Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Todd Suttles on March 31, 2015, 10:53:30 am

Title: Intersection
Post by: Todd Suttles on March 31, 2015, 10:53:30 am

This is the best I can do do with this shot knowing what I currently know; applying concept, composition and processing. I am uploading a jpg of the raw file I selected and a jpg of a wider view. I would appreciate anyone who would take the time to share how he/she would have approached this setting pre or post exposure. A specific question I would ask is would it have more appeal with a greater DOF (used f8)?
Thanks in advance, -t

Title: Re: Intersection
Post by: brandtb on March 31, 2015, 04:39:16 pm

First is best version far and away...especially the drama of clouds in B/W... which is lost in the color. The last image wide has some really uninteresting stuff in frame...why would you want that in there as it just pulls the image down? Especially on the right...those trees pull everything out of balance. DOF question is nitpicking I think...how much more do you need? Do you want the uninteresting foreground in focus as well?...don't think so. I can't say the image is that great all things considered but the first version brings a decent focus, intensity, and compositional integrity... and to pore over a lot of potential work on it I don't know if that would be worth the time... /B

Title: Re: Intersection
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on March 31, 2015, 05:08:47 pm

I have to agree with Brandtb on all points.

Title: Re: Intersection
Post by: David Eckels on March 31, 2015, 06:15:49 pm

Quote from: Eric Myrvaagnes on March 31, 2015, 05:08:47 pm

I have to agree with Brandtb on all points.

Me too. Dof is fine, IMHO, but otherwise, what brandtb says.

Title: Re: Intersection
Post by: luxborealis on March 31, 2015, 06:52:44 pm

I agree with the others above - the first is the best.

Perhaps you could add just a little move grad filter to the road making the foreground slightly darker, but, to me, there is still something missing and I can't put my finger on it.

One idea might be to have the same shot but with the blur of a car heading towards the intersection (away from the viewer).

Title: Re: Intersection
Post by: RSL on March 31, 2015, 07:45:25 pm

I agree with Terry. Something's missing. Practically every FSA photographer made a picture of a road leading off into the distance. There's one by Dorothea Lange that particularly sticks in my mind. The road's vanishing point was the point of focus and the point of interest in all of those pictures.This road doesn't lead off into the distance. It ends a hundred yards or so up that slight hill. There's really no point of focus in the picture. Technically, it's good. The clouds are great. But in the end it doesn't seem to say much.

Title: Re: Intersection
Post by: BobDavid on March 31, 2015, 09:52:54 pm

Maybe a tighter crop??

Title: Re: Intersection
Post by: Todd Suttles on April 03, 2015, 11:13:35 pm

Thanks everybody. Much appreciated. Just what I needed to hear. 'Till next time....
I DO appreciate the help