# First landscape submitted for critique



## jrda2 (Oct 2, 2013)

I am hoping to get some constructive feedback on this image. Positive and negative feedback are welcome. I have been shooting landscapes seriously for the past 1-2 years. My goal for 2013 was to shoot all of my landscapes in raw and learn Lightroom. 

This picture was taken yesterday on a hike in Montana. The light was blah until some rays of the sun broke thru a small opening in the clouds for a few seconds and highlighted the rocks on the shore. Luckily I had my camera on the tripod and was able to swing it around a grab this shot before the light moved on. I hope the picture captures a little part of the actual beauty compared to seeing it in person. The picture was shot in raw with a 5DMkIII and 24mm TS-E. No tilt or shift and editing consisted of minor adjustments in Lightroom and small amount of cropping.


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## dryanparker (Oct 3, 2013)

I think this image would benefit from a b&w conversion.


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## Dylan777 (Oct 3, 2013)

Your photo is beatiful as is


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 3, 2013)

You had better weather than we did her in Spokane, heavy rain, winds, and miserable.

I can't offer any suggestions to improve it, since I've never been successful at landscapes, They never end up matching what I saw.


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## BozillaNZ (Oct 3, 2013)

Water implies mirror, mirror implies symmetry. I would put the water/land intersection line at the middle of the frame, and brighten up the reflection a little bit.


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## andy (Oct 3, 2013)

Great location and composition is interesting and balanced. I agree it would be nice to see a black and white version. Colour does not seem to be the essential element in the image.


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## AUGS (Oct 3, 2013)

Great location and composition is interesting and balanced - I like it a lot.

With landscapes, it is not what you photograph, but when. I'm positive if this was shot with early morning or late afternoon golden light hitting those cliff faces and not with flat dull lighting ("argh" as you described), this would be a really special photo. But you can only capture what is in front of you at the time, and I think you have done that well.

On days like this, I often put on a polarising filter, and then convert to black and white - it can give the "flat" image a bit of a "pop".


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## Jim Saunders (Oct 3, 2013)

I think it is as good as anyone could do with that light; I'd sure be curious to see that scene with some blue sky.

Jim


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## jrda2 (Oct 3, 2013)

Thanks for feedback so far. For fun, I will do a black and white version and post it tomorrow.


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## takesome1 (Oct 3, 2013)

The pic looks good as it is now IMO.

It is hard to say what you could have done differently because you didn't give us much detail about what you did in lightroom.

I know I would have worked as much as possible to pull as much detail in the clouds and cloud reflection in the lakes as possible in light room. If you started with a bland gray sky and what we see now is what you were able to work to then good job. If this is what you started with you might be able to play with the settings to pull more out.


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## KrisK (Oct 3, 2013)

You might consider a widescreen crop...crop out the sky just a bit above the tallest tree on the left. (As is my eye is drawn to the bright clouds in the sky.) What remains brings out a weird winding horizontal push-pull. Neat.

And I really like the muted colors, but I'm wondering if a polarizer could have reduced the harsher glare from the rocks.


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## elkatro (Oct 3, 2013)

I would just lower the angle to have more reflection on the water and less sky, as the sky is not much interesting.



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## Sith Zombie (Oct 3, 2013)

It's got a really unique moody feel to it, quite a change from the usual landscape style you see. I like it, would have been great if the rays of light would have been stronger but thats out of your control.


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## Kernuak (Oct 3, 2013)

You have lots of detail in the image, showing some nice textures in the rocks and trees, but it looks like you may have had some water on the lens, as there is a faint flare above the crag just to the right of centre. For me though, it lacks a focal point of interest, mainly because of the light. The composition would probably work on a still dawn, where the reflections are much more prominent. Even better, if light shone through the clouds to pick out a feature, the ridge line would be ideal, as that would then also be prominent in the water. The location has potential in the right lighting, but as it stands, it is missing that little something that pulls it out of being a nice scene to outstanding.


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## jrda2 (Oct 3, 2013)

Kernuak said:


> You have lots of detail in the image, showing some nice textures in the rocks and trees, but it looks like you may have had some water on the lens, as there is a faint flare above the crag just to the right of centre. For me though, it lacks a focal point of interest, mainly because of the light.



