One of those shots !

I like the overall image, but am not too keen on the amount of detail pulled in from the clouds, for me there is too much detail in the dark areas. I am not saying that it is wrong to pull detail in the dark areas and that is just my preference with regards to this photograph. I do HDR imaging of cathedrals and do it to my own tastes and am not bothered if other people don't like my processing nor should you. :) Overall it is good work though.
 
I like the composition but for me it rather looks like you've used the contrast maskign technique to pull out the detail in the shadows but haven't done it sympatheticly.

Theres a definite halo around the edges of the trees and hills, which can usually be cured with some careful application of dodge and burn on the mask layer before you merge

Similarly with the clouds - theres dark areas on the blue sky near to the blown highlights. Contrast masking would also explain the extremes between the dark and light areas of the clouds. I bet they weren't that dark in reality.

I think it's just the sky part that looks unreal, the rest is very nice.
 
Probably a link to a full res version or RAW file in Dropbox or similar.
 
Over all I think it's a lovely composition, and it makes me want to go and visit that place :)

When I first saw the photo (and before reading the other comments here), it looked to me like the land and the sky don't "fit together", almost as if you'd taken a beautiful picture of the land and then cut and pasted it onto a different sky. Looking closer, I think it's because the clouds in the sky and the reflection of the clouds in the water don't quite match up - they seem out of sync in a way. Perhaps if the clouds in the reflection were processed in a similar way to those in the sky, it would "fit" better overall?
 
Original Jpeg middle shot of three exposures -

original.jpg
 
I really enjoy looking at landscape images, but it's not just the view that captures my attention it's the light and the way it falls on the subject. I think your viewpoint is very good but your image doesn't look at all natural and that's what has let it down ( for me anyway).

I'm glad you're happy with it and if there is a market out there for this Disneyland look then that's great and I hope you make a lot of money from it. I could see this sort of image being used on a plate or laminated plastic place mats that you see in Poundland and tacky gift shops. People do like to buy this sort of stuff so I think you could be on to a good thing.

I would like to see the original image with perhaps a little gentle PP but I'm not fond of the over processing and sharpening. it is a great view with a strong composition.
 
canon_togger said:
Sorry but that sky is a mess in my opinion. Its not just the blown highlights, there are halos and unnatural dark areas.
Its a lovely scene but the processing spoils it for me.
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And I think you're completely wrong.

Great image if you ask me ! :)
 
Some harsh words here :thinking:

Judging by the original it's simply a case of you were never going to get the best from the location in those lighting conditions ... this is the difference in being somewhere 'because you are' and taking a photo and being somewhere with the express purpose and planning to get the best from the location.
It's a great location and the composition works very well, however I agree that it's been processed harshly and suffers as a consequence, in these circumstances the processing needs more subtlety but it will never get the best out of the location ... needs more sympathetic lighting.
All that having been said if you really have made £250k in 6 years just selling your landscape work (extra for weddings I assume) ... what do I know :)
 
Blank_Canvas said:
...... I could see this sort of image being used on a plate or laminated plastic place mats that you see in Poundland and tacky gift shops. People do like to buy this sort of stuff so I think you could be on to a good thing.....
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As backhanded compliments go that's a world-beater! :)

Reminds me of when my mate chatted up a girl in a nightclub with the opening line "you don't look half as bad close up as you did from across the room". He's still single.
 
Blimey, I thought this was the friendly forum.......

Personally, I like the image but not the processing, as mentioned before too many halos and blown clouds. Not sure why you would intentionally want lost detail but that is just me and I certainly do not want to get into this willy waving competition about integrity and all that jazz.
 
There is no right and wrong in photography and anyone who spends their life abiding by the rules is plainly missing out. If we all did that nothing would ever advance.

5 years ago everyone hated HDR and i was a lover from day one, now its been picked up by every manufacturer from phones to top DSLRs and used by amateurs and pros across the world all to different ends and with different results. Some people would rather spend hours trying to get the right filter for the job, i prefer to HDR some stuff, sit back have a hamlet and enjoy the moments. You only live once whats the point.

And more to the point i cannot abide people who make stupid comments they would not dare to do in real life, just because your behind your keyboard does not give you the right to upset people.
 
Andrew Davies Photography said:
This is social media David, and to be honest when the second comment in is 'The sky is a mess' that's not constructive critique - its simply a photographer with their eyes close to the world around them and other peoples visions just looking for the fault in every image which i find quite sad.
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Thats a bit of a sweeping statement Andrew. You've decided that I have my eyes closed to the world around me and that I look for fault in EVERY image? On what basis....because I said that the sky is a mess in your one image?
Its a bit difficult to give constructive critique to someone who accompanies there image with 'and before anyone mentions blown out clouds...'.

