But, for some reason, this photo really does not do much for me. I have spent lots of time looking at it and finally, came to the conclusion that, although there are lots of great elements within the photo and it had a classical composition, the photo does not have a real subject. My eyes move from the sky to the ocean to the land, but they do not really stop and study any part of the photo.
What do you think?
Enjoy.
Camera settings: Nikon D3, Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 at 20mm with a polarizing filter and graduated neutral density filter attached, shot at ISO 200, f/13, 1/15th of a second on a tripod.
Post Processing:
Lightroom—Set white and black points, added mid-tone contrast, clarity.
Photoshop—applied nik Color Efex Pro tonal contrast filter to add contrast to highlights, mid-tones and shadows of the coast line and the sky on separate layers.
Beautiful shot Patrick!
ReplyDeleteMy eye goes straight to the beach and shoreline where the highest contrast is and pretty much stays there. The sky is really dramatic but this shot seems to me to be about the beach so is there possibly too much sky? Maybe a 3 to 1 pano ratio rather than a 2 to 1 with a little less sky would improve it? Very nice as is though!
Well done!
Barry
I like the colors and compositions of both yesterdays and todays shots. The soft focus and post processing give both a really nice painterly effect.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I cannot see one specific subject in this photo; but, is it written in stone that you need "a subject" in a photograph? I think a lot of the "great" landscape photographers photographed the scene, not a subject.
ReplyDeleteThe Professor
Larry,
ReplyDeleteI understand your delima on this image. A great shot that is not quite right. It seems to me that the sky is too dark compared to the bright beach and water. Perhaps the sky is a bit too apocalyptic?
Bob
Although I think the image is beautiful as it is, I do understand what Bob said, and agree that maybe the contrast between the sky and the bright water is not quite realistic. Still, I would hang this on my wall any day. I don't read in your post processing that you are doing any kind of blur, but the image seems to have a soft-focused look.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like HDR, must the the ND filter. Nice work with one exposure. Even though I like the style, I tend to agree, maybe the sky is a little too "apocalyptic" as Bob said. What about cropping more panoramic to cut some of the impact of the sky. Or what about a full conversion to black and white? Grand scale landscapes are tough. I shoot a ton of stuff like this on trips, and I think what I have a hard time with is some kind of foreground object to take you out into the vastness.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the problem with the photograph is that it has a split personality. The foreground has a light airy feel to it while the sky has a doomy, sullen feel. My mind cannot reconcile these two different moods. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteAnne
I think if you took this photo and split it into two, it would work. A pano crop just over the last piece of dirt on the top right would allow the beach scene to dominate. A pano crop to where the beach sand doesn't show would be about right to give sole impact of the apocolyptic sky scene.
ReplyDeleteThe photo just has too much for one subject to stand on its own.
DHaass