For some reason, Dan, I keep seeing this as a diorama, rather than a real scene!
Weird, and I'm not sure why..I suspect that at first glance the left hand shrub looks like a shadow cast by the monolith on a background. I also find myself wondering if you've done a sky replacement, so maybe it doesn't quite look right.
Not sure if anyone shares my reaction at all. Otherwise, it's a well composed, interesting image.
This is an actual scene in the morning and no sky replacement. My post processing may have very well made it look the way you described. The sky is not replaced but since it was clear with no clouds I added vignette. I boosted clarity and contrast abit as well. Sometimes I overdo the post processing. 😁
Yes! It's probably the effect the vignette gives, of a spotlit subject in a diorama, plus the shadow effect I mentioned, the latter especially so because of the direction of the ambient light. I use vignettes myself, so I don't have an issue with them per se. I wouldn't say you've overdone the PP as such.
There's also the unusual perspective, where we seem to be looking down on the monolith, for all its size, given how it looks at the base, while the horizon then seems oddly cut off. I understand this may well be the way it was, but it combines to create an unintended illusion, at least for me.
So, the interesting thing is that the bolder was actually shot straight on from another rock i climbed on. This is actually a profile of the bolder and if i shot it at its left or right side it was about 3 times wider. Joshua Tree is a fun place to shoot and perspective gets all jumbled. But i can definately see what you are saying.
For some reason, Dan, I keep seeing this as a diorama, rather than a real scene!
Weird, and I'm not sure why..I suspect that at first glance the left hand shrub looks like a shadow cast by the monolith on a background. I also find myself wondering if you've done a sky replacement, so maybe it doesn't quite look right.
Not sure if anyone shares my reaction at all. Otherwise, it's a well composed, interesting image.
This is an actual scene in the morning and no sky replacement. My post processing may have very well made it look the way you described. The sky is not replaced but since it was clear with no clouds I added vignette. I boosted clarity and contrast abit as well. Sometimes I overdo the post processing. 😁
Yes! It's probably the effect the vignette gives, of a spotlit subject in a diorama, plus the shadow effect I mentioned, the latter especially so because of the direction of the ambient light. I use vignettes myself, so I don't have an issue with them per se. I wouldn't say you've overdone the PP as such.
There's also the unusual perspective, where we seem to be looking down on the monolith, for all its size, given how it looks at the base, while the horizon then seems oddly cut off. I understand this may well be the way it was, but it combines to create an unintended illusion, at least for me.
So, the interesting thing is that the bolder was actually shot straight on from another rock i climbed on. This is actually a profile of the bolder and if i shot it at its left or right side it was about 3 times wider. Joshua Tree is a fun place to shoot and perspective gets all jumbled. But i can definately see what you are saying.