Luminous Landscape Forum
The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: jasonrandolph on September 21, 2009, 03:02:46 am
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While this beach was immortalized by the Beach Boys in "Surfin' USA," big wave season hasn't arrived yet, and there weren't any bikini-clad ladies, especially at 5:30 AM. With a 40-second exposure, I was able to flatten it out. What do you all think?
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While this beach was immortalized by the Beach Boys in "Surfin' USA," big wave season hasn't arrived yet, and there weren't any bikini-clad ladies, especially at 5:30 AM. With a 40-second exposure, I was able to flatten it out. What do you all think?
The lack of contrast in the sky is a "problem" Also I found that I was looking around for a focal point that wasn't there. Sorry I found it uninteresting.
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I like it, and for me this bright sky together with the strong contrast to the stones is what makes it special. It has a strange mood to it I like. There are two movements, the movement of the clouds and of the passenger who left his traces in the sand. Time passing by. For me it invokes thoughts about normality and self-reflection.
Maybe a slight, slight tad darker - but not as far that the mood gets destroyed - could bring out the movement of the clouds more wich are unusual looking due to the exposure.
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What I forgot, I mean normality of course in a good way. Alone it sounded so negative. Also I do not see a tone change as essential, the image stands as it is already.
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Not sure what the "problem" is with that sky..looks beautirul to me, the sky's the most toothy part of the pic for me.
Overall, nice long exposure mood to the picture..
Wondering what the original, uncropped frame looks like? I'm curious as to your cropping choices...nice job though
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My feeling that the image has all the good ingredients but I miss a good combination of them. For me the stronger elements here are the horizon with the small rocks and that larger cloud. Elements that do not contribute are the slope in the horizon, the sand with the footsteps and maybe the top zone of the sky... so I think that a horizon alignment and a crop leaving ony the central zone -removing the top sky and the bottom left sand and water will give another suggesting image. Additionally some contrast may give it more drama. I hope this goes in the direction you want the image to go.
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Jason, Sorry, but it comes across to me as a nice tourist shot. If that's what you intended then you succeeded. I think you need the bikini-clad ladies.
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Lots of nice lines in this shot- multiple radials extending from the cloud augment the repeating diagonals and horizontals.
Russ, with respect: if that's a tourist shot, then it's a damn good one!
John
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Thank you all. I appreciate the comments, both positive and negative. My intent was to capture the stillness of the morning. This was a fairly dramatic shift from the original RAW file. I was messing around with my Lightroom presets when something close to the posted image came up. For Pete, I'll post the original later on today when I get home. And for Russ, I think I spotted a bush I can hide in to get the bikini shots.
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Russ, with respect: if that's a tourist shot, then it's a damn good one!
John
John, No respect needed. That's what I said. "Nice tourist shot." You're right. It's a damn good one.
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I like the way the photo reflects a quietetude and stillness, although when you compare this to the vibrant energy that Waimea is known for it almost seems as though you havent quite captured the true essense of the place.
To me there seems to be very little contrast between the sand in the lower right and the water, almost as though it is all one texture. The footprints in the sand work well. In this context they have become the only representation of movement.
I like it but for me there are a few elements missing to really love it.
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I like the composition and the milky effect of the water thanks to the 40 second exposure. But I wonder what it would look like in colour, probably purplish/pinkish/bluish sky and water at 5:30 AM.
I probably would prefer this is colour rather than B&W.
Andrew
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Again, thanks for the critiques. I said I would post the original color/uncropped version, so here goes. How do they compare?
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Wow! In colour I like this very much! It has really come alive, you can see the motion in the clouds, the contrast between sand, sea and sky. It still reflects a quietness but also captures the colours that to me represent the islands.
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I am a fan of B&W but I like contrast in it! The colour image IMHO is far better? A crop on the right hand side? Could you process the colour image to B&W with more contrast in the sky? The contrast is there? A contrasty sky would add more balance to the image?
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Your color version makes the clouds explode out of the screen, which dramatically changes the feel of the shot.
John
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I agree with John. Color turns it into more than a tourist shot. The clouds make the picture. At first I thought you did some Photoshopping in the upper clouds. Then I checked and found that you used a 41 second exposure, which explains the blurriness of the close-in clouds. It's a very fine piece of work at this point. Bravo!
