All the pretty horses

[Spam]

This is about the 14th time I've edited this pic. I reckon another year or so and I'll have it down pat!

[Shadowman]

I had to wait until I viewed this on a calibrated monitor, didn't help. Those horses are almost blending into the background.

[Chri5]

It is potentially a nice photo but as John has said the horses are blending into the backdrop. The B&W conversion is a little flat. It is how ever well composed and worth a reshoot

[outwithmycamera]

I think the horses stand out in good contrast against the background, but perhaps i'm missing more than the three lightly colored ones. I think what is more a problem is that two of the three aren't presenting at at an angle to the camera that makes their form distinguishable as horses. Hard to control how the critters are facing. More problematic for me I think is the toning, i think its a bit over done but then i like those sorts of effects to be pretty subtle. I like the idea though and the composition is mostly right on, if only those horses had quartered a bit more to the camera!

[Spam]

It is potentially a nice photo but as John has said the horses are blending into the backdrop. The B&W conversion is a little flat.

More problematic for me I think is the toning, i think its a bit over done but then i like those sorts of effects to be pretty subtle.

Thanks for the feedback, Chris, Chris and John, much appreciated, but I'm finding it a bit confusing that you all seem to be seeing different things. This is one of very few pictures that I've ever had printed, and I agree it could do with a bit more contrast, but I can't imagine how to do that without the toning being even more "overdone" ... Any suggestions?

PS: Chris, while that valley is in easy reach and the horses are usually in that field, I'd have to be very lucky to again find quite that combination of clouds and sunlight, and, even if I did, wouldn't have much of a clue as to how to shoot it differently.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Simon,

Welcome to the CiC forums from me.

I don't know you, nor you me, so please don't feel intimidated/offended if I ask some 'tough' questions.

~ I'm finding it a bit confusing that you all seem to be seeing different things. This is one of very few pictures that I've ever had printed, and I agree it could do with a bit more contrast, but I can't imagine how to do that without the toning being even more "overdone" ... Any suggestions?

Could you not make the image brighter?
If the white border is excluded from analysis, it looks to be 2/3 of stop (or more) under exposed to me.

Have you tried dodging and burning techniques anywhere?
Or a gradient filter to brighten the flat foreground area, compared to the rest of the image?

If the subject is the horses, why are they (allowed to be) so dim compared to the highlights on the hillside and trees?
It doesn't help that the skyline has some sharp detailed trees against the sky too, since this attracts the viewer's eye.

It is a nice scene, I like the three horses and the composition works, so it is not all negative.

I hope that is helpful, Dave

[Spam]

Welcome to the CiC forums from me.

I don't know you, nor you me, so please don't feel intimidated/offended if I ask some 'tough' questions.

Thanks for the welcome, Dave. I feel like an apprentice who has stepped into a guild of stern but benevolent artisans, but it has been very educational. So, no, no objections at all to tough questions.

Could you not make the image brighter?
If the white border is excluded from analysis, it looks to be 2/3 of stop (or more) under exposed to me.

Have you tried dodging and burning techniques anywhere?
Or a gradient filter to brighten the flat foreground area, compared to the rest of the image?

I hadn't tried dodging and burning, mainly because I don't think I could do so effectively. I know how the tools work, but in the same way I know how a pencil works and yet can't draw for toffee. I suspect I'd end up with unsightly blotches and halos.

I will try do something more with a gradient filter, though. The original image was shot in RAW so I might be able to pull more out of the dark foreground without turning it to porridge.

If the subject is the horses, why are they (allowed to be) so dim compared to the highlights on the hillside and trees? It doesn't help that the skyline has some sharp detailed trees against the sky too, since this attracts the viewer's eye.

Happenstance, really. It was a very contrasty scene with the sun low and to my right and front (blocked by a nearby tree). Not much I could have done about the lighting short of setting the field on fire, but I think if I were to be in a similar situation again I would put the camera on a tripod, bracket the exposures and merge them in post, rather than relying on RAW to save the underexposed portions.

It is a nice scene, I like the three horses and the composition works, so it is not all negative.
I hope that is helpful, Dave

It is, thank you, Dave.

[bnnrcn]

Hi Simon I like the image , but I think too many elements make the composition crowded. IMO the sky doesn't add to the composition , I would crop the sky completely and try a square crop. I think this would make the horses more noticeable and the composition would look plainer.