Having seen the original the light just wasn't good enough. But you could probably pull enough detail out of the raw version of that one image to get a more natural looking shot (if you wanted to that is).

 
Andrew Davies Photography said:
There is no right and wrong in photography
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Of course there is ... you may ignore it and be hailed as brilliant for doing so but that doesn't change the fact.
Look your image isn't some 'new world' innovation, it's simply an attempt to 'recover' an image and put something into it that wasn't there to begin with ... if you like it and others like it and you make money from it great ... but it doesn't change the facts.
 
canon_togger said:

Thats a bit of a sweeping statement Andrew. You've decided that I have my eyes closed to the world around me and that I look for fault in EVERY image? On what basis....because I said that the sky is a mess in your one image?
Its a bit difficult to give constructive critique to someone who accompanies there image with 'and before anyone mentions blown out clouds...'.

Having seen the original the light just wasn't good enough. But you could probably pull enough detail out of the raw version of that one image to get a more natural looking shot (if you wanted to that is).
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Did I ask for critique - No. Did you give it - no you made negative comments that are not even critique. If you had bothered to ask about the original image or why i used HDR maybe the understanding would have been better and to be honest you would not be able to get anywhere near that result with just the raw file, and now you are knocking someone else because they don't agree ?
 
gramps said:
Of course there is ... you may ignore it and be hailed as brilliant for doing so but that doesn't change the fact.
Look your image isn't some 'new world' innovation, it's simply an attempt to 'recover' an image and put something into it that wasn't there to begin with ... if you like it and others like it and you make money from it great ... but it doesn't change the facts.
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No there isnt, you capture light as you want to and portray it as you want to. If you want to wander round the world with a histogram and thirds drawn across your eyeballs then feel free. Personally i like to make my own decisions.

And actually it WAS there to begin with, our eyes have a much wider dynamic range than the single shot from the camera as you well know and all i have done is push it a little past what i saw.
 
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Andrew Davies Photography said:
Where does it say it is a critique forum ? It says Landscapes on my screen and people who want critiques have little signs next to their posts ?
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All of the forums in this section are for critique ... 'Photos for Pleasure' are for images where you don't want comments :)
 
Andrew Davies Photography said:
Did I ask for critique - No. Did you give it - no you made negative comments that are not even critique. If you had bothered to ask about the original image or why i used HDR maybe the understanding would have been better and to be honest you would not be able to get anywhere near that result with just the raw file, and now you are knocking someone else because they don't agree ?
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You didn't ask for critique and you didn't get any so what's your problem?
Because I didn't tell you how awesome your image is, I'm a bad person?
Sorry but I stand by my original statement. The sky is a mess in my opinion. You don't have to agree. It's merely an opinion.

Carry on ranting if you want to, I won't be back to read it.
 
It's kinda hard coming from Facebook where every image is 'awesome' and 'OMG hun what a fab piccy' to the critique section of a forum with some very experienced and very good photographers.

I made the leap and at first found it hard to take some of the crit on the chin but I've improved no end because of it.
 
danny_bhoy said:
It's kinda hard coming from Facebook where every image is 'awesome' and 'OMG hun what a fab piccy' to the critique section of a forum with some very experienced and very good photographers.

I made the leap and at first found it hard to take some of the crit on the chin but I've improved no end because of it.
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That makes a lot of sense, and it's good to receive criticism that is constructive, and helps to produce improved images. However, some of the comments made, not just on this post, can be harsh and unhelpful, sometimes rude/ignorant, and there is absolutely no point in making those comments. Likewise, I've seen some images that I've thought were poor, and folks are raving about how good they are, which also seems pointless. Maybe it proves that we are all different, and look for different things in our photography.
Some of the images that I've taken, and "love " would get slated on here, so I'd be reluctant to post them, and that, I think, is a great shame.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
That makes a lot of sense, and it's good to receive criticism that is constructive, and helps to produce improved images. However, some of the comments made, not just on this post, can be harsh and unhelpful, sometimes rude/ignorant, and there is absolutely no point in making those comments. Likewise, I've seen some images that I've thought were poor, and folks are raving about how good they are, which also seems pointless. Maybe it proves that we are all different, and look for different things in our photography.
Some of the images that I've taken, and "love " would get slated on here, so I'd be reluctant to post them, and that, I think, is a great shame.
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I think it's important to be able to filter and harness the comments and crit that are useful to you and could help you improve while at the same time, not ignore, but not put as much stock in the comments that maybe aren't as helpful and may even be driven by other motives (jealousy etc).
 
My gran used to comment, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" There's a way to critique, good manners cost nothing. There's been some really spiteful comments in this thread and its going downhill fast. It's why I hardly ever surf Talk Photography :(
Mods, time to lock the thread !!
 
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