FWIW, rooster - I like the first one better, the second looks too flat for me. Personal taste? monitor issue? photoshop issue? If you're not happy with your print, keep working on it.
Printable View
FWIW, rooster - I like the first one better, the second looks too flat for me. Personal taste? monitor issue? photoshop issue? If you're not happy with your print, keep working on it.
First one looks best to me. I don't like things blown out, and your it's not, if you look at the right angle at your screen.
Compositionwise, the more I look at it, the more I like it. The view under the arch looks like a reflection in a puddle to me, which is pretty cool. Lots of nice shapes, angles, light and dark.
First one gets the vote from me too, judged on my system, that is...
Best,
Cor
What I'm about to say is purely opinion. Additionally, I'd like to thank Ken for stepping up and discussing aesthetics with contributors to the image forum, even though I'm about to disagree with him. It would be easy as a moderator to limit oneself to refereeing things like the never-ending debate about what constitutes large format! :D
I also prefer the first version. I think it agrees with the subject in two ways. First, the light in a place like Joshua Tree IS harsh and contrasty, even with the ability of our eyes and brains to process scenes with high dynamic range. The subject matter is also very hard and unyielding. Because of these two things, I think that the first versio is more true to the subject and its geographical location.
Thanks - I think there's a lot more room here for discussion about aesthetics. After all, we choose Large Format tools largely because of the beauty and fidelity of the images they can produce. So while equipment is an important part of the chain, the end of the chain is often aesthetics.
With a calibrated system, discussing the subtleties of prints over the web is certainly doable. That will certainly spur some to disagree :)
Yeah, I prefer the first version too. The tones are just more lively without going to far.
Great photograph ElRooster. I like the one with greater contrast better, but they are both very good.
Love it! I want to go for a drive right now. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by David Hedley
I'm surprised that Ken finds it too contrasty, I find the first version a little too flat. And the second version only makes it flatter (and worse IMHO). It's such a fine photograph I took the liberty of seeing how I would have printed it if I had been good enough to make the photograph in the first place and this is what I came up with. Which certainly isn't to say that this is right or better, just that it is how I would have done it (ignore the sloppy sky, this was done in about ten minutes, if I were making a print I'd spend a good bit more time on the sky).Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Lee
Thanks very much for your comments!
I think it might make it into my next book, which is not too far from completion ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard M. Coda
LOL - I hadn't seen that before!Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve M Hostetter
In one day, you can drive through at least five wonderful high passes - Gotthard, Nufenen, Grimsel, Susten and Furka, all of which offer different landscape, lakes, mountains and glaciers. They are open only in the summer, and are a favourite of bikers from all over Europe. I took these last weekend (Ascension Day holiday) and next Monday is another public holiday so we might head down to that area again for some more hiking and driving.Quote:
Originally Posted by SamReeves