw the same thing. Phew. I also understand why some prefer the square crop as there is a lot of negative space in the portrait version. Artistic Landscape. I’ll take that. I like it. Thanks, Mark.
Youssef, Thanks for chiming in on this one. Mystery is pretty much what I was looking for on the portrait version. Lots’ of empty space. How far do those walls rise? Do those clouds go on forever? What’s out there? I think you got the point. Thanks for your feedback and I hope you can make the trip in November.
