Ominous

Gallery: LandscapePosted March 29, 2017306 views12 comments

I actually headed outside just a few days ago; grabbed the camera and drove around my local hills to see what I could find. Some rain had been passing through, the oaks are leafing out and I needed a break.

Well, the color version of this wasn't ominous - at all. This is where I struggle with pre-visualization vs. post processing "discoveries." I've photographed this tree several times before and have returned here when I think it could be combined with a great sky. So the comp and concept I'm good with, but I know the sky at the time I photographed this, was not dark and ominous; but Nik's Silver Efex Pro certainly made it that way.

Well, don't want to dwell on this too much. I do like this enough to post, but just don't feel like I was very creative. One thing I do want to ask for feedback on is the darkness of the hill. I left it dark intentionally, but didn't want it straight black. So I painted back in some highlights on the left as there were a couple of undulations on the slope and also painted back in some faint, fading light. Still too dark? Effective and adds to the image? Curious your thoughts on that.

Thanks for all your comments and feedback on previous posts. I agree on the last post about it being slightly dark.

Lon

Comments

12 comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on March 29, 2017 at 9:54 PM

I'm looking at this on my iPad in a dark room and it comes through quite well. The first thing that hit me was the dark hill but in looking at the dark clouds and reflecting upon the subtle areas of highlights on the hill accentuating the curves of the hill, I find it works. This is, after all, a dark and moody image. There is a shapely tree on the ridge, a curvaceous ridge line and dark variegated clouds. Simple, perhaps, but dark and I think quite effective. I like it.

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on March 29, 2017 at 11:03 PM

I like what you've done here Lon, and bet I much prefer this to a color version.

As to the dark hill, I think we as photographers (self included) try too hard to reach for detail sometimes. We have rules like "don't plug the shadows" or "expose to the right." These are good to have, and usually correct. But, sometimes I find they kill the artistry. Sometimes artistically it works better to have a lot of dark, or to let the shadows plug, etc. I've especially noticed this in prints, where jet black can be beautiful at times.

All of that's a long way to say I think the dark hill works well for this image. It adds to the mood, and I think that works well with the theme of the tree standing alone against the "darkening storm."

I see a white line between the land and sky in this one too. Is that from how Silver Efex did the processing?

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on March 30, 2017 at 9:21 AM

Dark, moody and ominous, just how I like them. I think you've done a perfect job with the hill, the slight texturing making a subtle but important detail. I see the line John mentions, I suspect too much structuring from Nik.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on March 30, 2017 at 9:41 AM

I like this a lot. The hill looks great as presented. Excellent dark moody image. And I think it is quite creative.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on March 30, 2017 at 4:18 PM

Nicely done, Lon. There is just enough texture in the hillside. It appears there is a slight halo along ridge-skyline. I love the clouds and the lone oak. The moodiness of this works quite well.
--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Rudy Ruberti on March 30, 2017 at 11:34 PM

Appropriately named and I think the dark foreground works well with the dark sky. I might consider applying some noise reduction in the sky to smooth it out a little. Very nice and moody image.

Registered on October 28, 2008, 179 Posts, 1875 Comments

Comment posted by Igor Doncov on March 31, 2017 at 2:15 AM

On the one hand the clouds seem to dark. On the other hand you make your point by exaggerating the darkness. It's an artistic interpretation that you're trying to get across and I think it does it convincingly. It would be interesting to see this with the sky just a tad lighter in the darker area. Would the added cloud structure diminish the general mood?

Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on March 31, 2017 at 8:19 AM

A very dark, moody, and artistic image, Lon, and one I like. Well done. I like the overall presentation here as well with the way it is framed. This would look good hanging on a wall framed and matted just like this. Since you asked, I find it a maybe a pinch too dark overall, particularly the hill.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on March 31, 2017 at 11:16 AM

Thanks for the comments and suggestions folks! AND John, for your observation - what eagle eyes! I didn't even notice during processing. I had to zoom in at 300% in the master file to see the line. Sure enough, sob, it's there. I've done some experimenting and can reproduce with just a simple hue/sat layer and whacking out the green or yellow channels. So I know it's not NIK per se. I'm thinking more about resolving power, chromatic aberrations of the lens, etc. In both cases, images with green grass with a sharp transition to sky/clouds - and at some distance from the camera. zoomed in, the transition is rather fuzzy and with any out-of-normal adjustments, PS can't decide and end up with a transition line. Good thing this is not something that shows in most all the other images, but good know and watch for now.

I may play around with this one some more. Thanks for the feedback.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on March 31, 2017 at 3:21 PM

Now that is a lonely tree! I do like the subtle detail in the dark areas below, as it some depth in the image. Could go a little brighter, selectively to show the topography. My only suggestion ( probably just my processing bias) might be to brighten some of the brighter portions of the sky to give it more definition. Fine as is, and definitely portrays the mood.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on April 1, 2017 at 8:15 PM

Love the 'ominous' feel to your image, Lon. The dark shadows and tones really convey that feeling and the singular tree also gives the feeling of aloneness. The larger view definitely is better with more tones in the hill. Superbly seen in camera and in development. Outstanding.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on April 5, 2017 at 11:01 PM

Something quite different for you, Lon. The simplicity coupled with the dramatic light makes for an engaging and compelling image.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments