Hey folks,
This is my first post here. I've been looking for a place to discuss images and get some critique, and this looks like it might be good community!
So, I thought I'd start by sharing this image. This is a long exposure pano I took at the infamous Reinebringen (everybody knows where this is so I won't try to be secretive about the location). I was hoping to catch a sunrise, but no sunrise came -- only an incoming storm. Luckily I managed to get a glimpse of light in the distance.
I would love to hear your feedback on this -- both composition and processing.
I will share my own thoughts, too. Please think of your feedback before you read it :)
I think the coloring is a little green, looking back on it. The general style I hope to achieve is a very magical, mystic Lord of the Rings feel. I don't think this accomplishes my goal.
The subject matter is not ideal, either. I don't think human development belongs in the mood I hope to create. That being said, in this case it plays a large role in the composition.
Finally, the composition itself is only okay. Something doesn't quite feel right. One thing is, even though the horizon is level, it doesn't look like it somehow. The other is the lack of a main subject, really. My goal was to have a rising sun, and a person in the foreground, but things didn't quite go as planned.
So, this image is a learning experience. Despite me being unsatisfied with it, I don't see that many panos of this scale at this location, so I am at least happy about that.
Welcome to the Group, Yuriy! I think you'll find this a friendly, constructive environment.
You're very harsh in your self-criticism, in my opinion! In what must have been a frustrating situation, by keeping calm you have come away with a fine image, as far as I'm concerned.
I think the colour is fine, and entirely suits the time of day and weather conditions; I think you do capture the mood you describe. You could reveal more shadow detail, but might kill the mood in the process. It is an easy and minor final tweak to adjust colour balance or saturation to your satisfaction, something I often find myself doing when it comes to printing.
The signs of human habitation "make" the image in many ways, so it's not yet another epic image of an epic location among myriad flooding the internet. At first, I thought it was lava glowing, and then I realised the the Islands are not some pristine habitat free from human interference after all. So your image is thought-provoking and sobering, for me.
I think your composition is fine, with the mountain curve embracing that glow, and a beautiful dark sky topping it
About the horizon: I find this is a common problem with moody overcast sea horizons, which can be partially concealed by mist, making that section look lower. You could bend the horizon up at right, until it LOOKED right to you, and keep quiet. No one would know you "cheated". I'm super-fussy about level horizons, and I'd leave it as is.
For me, the subject is the entire scene with the mysterious glow. A person would have spoiled it.
A fine effort, and a very enjoyable image for me, Yuriy! I don't see a need to change anything, although you could fine tune after the major processing and keep variants. Hope to see more from you.
Thanks Chris!
Time spent outdoors is never too frustrating. Last week I woke up at 2:30am to reach a summit by 6:30, only to watch shades of dark grey slowly that obscured the view entirely turn to shades of light grey. But then, you're still alone on a mountain in perfect stillness, and it's wonderful.
I never considered that the lights might look like lava until now. And that is a great point about the horizon with the rain coming in from the right side. Shadow detail vs mood -- also a delicate balance that I find myself thinking about a lot as I process. This is where vision comes in, I think. As I narrow down on the feel I hope to create, I start to understand how much to lift the shadows.
It's so great to get such thoughtful feedback, I really appreciate it! Cheers :)
Lofoten looks like a great place to be. From the first thumbnail I thought it where some lava going on down there. When I saw the hole picture I think its a nice shot, maybe a little bit Fisheye'ish for my taste. I really love the "Mordor" horizon and the "earth will soon be destroyed" feeling in the clouds.
Great work! I really want to visit Lofoten at least one time in life! :)
It's around 12 16mm images stitched together, so I can see how it's a bit on the fisheye side :)
I love that you got a Mordor vibe here. That is a thing I was afraid I might be failing to convey, so I am happy to hear that it is there!
100% Mordor, 100% wide angle 🙄😅👌
I think the uniqueness of the shot and composition far out weigh any technical critiques. It grabbed my attention. I like the shot . Lights resemble lava flow.
Thanks William! Funny that it looks like three people saw lava. I hadn't even considered this, but I'm glad that it appears this way.
For whatever odd reason, I wanted to see a fire breathing dragon swooping down on the town............that said, you might have intensified the the sun as it almost gets lost due to the lights of the town. Dodging the the clouds around the sun? A little more detail in the foreground?
Oh that would make for quite the image! Thanks for the feedback :)
I agree with Chris... and, welcome. The only thing my eye was troubled with was the horizon on the right side... it seems lower. Maybe an optical illusion with the tall ridge on left side of image? You might put a rule line on it with your crop tool and see how the horizon lines up. Otherwise... it's a great shot. I like the moodiness of the dark colors.
I can see it too! It's funny, there is a bit of the horizon on the left between the mountains, so I checked that and it was level with the right side. I think there are multiple optical illusions happening. Very interesting! Maybe it being such a wide pano means more opportunities for illusions like this.
Hmmm... trippy. I'm not too experienced at wide-angle landscape shots. I only seem to use my 10mm Rokinon for astrophotography wide field... but then crop anyway. Goofy.
I play with the pano setting on my phone camera and do get that curve. Makes sense here. :)
Perhaps you don't agree with my paragraph 6, C.O. ;-) It IS level but looks lower because of cloud obscuring part.
Nope, nope. Agree. :) My short attention span brain causes me to miss details in text often enough that I'm on draft number 12 of a novel. It's not your image... it's my off balance brain. Haha.
Try dex!
Off to Google dex... eat breakfast... and take a nap. Most mental stimulation I've undertaken in weeks. LOL
..amphetamine. Rx for ADHD. ;-)
Ah, righto. So you get it. :)
Just finally got a proper diagnosis of Baby Bipolar Disorder (Cyclothymia) in August. What a concept it is to finally have a competent psychiatrist and awesome primary care guy.
Been tapering up on dosage. If I could just stop Googling former peers who are now colonels and generals... perhaps my internal focus will settle back in. Haha.
Might steer clear of the dex, on second thoughts then! ;-) Can send people sky high. Seen it.
Oh... are you refering to dexatrim? Tried that diet fad pill in college. What a scary trip that was. Bleh!
My attention span issues are mainly PTSD-ridden. Hypervigilance is great for editing... sucky for living. Ha.