Belitung Study 1 - please critic

[mdg]

Hi Everybody,

I am leaning towards Fine Art specifically Landscape Black and White.  I would appreciate it if you could give me points for improvement.

Thank you.

Best regards,

Mike

[Jeremy Roussak]

I am leaning towards Fine Art specifically Landscape Black and White.  I would appreciate it if you could give me points for improvement.

It's an interesting study but it doesn't work well for me. I'd crop off the bottom quarter, which is (at least as posted) pretty much pure black; an I think you've over-processed the upper clouds.

Jeremy

[mdg]

Thank you for your comment (bow)

[francois]

I have to [gladly] agree with Jeremy about cropping the lower part of the image. There's not much interest there.
Other than that, I like it very much but I also understand that you were after the over-processed look.

By the way, welcome on the forum!

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Welcome to the forum from me, too.

I agree with others that I'd like to see less of the bottom, but I feel the processing is appropriate to the scene. It sets a powerful mood.

Eric M.

[Riccardo]

I agree with Jeremy about the clouds, but not about the sea: if you cut the lower end, you lose in depth.
About the clouds, I perceive something wrong and it would be interesting to know if you've actually exaggerated in post-production, and if you did it in order to balance the darkness of the lower part with the purpose of creating a symmetry that did stand out the middle part.

[RSL]

There you go: Jeremy, Francois and Eric want to see less of the bottom. Riccardo wants to see less of the top. As usual the solution is to avoid a crop. That way everybody can dislike part of the picture.

Strikes me as a good start, Mike, though I tend to agree with Jeremy about the clouds. Oh. . . and welcome to the forum.

[MattNQ]

You could follow both lines of thinking simultaneously and try a pano crop?

Atmosphere is wonderfully dark and brooding though - I like that in an image. 

[mdg]

Guys, thank you so much for the warm welcome...I enjoyed reading your comments and I am happy for sharing what you think.

This is the initial version I made a few weeks back.  The sky and sea is not too dark and the elements along the horizon stands out almost in silhouette.  However, I felt like it lacks mood.  Hence, the first image I shared here.  Riccardo is correct about the dark part of the water.  I wanted it to have depth.  For the clouds, yeah I think it was too much   All points taken and again, thank you.

[mdg]

I have modified the "dark" version and took out some luminosity on the sky.  I hope this is what you meant by over processed sky.

Thanks again, guys (bow)

[Jeremy Roussak]

Guys, thank you so much for the warm welcome...I enjoyed reading your comments and I am happy for sharing what you think.

This is the initial version I made a few weeks back.  The sky and sea is not too dark and the elements along the horizon stands out almost in silhouette.  However, I felt like it lacks mood.  Hence, the first image I shared here.  Riccardo is correct about the dark part of the water.  I wanted it to have depth.  For the clouds, yeah I think it was too much   All points taken and again, thank you.

I fully understand your desire for depth. I think it's perhaps a shame that by adding drama to the shot (which I agree has improved it, generally), you've lost the detail that is present in the lower part of the water.

And I forgot to welcome you. Welcome.

Jeremy

[Riccardo]

This is my proposal (I don't want to see less of the top, but a less processed top).
The basic idea is: sky and sea must work together to bring out the elements on the horizon. Looking at the picture, no one should say "what black clouds! Were they so or you have darkened them in Photoshop?".
It's hard to say whether I have reached the goal: we should submit the image to someone who has not seen the other versions.

[fike]

I like the first one very well. I like the fact that the water fades to a solid black at the bottom. It makes a nice anchor in the composition.  The moody clouds anchor the top, and I find that the narrow study in silhouetted shapes in the middle keeps my eye and my mind engaged.  You have achieved an almost analog smoothness that is rare in digital black and white. 

Because of the large areas of "empty" weight, this might be an image that is better printed in a small size.  I would experiment with this shot using a wide contrasting mat (possibly pure white) printed 8" or smaller.

[sdwilsonsct]

Looking at the picture, no one should say "what black clouds! Were they so or you have darkened them in Photoshop?".

My reaction too.
A fine image, mdg.

[nemo295]

My problem with the image is that the bottom quarter is just a featureless black swath that does nothing for the composition. I think it's fine that the tonal gradient of the water darkens into black, but I think there's just too much of it. If there's no detail to be reclaimed in the raw file I'd be inclined to crop it off.

[petermfiore]

My problem with the image is that the bottom quarter is just a featureless black swath that does nothing for the composition.

This is the greatest part of ART, a difference of opinion.
I find the bottom quarter is very much an anchor to this image. I wouldn't change it.

Peter

[mdg]

Thank you all for your thoughts.  I appreciate it very much (bow)