Blunt Feedback, Plz - West Thumb Geyser Basin

Hey Everyone,

This is a shot that I took at the West Thumb Geyser Basin. It was done hand held at ISO 800 with a 2 stop ND card because I could not fit my tripod under the railing that keeps me from boiling over in the thermal basin. ;( The question is - does it work? I think it does, but I want some other eyes - please. If you think it stinks, please say so - with impunity. :P Also, if there are other ways that you think it would be better served (such as the how it could be cropped), etc., please say it.

James

I love the colors and tones James. But...
Landscape format would be better suited for this photo than portrait. You have the horizon almost dead center, but there is not a lot going on in the sky.

Suggestion- Shoot Landscape, lay on the ground, get more of the foreground in the photo, that is where the interest is. The interest in the clouds ends with the pink, so there is not really any reason to have all that blue empty space.

Just a suggestion. I do love the colors!

James,

I have been studying your photo for for about 15 minutes now and here are my impressions. This is a photo that I would love to see in person in a large print format. Through my monitor, my eye is drawn to differing points as I move in and out from the screen.

As I move away, my eye is pulled toward the horizon line and the mirror image monochromatic reflection of the sky in the lake. It's as if its a split screen mirror image with pink tones in the clouds and their reflection drawing me in.

As I move closer in, I am drawn to the foreground and the rock formation. Here is where I drawn to the depth of the image. The pebbles and the shapes and colors of the of the outcrop give texture. I love the ripples of water through the rocks playing against the ripples in the lake. It gives movement and depth to the image.

If you were to crop it just above the clouds, it would put emphasis on the foreground, however you'd lose the mirror image aspect. Cropping about 1/6th down, just where the pink of the clouds starts entering the blue, would still give the mirror image effect.

As I said, I think this would work very well in a large print format. It can imagine it hanging in a gallery with me moving back and forth experiencing it from both perspectives. That is what one does with fine art.

Well done, James.

Doug

Beautiful image, and one I sure would be happy to have captured. But, I do have a few suggestions and thoughts about it.

1. I do not like the way that the horizon line is dead center of the image. I agree that the primary interest is the foreground, and a landscape image format would have been preferable. However, I do not see the "mirror" effect that someone else mentioned, as most of the sky is really just blank. That gives you the ability to crop it out above the clouds, thereby emphasizing the foreground more.

2. Given that this is a vertical image, and you have to work with what you got , try cropping off the excess sky AND some of the right side stuff, all of that right corner rock, to maintain the vertical format. Emphasize it. Celebrate it. Think how strong an image it could be hanging vertical on a wall. It's a different perspective, and one that most of us would not have done.

3. Before you go and crop it, level off the horizon. It's slightly, maybe a degree or two, rotated clockwise, so you need to correct that. I live and work near the ocean. I get really disturbed by images that show the horizon off level. It's one of the first things I see in an image. Now, maybe your camera was level when you shot this, but perception is everything. Here, it looks off. Bothers me.....

All in all, I love the image. The colors are fabulous. The two rocks at the bottom with the water circling around off to the left is intriguing. Well done!!!

I'm with everyone else, crop the top third of the photo off & it's an exceptional image.

Thanks all!

This is exactly what I was looking for.

James

I think this shot needs a bit of artistic license to bring out its potential. It might not end up exactly natural, but its called Fine ART for a reason....it isnt a documentary. :~)

Would love to play with this file if your ok with sending it to me.

If you are, its Johnston_Photography@ hotmail Dot Com. (typed the last part out so no e-mail collection programs cant scrape the threads for an active e-mail address)

Roman

Hey Roman,

I sent it to 10 trillion of your old email addresses. :P

James

My humble thoughts,,,,,,The foreground in and of itself, is unattractive. The rest, is though. I would limit or eliminate the foreground and crop out some sky ie landscape shot....
That is very easy to say, sitting in my armrest.

MHOYMV

It's adjusted here in my profile. I changed it as soon as I asked.

johnston_photography@hotmail.com

Roman

I played with the file. Here are my results. I kinda like the orgional capture as it as cropped in the camera.



Roman

That, is incredible. I wonder how James will like it.

I like it a lot. Let me ask the million dollar question as far as composition goes...would you crop it down now and cut out some of the blue? I like the image as it stands, but I was partial to it before, even though I see its shortcomings.

BTW, this shot was done hand held as ISO 800 because I could not get my tripod through the slats in the boardwalk area.

James