roncraig

I think I maybe got 2-3 images from this trip, and I'm happy with that.

Great great photo, and an example of how a photo can be much more than a simple record of a subject. This one certainly tells a story.

 

On the topic of the 'rule of thirds' I'd have to say that this is stronger for not following that rule. If viewed from the perspective of the building in its environment, placing the building at a mathematically predetermined point in the image would to my mind give equal priority to the building AND its environment. For me, placing it right in the center prioritizes it over its environment, which is exactly how it should be here. This image compels me to look at the building first, and its environment second.

I like the subtlety of this one very much, and to me it's the best in your impressive gallery. That combination of softness and detail in the same image is very compelling.

 

Keep up the great work - I look forward to seeing more.

 

Ron.

On looking through your collection this one jumped out as almost Hopper-like. I love the subtle colors and the depth of the image, and how you have taken great light and somehow made it even better. The composition troubles me a little however, and my mind wants to continually decide whether that tree is right in the middle or not. Nonetheless, this is a great image - too bad you can't go back and reposition that tree ;)

I like the dramatic nature of this one - the water isn't simply falling downhill but fighting the obstacle. The strong green moss on the rightmost rock is also a good element. You may like to try and reduce the blown out highlight beside that moss, as it is a little distracting. Overall a great image though.

The color version definitely works better for me, and I like the 'Turner'-like quality. I'm not too sure about the banding in the sky though - as someone who has suffered with a lot of compression-induced banding over the years this feels like an artificial element which you did not have control over, unlike the rest of the image. Maybe a little blurring would help. Nonetheless, a great concept which I'd like to see more of.

Any and all input is welcome! Many thanks in advance.

Hi R Christopher,

 

Thanks for your insightful thoughts. I originally imagined that B&W may have worked better for this one (and I had negatives in both formats), but I much prefer this one with the subtle color. To me it gives a warmth to an otherwise harsh vista.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ron.

Hi Richard,

 

The image here is pretty close to what I remember - it was taken at dusk with little or no light. The light was quite unique and I tried to maintain that. I do welcome your feedback though - it's always great to have another pair of eyes make me rethink my motivations to make sure I'm on track!

 

Thanks,

 

Ron.

Any input is always welcome. Thanks!

First foray into a hybrid flow ;)

The reflection certainly gives this something, but with such a great subject I don't think that the reflection actually adds anything to the shot. For me it works better with the bottom cropped off. It's obviously difficult to control the lighting outside the studio, but this one appears to be a little too harshly lit. The same subject under overcast light may well give you better results.

To my mind this needs some more post-processing work. I'd like to see better exposure in the foliage. Nice capture of the cloudscape though, it just needs a bit more work to bring out the detail.

OK, so it's a funky effect. However, to my mind you have taken something potentially very attractive and turned it into something unattractive for no discernible reason. As a technical exercise it's interesting but I don't think you chose a good subject.

First of all, the overlaid text is very distracting ;( That aside, I don't find the 'flower' attractive so for me this wouldn't be a subject I'd choose. With flora I'd always be looking for great differentiating color, and here it either didn't exist or you removed it.

Critiques are appreciated. Thanks!

 

Ron.

I like the idea here Brian, though it would alomst be better if you made more use of the subtle light falling on the foreground.

Peter, I used to go up there all the time (I'm now in California) and this brings it all back to me. I remember the light changing every few seconds, and I certainly believe you when you say that these colors are real - but chances are it was 'teemin' a few minutes later ;)

I think that the panorama does actually work - and those colours are so great that I want to see as much as possible. One advantage of the panorama is that you get different areas of light and shade - a crop on the centre peak would be mostly uniform light.

 

You might want to try and clone out the road sign on the right hand side ;) Experiment with cropping on the right and see what you think.

 

Sometimes the best landscapes are also colour studies, and this is a great example. I need to go back to Scotland (I'm stuck on good old California at the moment!).

Contrary to the views of some others, you need to keep the bottom part of the shot monochromatic, as it gives the overall shot more balance, and helps to anchor the trees. It's so unusual to have a dark sky and lighter subject matter - great shot and a great eye to spot it!