Thanks for the feedback. I did notice the flare and fixed it with the healing brush in Lightroom. Here is the B&W for a comparison.


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## mackguyver (Oct 3, 2013)

The B&W conversion looks great! The only advice I can offer would be to try to open the shadows up a bit on the evergreens. Some of them look a little bit crushed, but that might be an unfortunate side effect of having to balance the exposure for the bright sky. And all the more reason for the B&W conversion.


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## chauncey (Oct 3, 2013)

> But you can only capture what is in front of you at the time


True...you can only capture what is in front of you, but...with superior PP you can "create" much more.


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## Kernuak (Oct 3, 2013)

jrda2 said:


> Kernuak said:
> 
> 
> > You have lots of detail in the image, showing some nice textures in the rocks and trees, but it looks like you may have had some water on the lens, as there is a faint flare above the crag just to the right of centre. For me though, it lacks a focal point of interest, mainly because of the light.
> ...


I think it looks better in black and white.


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## jrda2 (Oct 3, 2013)

B&W conversion was done with Silver Efex Pro


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## Nazareth (Oct 3, 2013)

only suggestion is either go 50/50 for symetry, or perhaps include soem foreground in the shot- The 24mm lens is fairly wide, and including somethign in foreground like an interestly textured rock, or fallen gnarly tree or even a small puddle or something woudl help provide a 'stepping stone' into the photo (and give the eye soemthign to compare to the 'grand scene', adding a little visual interest, and being related to the scene somehow ie: let's say for example that the mountain was a semi active volcano, and htere was a steam vent in foreground with lava rocks nearby- these foreground elements would 'tell the story' of 'volcano' and lead the eye into the scene in anticipation of seeign hte actual volcano in the distance- just a for instance- where this is just a mountain and lake, maybe include something 'lakey' or 'mountany' in the foreground, like perhaps a stream flowing out of hte scene leadign hte eye up to the water and eventually to the mountain

However, if you're goign for an 'abstract' 50/50 look, mirror look- then yeah, none of hte foregroudn stuff applies- If so, not sure your feeligns on post processing, buit a little dodge and burning on a black and white, vignet, would help direct view inwards towards middle- but don't overdo it- be subtle- a little goes a logn ways


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## duydaniel (Oct 3, 2013)

I feel dizzy looking at the water though
Can you wait for when it was absolute still or something?


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## fugu82 (Oct 3, 2013)

Really nice shot, especially after the B/W conversion.


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## Rat (Oct 3, 2013)

Very nice picture, the many verticals make you look twice and again. I think the colors in the original shot are as close to b/w as you need to be, and personally I think the b/w version is a lot less interesting. Do agree with the symmetry thing, horizon should've been higher in the shot.


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## jrda2 (Oct 3, 2013)

I initially cropped some of the bottom of the picture to bring the shorline closer to the bottom 1/3 line. Do you like this version better with more reflection shown? 



duydaniel said:


> I feel dizzy looking at the water though
> Can you wait for when it was absolute still or something?



Unfortuanately not possible - wind was blowing, and this was the best it got.


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## jrda2 (Oct 3, 2013)

and the B&W.....


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## Sporgon (Oct 3, 2013)

I find the composition quite challenging of both versions; my eye doesn't move around the picture in a controlled way but darts about. Not helped by the busy reflections.

I think if it were mine I would loose some of the left hand side of the picture and crop in a little, more or less as below.

Pity about the light in such a beautiful place but that's life.


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## Nazareth (Oct 3, 2013)

I agree abotu hte eye dartign about too much- The crop you did is more relfective of a 50/50 mirror split- and so does help some- but again, a bit of vignetting might help if you're not averse to some pp 'help' - there's just so much crisp detail that it's a bit too busy I think- or soem very selective dodge and burn could hep direct eye about a little better instead of wantign to dart about- other than that- I liek hte crop version a bit better-


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## Firebird (Oct 4, 2013)

Why does it remind me of a Bob Ross painting 

http://www.artraders.org/files/1592527/uploaded/Artraders%2520home%2520page%2520pic%2520bob%2520s%2520painting.jpg

Sorry, couldn't resist


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