b&w stairs

[vonnagy]

 

[terri]

Now, this is interesting. I can't decide if I like the stairs going down and away, here. I like the image: composition and detail are spot-on....good exposure...it's obviously a lovely area. hmmm..... Did you go down the stairs and shoot up, too? :LOL:

I also like the texture on the top stair, and the handrail. I'll have to keep looking at it to see if the down & away part keeps bugging me. Nice one, overall!

 

[markc]

I get the feeling that my eye wants to follow the stairs down, but it's "stuck" on that large first step. I'd crop about half of it out from the bottom so that it's about the same size as the next one down. The grassy area on the left is also a bit large. Maybe coming in from the left until the base of the V in the next tree in. This way you still have it framing the "tunnel", but the grass isn't a major feature.

I like the spooky feel to it, and the sense that you don't know where it's going or what is waiting for you.

 

[Cuervo79]

I can't make heads or tails afther the third stair, I like contrast of the white flowery things but I wish I could see more of the stairs, the uper left corner could use a little bit of more exposure cause it looks weird, that only the flowery things have that contrast, besides the trees would look better with a little bit of more contrast instead of being all gray

 

[Sharkbait]

After I really study this shot for awhile, I love it. The problem I have is getting into it to begin with. I've come back to look at it several times over the past couple days and am finally really digging it. It has great movement through the frame, I love the dark, almost monochrome look, but at the same time I think that darkness is one of the things that really holds it back at first. Just glancing at the shot, it's so dark that my first reaction is 'underexposed'. It's only after really looking at it that I begin to really see all the aspects of it.

I don't know if that's really good news or bad news for this photo. Put it this way, it's a wonderful work of art, but it doesn't have that instantaneous, ball-grabbing appeal that an Adams landscape does, you know? This photo requires work to get into it.

 

[ksmattfish]

I can't make heads or tails afther the third stair, I like contrast of the white flowery things but I wish I could see more of the stairs, the uper left corner could use a little bit of more exposure cause it looks weird, that only the flowery things have that contrast, besides the trees would look better with a little bit of more contrast instead of being all gray

This is pretty much what I get too. I think there is a good idea here, but possibly this version is not the final product. Reshoot with different lighting conditions.

 

[vonnagy]

thanks for your insightful comments, i posted the pic here cause i felt like it was missing something. I took this shot a while back but wanted to revisit and i think your comments here are very helpful. I toned down the contrast a bit and adjusted the channel mixing so you could see the detail in the grey trees now.

here's another one that i took of the same staircase going up:

 

[Sharkbait]

Ooo now that one I like a lot! It leads the eye from lower-left to upper-middle really well with that angular, man-made factor, then the natural knurls of the tree take over quite well to complete the frame. It doesn't have quite that same eerie appeal as the first, but compositionally I think it works better.

 

[modphoto]

I actually like the first shot better. I feel like it's the beginging of a creepy story every time I look at it. I think there is more mood to the first image. Technically it may not be as good but compositionally It has a larger impact.

nat

 

[terri]

Wow, you did lighten up that top image. I think it's an improvement, though as was just pointed out, if you were going for a "creepy" feel, it's gone now. But the image is not as flat and is much easier on the eyes. Nice!

I just love the second image, from the bottom looking up. Beautiful composition here, the stairs are nicely framed by the trees and the curve of the stairs is well defined from this angle. I love the leaves scattered all over the steps. Great image, matey! Actually they both are.

 

[Harpper]

Nice pictures von! It depends on what kind of mood and imagery you were going for. The first one has a nice surreal creepy feel to it. The dark version adds a sense of mystery which is missing from the lighten version. Although whats nice about the lighten version is that it has the "swirl" or sweeping to the left effect to it at the bottom of the stairway. It's kind of like those altered reality paintings where part of the picture starts to swirl or has warped lines to make then look unnatural.

Your second one is more about good composition and lighting. Even though it's the same stairway they have completely different moods and personality to them. If you posted both of them a few days after one another I would have thought they were different stairways. There's also a good blend of shadow and light which really helps to create the mood. My only nitpick would be to maybe crop more of the left side on the first picture. Good work though, Mark.

 

[Cuervo79]

I like this original better than the ps´d version, now I know why it looked weird, the only thing that bothers me know are the two "nails" holding the hand rail at the begining, my sight went there first, instead of looking the picture as a whole, I love the contrast all over specially the debris over the staris.. makes it very organic. The opinion that the PS´d version is erier is correct thisone feels more warm and inviting.. although I like this one better

Edit: please say if the print you are submiting is photoshoped or if it is just a scan... lol I couldn´t tell so I gave a differend judging of the picture, If I know its photoshoped I can give different opinions on it (giving a better overall knowledge of what to me feels good to me and what could change)

 

[anua]

hej, mister
i agree with the Modphoto at the moment -
when i was looking at the pic for a first time, i felt like ...maybe i would put a little "something" at the background, something what would make the 'twist'of stairs more visible?
but , after the changes it became too obvious (?) for me, (personally)....so...i liked the first one's mood better

....but both are good, just a different -

(hmmm...was i brutal enough? -)

 

[ksmattfish]

I like the composition. To me it's almost an abstract. I'm just taking in the lines and textures without trying to identify anything.

I think that more DOF would help. I don't like the soft textures on the trees at the bottom of the stair.

I think that there are issues with the tonality that may be my monitor, the low res file, or the lighting/exposure. If it's the latter then you may have to try and reshoot.

 

[jack]

hi peeps

Vonnagy i like these photos. both got plenty going on, for me.
the painter in me feels the only lacking bit of #1 would be to
highlight-up a couple of the trunks/brancges in the upper left
area. its being picky, but IMO, thats the only region where the
picture just indifferently leaves the frame with less dynamic than
the other 3 regions.

the second pic flies nicely straight-off the bat i reckon!

:0)