Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: David Eckels on February 24, 2013, 01:44:42 pm

Title: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: David Eckels on February 24, 2013, 01:44:42 pm
From my back deck yesterday morning. Comments and suggestions welcome as always!
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on February 24, 2013, 02:36:51 pm
I have a deck too; how come mine does not come with a view like that? I'll have to talk to the manufacturer ???

It's a lovely view and well rendered, natural. I see you have a penchant for so-called Dutch landscape, i.e., the one in which the horizon is placed in the lower 1/5 (ah, those Dutch, always need to underscore their land is low, i.e., below sea level ;))
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: David Eckels on February 24, 2013, 02:52:57 pm
It's a lovely view and well rendered, natural. I see you have a penchant for so-called Dutch landscape
Thanks. I am learning some things here about rendering! I do like that low horizon kind of look, probably because often what makes these photographs unique is the sky. I have shot this particular direction many many times with different sunsets, clouds, storms etc. It's not a very interesting f/g, just the SLC airport!
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Rob C on February 24, 2013, 02:53:36 pm
I have a deck too; how come mine does not come with a view like that? I'll have to talk to the manufacturer ???

It's a lovely view and well rendered, natural. I see you have a penchant for so-called Dutch landscape, i.e., the one in which the horizon is placed in the lower 1/5 (ah, those Dutch, always need to underscore their land is low, i.e., below sea level ;))


Slobodan, when you have mountains, St Ansel is necessarily far from your consciousness. You depend on sky, daffodils or pretty maids all in a row.

Rob C
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Tony Jay on February 24, 2013, 03:33:22 pm
Wonderful cloudscape!

We have had a few images posted recently of peoples near neighborhood.
Some of us live in really cool places (obviously).

Tony Jay
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on February 24, 2013, 05:02:57 pm
That's a very fine shot, David!
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on February 24, 2013, 06:20:21 pm
In the meantime, this is what I see from my deck (or how our dog sees it - apparently they see in b&w) :(
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: nemo295 on February 24, 2013, 07:01:44 pm
In the meantime, this is what I see from my deck (or how our dog sees it - apparently they see in b&w) :(

That's one of the strangest cloud formations I've ever seen. Interesting shot.
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Dave (Isle of Skye) on February 24, 2013, 07:02:25 pm
In the meantime, this is what I see from my deck (or how our dog sees it - apparently they see in b&w) :(

No, dogs don't see red and green, but they do see blue and yellow etc and black and white of course. Apparently red and green is only a relatively new evolutionary adaptation of the human visual system, to help us hunt better I imagine. Whereas dogs eyesight hasn't needed to evolve to the same point it seems.

Dave
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on February 24, 2013, 07:17:58 pm
Ok, Dr. Hickey, here is then how our human vision sees it (and more in line with David's Dutch landscape style):
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: David Eckels on February 24, 2013, 07:43:50 pm
OK, before you all go off castigating one another ;) --thanks for the comments. I think I have been learning some things here and appreciate it.
SB-I remember those midswestern storms--I'm glad I'm outa there!
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: rogerxnz on February 24, 2013, 08:37:47 pm
Yes, you are lucky to have such a view so handy.

My feeling is that the cloud formation is not strong or interesting enough for the prominence you have given it and I would replace it. I am particularly concerned about the upper left quadrant which is monochrome and without interest to me.

If replacing the sky were not possible, I would try to introduce more interest in it and even out the spread of tones across it. By this, I mean I would try to bring out more shades and interest in the upper left quarter and I would tone down the right of the picture, especially the right edge of the cloud.

A quick fix might be to flip it left-right.

Otherwise, I like the composition and the placement of the horizon. Well seen!
Roger
 
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: David Eckels on February 24, 2013, 11:49:40 pm
Yes, you are lucky to have such a view so handy.

My feeling is that the cloud formation is not strong or interesting enough for the prominence you have given it and I would replace it. I am particularly concerned about the upper left quadrant which is monochrome and without interest to me.

