Took this image of my friend sitting by the tent during a backpacking trip last Summer. He actually sat perfectly still through the long-ish exposure unprompted, and his jacket unintentionally matched my tent.
I'm a bit torn on whether darkening down the bright spots along the ridges on both sides is a good idea or not. (They are darker in one version). Would be interested to hear what folks here think. Any other feedback is welcome as well.
Hi Yuriy! I tend to agree with Vijay about the tent & figure. You could say they reflect our smallness against Nature's vastness, but for me here they have more the quality of a distraction. However, I'm sure others will disagree, and see it as you did.
Again, as with a previous post of yours, I'm really struggling to even see the difference between the images that you're agonising about. I've had to download the images and A/B on my software to tell. I think you're referring to the zones marked here.
These are the kinds of changes I agonise over, save variants of, and then later why the hell I was sweating over such minor issues. FWIW I prefer the darkened version, but mainly because the other one reminds me of the haloes often left in treelines after editing.
Again, with all due respect - are you too close to the image? Do you need time & perspective to reassess?
Bigger picture - the images are cold in colour & dark. They make me shiver and want to go home, rather than marvel at Nature's splendour. Flat lighting deprives the foreground of form. Nice scene, but maybe not conducive to a great image?
Hey Chris, good to hear from you! It's funny how we agonize over such small details, isn't it? Most people would never notice the difference. But, I also prefer the darker variant, so we agree on that!
As far as the overall effect, the things you feel are actually what I was going for, so I am glad to hear this. The scene is meant to be dark, foreboding. Nature can be harsh, but there's a special kind of magic in that. Colors -- I shifted them slightly to fit in an analogous color harmony that actually really appeals to me. These might not be quite up your alley, but I really like the work of Julien Delaval and Alexandre Deschaumes. This image is heavily inspired by the former, I think. It's been half a year since I took the image, and a week since the edits, and I'm still much more happy with it than some of the images I've made that had a very positive response.
Of course, dark and foreboding is not usually what appeals to most people, so there's certainly a downside to these styles. Neither of the guys I mentioned are that well known outside of their small following and like-minded photographers.
That being said, I would have liked more dynamic light on the foreground, and the argument for lighter vs darker shadows is an ongoing debate I have with myself through every image. I'd prefer being out searching for more interesting light and new compositions, but for now the quarantine has me locked inside, so processing is all I can do for now. Strange time to be a landscape photographer, isn't it?
Strange indeed, Yuriy! I've checked out those two photographers, whose names are new to me. Yes, the similarity in style & vision is very clear. And their images are very impressive, including the very dark shadows they sometimes feature. Thanks for the tip - i'm always interested to see who & what inspires others in this curious universe of creativity.
Nice image! I like the mood this scene conveys. I think this would work better if your friend was standing near the edge with a clear background, like against the water or sky. He blends in with the trees and his seated position makes it difficult to distinguish him from the scene. I also think the tent would work better if it was closer making it a foreground or mid ground. My two cents.
Thanks! All good points, I agree :)
Nice and moody. I like the use of postprocessing.