"4-Door Apparition" vertical orientation

I have been meaning to convert this to b&w, the original conversion was of the

horizontal format. Thanks for your time and observations!

Mark. All right! Vertical format works with this composition. See your finally getting some clouds. That car is so cool. Its been down that hill for awhile judging from the number of bullet holes in it. Whitewall tires have been out for years and it looks like Mother Earth is absorbing it starting with the rear end. Fine photograph with a story to tell. 6/6 anon...RAY

Paradoxical to say the least; the scrap car discarded in a scene with such a drop dead gorgeous backdrop....

 

A marvelous capture and presentation; love the tones, lines and depth here... Mike

 

 

I like this, Great everything sky, hills, the car, the tones everything !

 

Great Job !

It was a brilliant idea to make this vertical. The eye follows the valley all the way back to that amazing sky. I didn't see the horizontal of this, but I already know I prefer this one! Bravo!

Thank you Ray, Mike, Duane and Christal! Go figure, the horizontal of the same was a hit. This one for me is clearly a better PP, the sky is retained and the tones are spread wide without a clip, but the horizontal, with many apparent flaws from my viewpoint, is more popular. I guess that this does not have that POP, the sky needs to be blown in the center to catch the eye. Shows you what I know. Christal, the horizontal is in the same black and white folder only a few back. I know for sure this would print better. Oh well!!!

Great b&w, great vertical composition! 7/7

I think this would a great photo even without the car. Nicely composed and excellently processed. Just full of delicate mid tones that you have processed to perfection.

Wow - stunning imagery. Everything in this image just makes my jaw drop. Light, tones, scenery - what a feast for the eyes!!!!

Great!!!!

Great lines - fiting tones. Well captured. BR Joerg

Mark, I like this a lot but think that there are two competing images within it. If you take the car and remove the sky, you have a good image. Alternatively, if you remove the car, you have another good image. I find myself torn between the two points of interest - the car and the sky. It's probably just me though.

I love the car in the FG on a slope that forms a line that compliments the lines formed by the hills beyond. Great composition on a vertical presentation. Congratulations, Mark!

 

Lester

Thanks Alona, Leo, Hazel, Iker, Jorg, Jeff and Lester. Jeff, I get your observation. To me, however, it's kind of like being torn between a good glass of red wine and a tender, juicy ribeye steak. They are both great on their own, but combine them and they make for a celebration. Its more about two good things complimenting each other to make a better whole. I think the car alone would be OK, but not nearly as enchanting without the scenery. It definitely places the car in context, kind of an opposites attract scenario. To be truthful, I did not shoot just the car. The surroundings of the day were overwhelming.

Thanks for the explanation Mark. I like the analogy too. I suspect that a print of this would be a lot better than the web view. It was obviously an amazing day. Those hills look full of possibilities.

It's indeed a very good photo. Still, I think there are some points worth mentioning. First of all I think Jeff is right in his first comment and I think it's due to the fact that you're point of view could have been a bit more effective. Then there is the question of tonality, I think there is not enough "definition" between some parts. Hope you don't mind but to make a bit more clear what I mean I have uploaded an example.

Thanks Ton! Yours looks good. I tend to err on the softer side, I stay away from excessive contrast. Not saying your version is excessive. It better establishes points of interest and divides them with subdued tones (darker perhaps is a better way of saying that). My goal with all of my digital files is the large print. I am gonna say that your version would print well on rag paper, but would appear contrasty with pearl or gloss. Therefore, if I were printing with cotton rag, I would give it some S curve, but I would retain the lower contrast version in case I will be using a coated type paper. I typically upload a copy of my master without changes. I probably should give them some boost before posting to garner more appeal. As far as the crop, a little tight for me, I will meet you halfway. Look for a revised version in the next couple of days and then tell me if I made my point or I'm just full of malarky.

when I work on other people's photo's it's never (well almost) about being better or not. Man, I would be proud to call this one of mine. I do that only to make a bit more clear what I often find difficult to write out. Although I have to say that grey border of you didn't do much good ;-)

 

I'll look out for it.

Well I didn't say your version was better, it does achieve different results and very likely would garner more appeal from the masses. I think there very well may be many of the masses that would say your version is better. I also know that you do not post a revised version to say it is better. You are providing valuable input. You are making my $25 investment all the better. P.N. allows me to showcase my "babies" for all to see. I am receiving priceless recomendations regarding my photography. Many a photographer would charge good money to offer advice. You are an excellent photographer and ask nothing to discuss, at length if necessary, the merits, or lack of, within a chosen image. I chose the image to recieve input, you chose the image to provide feedback. What I am saying is thanks, I know you have the best intentions. I also agree on this; you are an opinionated sod!

;-)))

Thanks heavens, he is. A few more around the joint would start to get it back to where it was a few years ago. I realise that saying that makes me sound stupid but one person with an honest evaluation beats wow every time. I can get my ego stroked elsewhere. What I value on PN is the small group of folks who tell me what they really think.

Attached is my revised based on suggestions from Ton.

but now you've stroked my ego and forced me to retreat in a monastery for the next month ;-)

 

Seriously though, I think you did a dandy job. What already was a good photo has now become a superb one. Chapeau, as they say in France.

At least it will be safe around here for the next month or so!

then again, maybe not. It seems they've got Internet nowadays.

 

On a more serious note, what never ceases to amaze me is that only a relative few people regularly visit the work from you landscape guys. Truth be told anyone can get a lot out of it. I've told Chris once that, although working in a city as I tend to do gives you more reflective light than you encounter in a more natural landscape, there is still a lot to be learned here because when you look how the better ones treat their light, the sense of composition they have and the sense of detail it's really something that a lot of people could learn a lot from. I mean, you have to be disciplined and fastidious to get great results, there is no way around that. And yet a lot of them seem to think that shooting hundreds of images and processing them in photoshop for just a few minutes will get them there as well. It doesn't.