If replacing the sky were not possible, I would try to introduce more interest in it and even out the spread of tones across it. By this, I mean I would try to bring out more shades and interest in the upper left quarter and I would tone down the right of the picture, especially the right edge of the cloud.

A quick fix might be to flip it left-right.

Otherwise, I like the composition and the placement of the horizon. Well seen!
Roger
 
How would you "replace" it?
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: rogerxnz on February 25, 2013, 01:53:06 am
How would you "replace" it?

If I had a more interesting sky shot, I would put it on a a layer in Photoshop below the layer with your image and, working on the layer with your image, I would mask off the sky of your image. You might have to fade in the new sky where it meets the land.

You would have to adjust the tones (sunniness) of the sky to make sure it ended up a good match with the tones (sunniness) of the land.

I am sorry I don't have your image open while I am typing this comment so I cannot be more specific. Let me know if what I suggest is unclear. I did not say it would be easy!

I think you will get more bang for your time by flipping the image as I suggested earlier. Reason is that most read/scan from left to right and, when viewers do that with your image, they end up at bright right edge and go out of the picture because there is nothing bright enough to bring them back. When the image is flipped, the bright areas will be on the left and viewers will scan across to the dark areas now on the right, which will prevent them leaving the image and they will go back to the left because it is bright and scan across with more interest.

Of course, what I suggest is speculation but it is certainly how I read pictures and I know others do likewise.

Roger
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: David Eckels on February 25, 2013, 08:48:59 am
Flipped. You mean like this? If you flip the mountain, it's no longer Antelope Island. Duplicated the layer, flipped it horizontally, then erased the bottom to reveal the correctly oriented mountain.
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: David Eckels on February 25, 2013, 08:49:48 am
Another rendering; same subject.
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on February 25, 2013, 09:37:24 am
You might try a project (and perhaps a book) like that guy who's deck overlooks San Francisco bridge in the distance: one shot every day, for 365 days, with the same framing, just different sky.
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: David Eckels on February 25, 2013, 09:47:55 am
You might try a project (and perhaps a book) like that guy who's deck overlooks San Francisco bridge in the distance: one shot every day, for 365 days, with the same framing, just different sky.
I've done a sunset series, but if that was any indication, after the project (maybe one a week?), I'd send you a complementary copy and then there'd be only two people that would look at it ;) Seriously, that could be a very interesting project, even if not put in a book. I will cogitate...
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Chris Calohan on February 25, 2013, 09:52:29 am
Another rendering; same subject.

Like this one the best.
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: rogerxnz on February 25, 2013, 12:26:41 pm
Flipped. You mean like this? If you flip the mountain, it's no longer Antelope Island. Duplicated the layer, flipped it horizontally, then erased the bottom to reveal the correctly oriented mountain.

Yes, that is what I mean and I think it works better.

Your panorama crop view is great too. I know it is hard to "throw away" pixels that we have spent lots of money to buy as many as possible!
Roger
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: Dave (Isle of Skye) on February 25, 2013, 06:55:09 pm
Another rendering; same subject.

Now you're cooking David, by cropping into the image to highlight the drama and force it into the foreground, you have really increased the quality of the shot from the original and moved it up into another league I think - who says cropping is bad? This image and what you have done to it here, certainly proves cropping when used appropriately and judiciously, is very much a valid and useful tool.

Dave
Title: Re: Antelope Island Morning Snow
Post by: David Eckels on February 25, 2013, 10:48:17 pm
Now you're cooking David, by cropping into the image to highlight the drama and force it into the foreground, you have really increased the quality of the shot from the original and moved it up into another league I think - who says cropping is bad? This image and what you have done to it here, certainly proves cropping when used appropriately and judiciously, is very much a valid and useful tool.

Dave

This is very helpful encouragement. I HATE cropping and need to get over the hangup so I can find the image that drew my eye. Thanks for the insight!