I've had this image in my files for years, never seeing the light of day because someone slammed me with a critique. I've always maintained that the only thing that matters is whether the photographer likes the image; but apparently took this criticism a little too personally.
So, why not ask my friends at RMNP what you folks think? It is Copper Creek ~ flowing from Copper Lake in the Maroon Bells at sunset. Shot on Velvia with a polarizer and 2-stop ND grad.
Well, the comp. works pretty well for me. The stream makes the entire shot. One thing that jumps out at me today, and wouldn't have years ago, would be the total silhouette of the treeline. I opened this and immediately said film. Digitally, we would have recovered some detail there and I think the elements may have been more cohesive with just a little of that detail. Just an interesting observation of how the art has evolved over the years , for better or worse.
I like it. The stream leads past those bits of bright green ground cover and back to the clouds, which conveniently keep my interest and bounce me back into the picture.
I think Marc brings up an interesting POV; in the "digital age", we almost expect the trees to hold detail, even though they're impossibly dark and backlit. Good capture of a tough exposure.
Well, i may lose your friendship but i have to be honest and say it looks pretty plain to me. A nice shot for most, but not up to the quality ive seen in other shots of yours. The stream is nice however, and if it werenbt for softness/web compression i might like it more.
Posted by Jack Garrett on March 4, 2008 at 5:36 PM
I always like to hear the critiques because I feel that in most cases, it makes me a better photographer so here is my critique of this photo.....it is very nice! I like how the stream leads you in to the photo. I like the color in the sky and clouds and I like how the trees are silohetted (SP).
This shot doesn't really hold a candle to your recent work - but that just means you've improved!
As far as critiques go, you really shouldn't take them personally, but just realize that different reviewers will have different opinions on the same image. The purpose of a good critique is to tell the honest truth so that the photographer may improve. A good critique will include a balance of good points, as well as areas for improvement.
The image seems dark overall by at least a stop and the tone is "cold". The trees also have a green cast. Possibly if you were to lighten things up and add red, it could improve things. Also, if you were to rescan it with more modern technology, it may bring out the shadow detail better. I like the stream and clouds and comp overall.
Definitely. It's tough - you can see all the potential in those images, but some just can't be brought to life. This is a beautiful scene and sweet comp, and must have been a wonderful experience to take in - you can see that from the image easily; for that reason alone it's a success. But it probably won't elicit broad appreciation as most of your other images, and arguably isn't as strong. I wouldn't toss it though - not everything of value has to be high art with mass appeal.
I'm sure that everyone uses criticism differently. I use it to try to improve the next image, more so than tyring to determine the value of the one being critiqued. As you said, if you like it, what else matters?
Discussion
7 repliesSo, why not ask my friends at RMNP what you folks think? It is Copper Creek ~ flowing from Copper Lake in the Maroon Bells at sunset. Shot on Velvia with a polarizer and 2-stop ND grad.
Thanks for your help!
I think Marc brings up an interesting POV; in the "digital age", we almost expect the trees to hold detail, even though they're impossibly dark and backlit. Good capture of a tough exposure.
Jack
As far as critiques go, you really shouldn't take them personally, but just realize that different reviewers will have different opinions on the same image. The purpose of a good critique is to tell the honest truth so that the photographer may improve. A good critique will include a balance of good points, as well as areas for improvement.
The image seems dark overall by at least a stop and the tone is "cold". The trees also have a green cast. Possibly if you were to lighten things up and add red, it could improve things. Also, if you were to rescan it with more modern technology, it may bring out the shadow detail better. I like the stream and clouds and comp overall.
Ken
Ever try to hard to like a below average image? I'm set free from looking at this damn thing anymore.
Definitely. It's tough - you can see all the potential in those images, but some just can't be brought to life. This is a beautiful scene and sweet comp, and must have been a wonderful experience to take in - you can see that from the image easily; for that reason alone it's a success. But it probably won't elicit broad appreciation as most of your other images, and arguably isn't as strong. I wouldn't toss it though - not everything of value has to be high art with mass appeal.
I'm sure that everyone uses criticism differently. I use it to try to improve the next image, more so than tyring to determine the value of the one being critiqued. As you said, if you like it, what else matters?