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Hi guys,

I'm just getting to my pictures from the holidays. There were some other members down in bright who also took some great photos of the area.

This is my take from the top of mt buffalo.



Critique always welcome

-Dave

That's a really nice composition. Gives it a creepy feel.

The grad line is not ideal though.

My first comment was gonna be go a bit wider but then I looked at the exif data - 11mm, thats pretty wide already. Looking at it again I think the composition is fine as it is and its a very nice composition! the rock wall and the fingers of the tree work well to draw you eye to the hut.

PP wise, I would back off the grad (if it is indeed a postprocess-grad) and go for a selective working of the clouds to give them that menacing drama, adjusting the midtone contrast would do this I reckon, couple this a bit local brightening of the stone colour and I reckon it would be very nice. Irrespective of the PP the composition is pretty good to start with so you can't go too wrong

Thanks for the comments on the composition.

I have found it quite hard to get use to a wide angle lens. You really need to concentrate on getting the composition right with these lenses, since they change the feeling of depth so much. If you have nothing in the foreground often the images look flat and distant. Sometimes that can work but i've found this is my hardest lens to crack a good composition with.

Do you guys find the same?

I looked again this morning at the photo and thought mmmm that gradient doesn't look as good as last night. But i wanted to get some more dramatic feeling in the clouds and draw the attention more to the hut then through and into the clouds. Then i logged onto the forum and saw you guys thought the same =)

I'll try some selective work like biggerry suggested and repost the correction tomorrow. I agree maybe a bit more stone colour (funny i thought opposite last night and desaturated slightly =) ) Clearly its good to work a picture then look again in the morning =)

The comments are always appreciated. Thanks guys

-Dave

Dave,

This is a great image, and clearly shows what a wide angle lens is capable of.

Suren's and Gerry's comments are valid, as are your own morning-after observations. My take on your question regarding post is that if it looks right, then you've probably gone too far and should back of a nudge.

And yes, with a wide angle lens, you do often need to create foreground interest. The feeling of depth is, to me, what these lenses are all about, and used well, dramatic images such as this one will be your outcome.

Nice image - before I read the comments above I was going to say I'd back off on the heavy vignette on the left side

You really have made this a creepy looking tree.