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When I originally posted the B&W, I knew it was a dramatic change from the original. Through your feedback, it's clear that the color version is more effective in getting my message across. I thank you all for that feedback.
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I disagree, leaps and bounds stronger in Black and White. I think your initial instinct to make this black and white was correct.
I don't understand this statement about it being a "tourist shot"? That makes absolutely no sense to me...it's a basic scenic image that worked out well, not touristy at all.
The crop you chose was good as well, allowing the line of those clouds to finish tight on the right,. Also, good choice to use 4x5 proportions/aspect.
I dont like the footprints on the left, Id smooth that all out and forget about the human presence..something akward about the way they take up that corner.
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I think you could get that same cloud "explosion" in B/W by taking the RAW back into LR or ACR, and playing with the monochrome sliders, as well as the WB and contrast (I only recently discovered that adjusting WB in B/W images can make a huge difference). I'd like to see a B/W version with the same cloud impact as in the color version.
John
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I definitely plan or reworking the B&W version tonight. My eyes prefer B&W in still photography, and I think I have the "RAW elements" in the image to make it work. Results to follow...
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I think this type of image works better as B/W, the long exposure with the movement in the clouds looks unnatural in color since the brightness levels indicate daylight rather than twilight. But the B/W conversion up top misses the mark, the sky needs to be darker with more contrast I think. If you can do that I think you'll have a keeper.
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Here's a new B&W version. I'm not sure if it works for me as-is, but I always value others' feedback.
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Jason:
Of the three versions I prefer the original. It has a dreamier quality to it. The second B&W is in my opinion too dark and contrasty, losing detail in the lava shoreline and reducing the buttery (?) appearance of the water seen in the first. Plus the sepia-like toning of the first appeals to me in this instance. The colour version did not appeal to me either. The sky was too bright (approaching mid-day blue) and with more contrast against the sea than I was envisioning for the scene, not having been there and all.
Andrew
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Thanks Andrew. I think I agree with you. That was closest to the effect I was going for. I was going for an otherworldly effect, and I think the original best captures that spirit. Maybe I'll try burning in the sky just a little bit.
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Here's a new B&W version. I'm not sure if it works for me as-is, but I always value others' feedback.
NOW we're talkin'! You've certainly done an excellent job of PP here- you have the drama of the clouds combined with really well placed brights and darks.
Technically, I really don't see how you can improve this image IF you're after the "exploding cloud" look.
John
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Not to be too difficult, but I like the bottom half of the first B/W image and the top half of the second. I like the lighter tones in the water and the more open shadows of the cliff in #1. I also like the warmer tone of the first shot. But in #2 the extra contrast brings out the dynamics of the clouds better.
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Jason, yes, otherworldy, that was my impression too. Strange, even "dead" comes to my mind. I like the first version best, the last one is for me ordinary standard look. It is not special anymore. My advice, make the first *even brighter*. Not kidding! I tried and it looks great at least for my taste. The original intention gets more clear this way for me. The challenge is getting it overall as white as possible while still maintaining hints of detail. (The blacks of the rock stays of course, acts as an anchor). High key simulation.
Christian
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Not to be too difficult, but I like the bottom half of the first B/W image and the top half of the second. I like the lighter tones in the water and the more open shadows of the cliff in #1. I also like the warmer tone of the first shot. But in #2 the extra contrast brings out the dynamics of the clouds better.
My thoughts exactly, except that I prefer it untoned, as in the second.
Jeremy
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Not to be too difficult, but I like the bottom half of the first B/W image and the top half of the second. I like the lighter tones in the water and the more open shadows of the cliff in #1. I also like the warmer tone of the first shot. But in #2 the extra contrast brings out the dynamics of the clouds better.
I just went back and looked at all three versions, and i am completely with Jeff on this. See if you can retain the "dreamy" quality in the lower half while boosting the contrast in the clouds. This is well worth some more work, IMHO.
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Again, thank you all for the constructive critiques on this image. There is certainly a plethora of opinions here. It certainly takes a little more reflection on my part to come up with the "final" image. Again, many thanks to all who commented.