Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Photo Critique | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       end
  

Archive 2016 · Reflection Canyon landscape

  
 
brockslinger
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Reflection Canyon landscape


Hi everyone,

Looking for final edit critiques on this image. I have tons from this location but for me this was the image I wanted to produce. I like the look of the water and the leading rock lines into the water.

I have changed the sky in this image - When i shot this composition it was about 5 min prior to the sky that you currently see here. I should have gone back and reshot this composition again as the sky improved its color, but I didnt and have created a composite image you see here. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you

Brock







Nov 30, 2016 at 09:36 PM
DaleBerlin
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Reflection Canyon landscape


Stunning image, I wouldn't change a thing. Nice job on the blend.


Nov 30, 2016 at 09:55 PM
Camperjim
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Reflection Canyon landscape


I don't think it needs anything, but since you asked, I made some minor tweaks for your consideration.

I also resized the image for more typical monitors.







Nov 30, 2016 at 11:05 PM
beavens
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Reflection Canyon landscape


Nice shot!

I'm digging Jim's tweaks - more pop.

Cheers,

Jeff



Dec 01, 2016 at 12:14 AM
beanpkk
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Reflection Canyon landscape


Very scenic place, for sure. I seem to prefer the first image -- the second seems too crunchy to me and the crunchiness somehow reduces the peacefulness of the scene. Just my two cents.

keith



Dec 01, 2016 at 07:07 AM
ben egbert
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Reflection Canyon landscape


I really like this but I expect more red in the rock.


Dec 01, 2016 at 11:36 AM
dmacmillan
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Reflection Canyon landscape


I like it, but consider bringing a little of the sky color into the water.


Dec 01, 2016 at 11:43 AM
lighthound
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Reflection Canyon landscape


Very nice shot Brock and welcome to PC.

You have a great capture here and I just couldn't resist taking a stab at it to nudge it in the direction I personally would have taken it if this were my shot. This doesn't feel like a soft calm scene to me. More like rough and rugged sandstone formations surrounding a calm and peaceful oasis.

I noticed the most improvement (to my eyes) by making a very slight curves adjustment. I also adjusted the shadows and highlights slightly and applied a little USM and sharpening.

Full disclosure, I'm not on a calibrated monitor and used a generic editing software so I reserve the right to be embarrassed once I view this edit on good monitor.
Viewer discretion advised.

I like dmachmillan's suggestion to bring some of the sky color into the water. And agree with Ben that at a minimum those rocks should have more red color.

Again, beautiful capture and great job on the blend.

Dave







Dec 01, 2016 at 02:00 PM
ben egbert
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Reflection Canyon landscape


I like Dave's edit


Dec 01, 2016 at 03:30 PM
beavens
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Reflection Canyon landscape


ben egbert wrote:
I like Dave's edit


+1! Finally looking on my proper monitor and I am feeling this one the most.



Dec 01, 2016 at 04:32 PM
brockslinger
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Reflection Canyon landscape


Awesome! Thanks everyone for their ideas and input!

This is much more productive than just getting "wow awesome shot." I want to make those awesome shots even better so thanks for the advice.

I moved some things around to bring in a more contrast to the foreground and midground sides. I as well used the color selection tool to increase the specific saturation of sandstone by only 6 pts. The increased contrast brought out some more saturation as well. To me it feels like this draws my eyes to the center of the frame.

For fun I tried to add a little color to the water as someone suggested. I am not sure if I like it or not. I also didn't really know how to do this so I carefully used a 15% opacity clone stamp to some of the horizon color. What do you think keep the colored water or lose it?

Also does anyone know best settings for getting proper sharpness when posting? I feel like most of the images I have been posting lately (just picked up the a7rii) have been posting with way less detail than I am seeing on my monitor.

Appreciate it -

Brock







Dec 01, 2016 at 07:52 PM
ben egbert
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Reflection Canyon landscape


You did a way better job adding sky to the water than I could have. Maybe dmacmillan will give us a tutorial, but you did fine IMO.

How much saturation to add is a personal thing and my taste is more than most like, but I think yours is an improvement over the original.

After 18 years of web forums, I have stopped worrying about sharpness on web jpgs. It's a lose lose thing so I just look at other aspects of the image. You have good focus and dof to my eyes. It does not appear to be over sharpened, so that's as far as I go.



Dec 01, 2016 at 09:52 PM
RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Reflection Canyon landscape


A few tweaks (needs more, but ... )

Curious @ color ... always a bit uncertain with the red rocks and no real neutral point to study the lighting color from.







Dec 01, 2016 at 10:05 PM
Lmcc3223
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Reflection Canyon landscape


I love the 2/3 foreground to background ratio.


Dec 02, 2016 at 03:26 PM
brockslinger
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Reflection Canyon landscape


Lmcc3223 wrote:
I love the 2/3 foreground to background ratio.


Thank you - I wanted to try and have the composition show just how big this canyon area is.

Usually you will see little foreground in photos of this place, more in line with this one.









Dec 02, 2016 at 06:29 PM
roshambo123
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Reflection Canyon landscape


I thought the foreground distracting on the first image, I like that it is simplified in the second image.

My primary issue is with the placement of the largest sandstone "island" which is basically the subject. The camera is too low. You have the reflection, but the top of the rock gets lost in the background and the depth cues suddenly conflict and we get this M.C. Escher effect.



Dec 05, 2016 at 04:56 PM
roshambo123
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Reflection Canyon landscape


On the positive, this is lovely soft light with a nice mood. I agree with the crowd that you can lean harder on the post-processing.


Dec 05, 2016 at 04:57 PM
lighthound
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Reflection Canyon landscape


I just noticed last night that a shot from this very location won Grand Prize in last years National Parks photo contest.

Just thought that was pretty cool and thought some of you might like to hear that little trivia.

Boy what I could do with that prize money.

http://www.sharetheexperience.org/entry/23037977-Grand-Prize-Winner-%7C-Glen-Cany?offset=7&sort=upload%20DESC&channel=28280


Dave



Dec 08, 2016 at 04:25 PM
brockslinger
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Reflection Canyon landscape


roshambo123 wrote:
I thought the foreground distracting on the first image, I like that it is simplified in the second image.

My primary issue is with the placement of the largest sandstone "island" which is basically the subject. The camera is too low. You have the reflection, but the top of the rock gets lost in the background and the depth cues suddenly conflict and we get this M.C. Escher effect.



Hey sorry for the late reply, I haven't been around my personal computer much lately.

I can see the foreground being distracting in the first image. Its a place that does not lead to very much foreground in images, that was my attempt to do something different than most others there and give a sense of scale to the image.

I see what you are saying about the sandstone islands blending in with the background. Its a difficult location to shoot as to get any higher you really have to climb up some very slick rock with potential hazardous fall. If you are injured out there you are likely over 30 miles from the nearest person. I do plan to go back sometime in April when the water is at its lowest point and I'll try find a safe route to a higher vantage point.



Dec 09, 2016 at 05:42 PM
brockslinger
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Reflection Canyon landscape


lighthound wrote:
I just noticed last night that a shot from this very location won Grand Prize in last years National Parks photo contest.

Just thought that was pretty cool and thought some of you might like to hear that little trivia.

Boy what I could do with that prize money.

http://www.sharetheexperience.org/entry/23037977-Grand-Prize-Winner-%7C-Glen-Cany?offset=7&sort=upload%20DESC&channel=28280

Dave



Cool find! Thanks for sharing!



Dec 09, 2016 at 05:45 PM
1
       2       end




FM Forums | Photo Critique | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       end
    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.