Hello to everyone here at the NWP Forum!

I've just registered today and would like to get some constructive criticism for the photo I'm attaching.

After reading some critiques I believe I can learn a lot from you guys here.

Thanks for your posts in advance!

Best regards from Iceland!

Nikolas

Welcome! It is a pleasure to have you join us and jump right into the critique section.
I am impressed with this image. The values are wide ranged. I would like to see this photo printed large. The bird is an interesting scale reference. Sunsets and sunrises can be quite boring but you managed to capture great interest in the foreground while still keeping the depth.

I hope to see more of your work. Great to have you on board.

Composition/use of frame space - 4 - this has an excellent use of frame space. There is stuff for your eyes to see from left to right.

Colors/White Balance - 3 - As much as I enjoy the composition, I feel that the colors of the photograph look a bit off to me. However, I tried playing with it in Photoshop and could not do any better, so it may just be me.

Exposure - 4 - Looks very nice. This is a tricky one, too.

Creative use of Aperture/Shutter - 3 - A fairly standard, very narrow aperture landscape photo.

Perspective - 4 - This has a great use of perspective, with great detail leading the eyes out to extinction with the sun rising/setting in the background.

Creativity - 4 - A nice photograph that was obviously well thought out and executed.

Emotion - 5 - This is a very moody, powerful photograph with heavy shadows and contrasting highlights.

Forethought/Visualization - 4 - This was visualized pretty perfectly, I would say. I really enjoy the contrasting shadows and highlights that exist throughout the photo.

Post processing - 3 to 4 - Again, I am just not sure if it is me or not. There is something about the colors that don't ring true to me, but I could not do any better. To give an example, this seems particularly evident by the top mountain range where the oranges from the sky on the upper right quadrant of the photo.

Over-all, a very strong composition. Does anyone else see what I am seeing about the colors, or am I losing it?

James

Composition looks a bit unbalanced to me, the left side of the frame is empty for my taste. There is no obvious point of interest in the frame, my eyes just wander around with no place to stop. I would clone out the bird.

This is a tough composition... In situation like that I try to find something in the skyline that complements the light distribution. In your case all the light is on the left, all the shadows are on the right.

Having limited powers of pre-visualization myself, in situations like this I just move around and take shots from different perspectives and hope that something works after the fact. Not the way it should be, I know, but I am working on it.

This is a very pleasant scene, but I think that you could probably find a stronger composition at the location. The mass of rocks in front doesn't really draw me into the rest of the scene. I would prefer a setup maybe closer to the water with some rocks in the bottom of the frame leading me out into the water. That said, this is still a fine shot. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you all for constructive criticism on this photo.
I've never got so honest/objective opinions on any other sites before.

Have a nice day!

Nikolas

Since the response on my first critique request was even better than I expected, I'm adding another attachment in order to get some more valuable advice/comment:)

Have a nice day!

Nikolas

This cretique is on your origonal picture presented.

Composition/use of frame space = Very good, you have a nice diagonal between the land and the sky. Good foreground objects to anchor the frame.

Colors/White Balance = Colors seem a tad off...but this may be due to PP.

Exposure = Very good exposure.

Creative use of Aperture/Shutter = Everything is sharp..

Perspective = Excellent perspective...good feeling of near and far.

Creativity = Well chosen spot...good classic seascape.

Emotion = Wish I was there...nuff said.

Forethought/Visualization = Higher than usual points...this looks well thought out...(if it wasnt...shshhhh...dont tell no one....lol)

Post processing = Here is where my issue lies with this shot. The shadows are all blotchy and overly red. It is kinda like you went a little wild with the red saturation I would reprocess so the foreground rocks don't carry such a harsh cast that looks the same as the sky....some light will reflect...but the shadows are such because they DONT have that light on them and should be more neurtal in color.

Roman

Hey Nikolas,

Thank you very much for the kind words on the critiques. It is nice to hear.

As to the new photograph that you posted - I really like it alot.

Composition/use of frame space - 4.5 to 5 - this has an excellent use of frame space. Again, a feast for the eyes that leads perfectly towards the center of the frame.

Colors/White Balance - 3.5 - The Colors again look off to me a bit. The sky just looks a tad too red. It looks post processed, with added attention along a diagnal line that abuts the mountainscape in the back center of the frame.

Exposure - 4 - Very competent.

Creative use of Aperture/Shutter = again, a standard landscape with everything nice and sharp from front back.

Perspective - 4 - Again, wonderful perspective. This image does a great job leading the eyes out across the center of the frame. Very nicely done.

Creativity - 5 - The layout of this photo is great. I particularly like the ridgeline with the light hitting it as it is moving towards the center of the frame. Actually, it makes the photograph for me as the mountains out back are rather ho-hum.

Emotion - 5 - Another powerful photograph.

Forethought/Visualization - 4 - This was visualized pretty perfectly, I would say. I really enjoy the contrasting shadows and highlights that exist throughout the photo.

Post processing - 3 - I know I hit the last photo with the same issues, and I suppose it may be my monitor. However, the reds appear overly warm - particularly in the sky towards the back of the photograph. Am I right that you pumped that up a bit?

Anyway, another really strong composition. Thanks for sharing.

James

PS This might be an interesting file for us all to work on (see my post in the General Forum) if you are game - and what I am seeing is accurate.

Thank you for another detailed comment on the photo and for the compliment as well, James.

I saw your post where you're inviting us to share the photo's in order to process them and would very much like to send you this one.
However, this is a HDR photo, basically I've merged three photo's with different exposure times in order to get more details in the dark foreground without sacrificing the sky.

But if you think that anyone would be interested in processing three photos then I'd be glad to send the originals.:)

Nikolas