Critique practice

[hminx]

Before posting I gave this image a bit of a self critique and it seems to contain quite a number of flaws, I like it, but this could possibly be more to do with the pleasant memory of this place.

So as an exercise I was wondering if the same or more faults are evident to the forum members

[armando_m]

beautiful valley with a beautiful light

critique ? maybe would have included the whole tree on the right edge
perhaps pointed the camera down just a bit
highlights are a bit strong in my monitor

i'llbe very happy if this was my image, I think it is a wall hanger

[CLKunst]

Wow Pete!
This one is so sharp it almost poked me in the eye! Possibly a little over-sharp actually, the trees in the background are taking on a chunky pixelated look or that could be re-sizing and posting I guess.

Composition looks good I like the layers of hills, the detail and light on the fence in the foreground, the little farm scene in the middle ground is a sweet detail too. Good job putting all of those little things into perspective with the grand size of the mountains.

I'm going to agree with Armando that the highlights are strong but there's no loss of detail in them so I think it works - sunshine is a powerful thing. Did you do any tone mapping to this?

[ksbryan0]

Pete, it is a nice picture, but I see it more as a personal snapshot memory kind of photo, rather than an piece of art. I say this mainly because there is no specific subject that I can discern, making it just a nice scene.

As already mentioned, the highlights seem pretty hot, with a line of them through the near pasture, and then the heavy white line across the lower 1/3 horizontal. To me they look blown, but that may be my lousy monitor. The fence would make a nice leading line, but as-is it takes the eyes right out of the frame. There is something white in the lower right grass, that might be a huge dandelion seedhead, or maybe a piece of trash...I'd make it go away.

I think the only thing that bugs me a lot in the photo is that the sunlight is falling in a couple spots, making those the areas where the eyes are drawn. Unfortunately those areas are not the most interesting features of the composition.

[hminx]

Thanks Armando,Cindy ,and Ken I think you covered most of the issues concerning me but one other thing I thought might be relevant is the leading lines ( fence line, ridge lines, etc ) that seem to whizz all over the image and make it a little disjointed IMO.

[sbattisti]

I say this mainly because there is no specific subject that I can discern, making it just a nice scene.

Hi there. I am a total newbie here. My photography experience is almost none, so please take my feedback with a big ol' grain of salt. I just wanted to add that my initial impression was a bit like what ksbryan0 said . . . I just couldn't figure out what I was supposed to be looking at. I love the landscape and the colors, but you're right that the lines and curves tend to make it a little disjointed.

I kind of feel like there is a little bit TOO much mountain in the background, and I wondered if bringing the scene in a little closer might help.

Just my two cents, though!

~Steve

[hminx]

Hi Steve
Welcome to PR, great to have a new face on board. For most of the reasons already stated this isn't an award winning image and the main reason for posting was to see if my prior personal critique was valid there were a couple of points raised I hadn't picked up on so all in all I think it was a worth while exercise. As a newbie you seem to have hit the ground running looking forward to seeing some of your work.

[FunkyMonkey]

I like the layers in the photo. I maybe would have gotten more of that hill on the right side in the shot. Depending on what everything else looked like of course.

[chasingkt]

I really like all the shades of green in this photo. I'm not sure what the subject is supposed to be, but it's a lovely scenery photo.

[Lava Lamp]

This is pretty and I have the idea that printed out at large size on canvas, it would be terrific. In the miniature, it is a little two dimensional and lacks a focal point and compositional flow. If you were much closer to the closet trees at left, I think you would have pulled it off.

[GB1]

Pete, w/o looking at others' feedback, I will say the issues that prevent it from being great are

- No real subject
- Seems that the fence leaving the scene in the bottom center is wrong, like it's cut off.
- Not super sharp on my screen.

It is just had some cattle grazing I think it may transform the shot. I may also crop off some or all of the upper area, which seems strangely dark by comparison to the rest of the shot.

G