[MaryAD]

Hello! I was wondering if you guys could tell me few opinions about this picture. I like it very much but I'm not sure if the technique is good enough. From what i know, a great B&W needs to have a good range of values and well, I chose to enhance the gray because it seems to increase it's dept of field more and give it the mysterious look I'm after. I'm undecided about the bright spots though ..Do they look burnt? It doesn't seem so to me but doesn't hurt to ask for a professional opinion. Any other ideas are welcome, fire away!

[Ash]

Mary, it's quite a piece of art.
It has certainly given me the sense of mood and mystery.
No professional advice here, but the darkness of the image does make it a little hard to appreciate the detail in the rock face and differentiating the sky from the tree branches.
Nevertheless a fine result - good work.

[Miguel]

There is a lot to enjoy about this photograph. The textures are excellent. I also like the tight framing. Very sharp.
Some improvements:
-the black and white is too dark and blocked up. It hinders the mystery and makes seeing the whole picture more challenging than it should. Is your monitor calibrated?
I would increase the light tones to brighten up the sky some behind the tree.
I'd also experiment with white balance moving it towards the blue some.
After that, I would selectively burn down the foreground rocks some to maintain an even lighting.
-The crop is off, leaving the shot seeming like it's too bottom heavy. I would crop off about 15% of the bottom. That still leaves you with texture, but allows the tree to not have to compete.

Other than that this is an artful picture that I'd be proud to have taken.

M

[MaryAD]

Hi, Miguel and Ash! Thank you both for your responses and tips. That was some really good insight. I'm gonna try to apply them and see how it turns out. Yes, my monitor is calibrated, I think it's just me tending more for the black but I can see what you mean and I will try to brighten it up. It's funny that you mentioned tinting it to the blue. I actually tried that and even though I loved how it looked, it did not match the Arizonian atmosphere and I really wanna preserve that. I was planning to make two versions though..I could post them both when i'm done.:P. Thank you again!

[smf]

I also would be proud to claim this photo.

I find the bottom of the frame to be more interesting than the extreme top portion. So if I cropped (and I'm not sure I would), I'd be tempted to try taking a bit from the top rather than from the bottom.

All best,
Stu

[MaryAD]

Cool, Stu! Thx for your comment . I haven't had time to work on this picture more yet but yeah, I don't think I'd like to crop it any more because the foreground details are important and any cropping from the top would place the horizon in the middle. I hope the light issue will be enough to fix it. Thx for the suggestions.

[Sparkle]

Given your Title just a bit more light might help. Try the same shot in summer re "Life".

[SpecialK]

I like the subject and composition, though I think it is a bit dark.

[MaryAD]

Given your Title just a bit more light might help. Try the same shot in summer re "Life".

hey, sparkle!
The title doesn't refer to seasonal life, it's more about the molecules of life that compose the world. Both the tree and the rocks create the foundation for everything. It's also a suggestion towards the textures of both...how beautifully they go together.

[slowpez]

Looks a bit dark on my monitor also MaryAD but I love the shot. And yes, don't crop.

[DigiMack]

Yes, it does make me want to grab a camera bag and head out to Cave Creek, AZ.
Very nice. My vote would be not to crop.

[MaryAD]

Yes, it does make me want to grab a camera bag and head out to Cave Creek, AZ.
Very nice. My vote would be not to crop.

Hehe, just don't forget to put on some gloves..Last time i went taking pics in the desert my fingers froze on the shutter button. It's not cold, just very windy..:P Thx for the vote!

[brkl]

Personally the photo is so dark and has so little contrast I can't really... see it.

[Sparkle]

I have re-calibrated my monitor and you photo looks very much better.

[MaryAD]

Hey, everybody! Thank you for your suggestions. I think I improved it or at least, I'm pretty satisfied with it. I only lit up the details a bit; lightening either the sky or the tree or the rocks would have changed it's mood too much. I'm happy with it now, I hope it looks good on your monitors too. Thx for the help!