A Hilltop Ruin

[Donald]

When I was out at the weekend getting the shots of Hound Point and The Forth Bridge that I already posted, I took an alternative route home - along roads I don't usually travel.

And I came across this. I was intrigued by how the cloud was formed into a shape that mirrored the line of along the top of the low hill, allowing for an image that was really about bands of tone and texture. B & W conversion in Silver Efex Pro 2 allowed me to create emphasis in the banding and create the image that I saw in my head

I'd be very interested to read what you think.


40D, 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM @ 70mm. ISO100. 1/10@f11

[Bobobird]

I like it very much.

[kaneohebud]

Donald: That's a great shot! I love the texture ... and the symmetry of the curves. Matte and frame it and hang it on the wall!

[ScoutR]

Donald, I like it very much also BUT I'm wondering if the light grass in the foreground fits with the rest of the shot. Would it be possible to darken it OR crop it out which would also get the horizon closer to a third which for tends to draw me into the shot more. I know you probably want to keep the square format and I'm sure you have a reason for the composition the way it is but... I'm not so sure it's quite right this time. It's a great moody shot, and when it comes to composition I'm not really sure what it is that isn't just quite what it could be, but I do know that the light grass in the foreground just does not fit - to my eye

Wendy

[jamn4ex]

I really like this image. I think the foreground sets the tone,and portrays the depth nicely.I imagine the grass as golden brown, but it was probably more green. wasnt it ?

[Katy Noelle]

Of course, it's beautiful, Donald!

Erm, there's something curious. There seems to be a target in the sky - a round circle with radiating concentric circles.... It's making me have a hard time seeing the picture. Is it because of my silly, falling off monitor?

[Katy Noelle]

Donald, I like it very much also BUT I'm wondering if the light grass in the foreground fits with the rest of the shot. Would it be possible to darken it OR crop it out which would also get the horizon closer to a third which for tends to draw me into the shot more. I know you probably want to keep the square format and I'm sure you have a reason for the composition the way it is but... I'm not so sure it's quite right this time. It's a great moody shot, and when it comes to composition I'm not really sure what it is that isn't just quite what it could be, but I do know that the light grass in the foreground just does not fit - to my eye

Wendy

I'm glad that you said this, Wendy. I had just mostly typed something similar, got distracted and erased it. I think that, somehow, I wish that there was much more sky (more epic) or much more grass leading to the sense of really being "up on the hill". My vote goes for more grass on the hill - but you still have to have the glowering clouds! I'm just not sure if they're strong enough to carry the whole story, so to speak - not that that's what they're trying to do but..... But, of course, that's just what I think. What a great atmosphere.

[ScoutR]

Of course, it's beautiful, Donald!

Erm, there's something curious. There seems to be a target in the sky - a round circle with radiating concentric circles.... It's making me have a hard time seeing the picture. Is it because of my silly, falling off monitor?

It's not your monitor Katy, I saw them too but did not really find them distracting (on my monitor) so I did not mention them. If the lines were straight instead of circular it would look like rain showing up against the dark clouds.

[Davidd]

Hmm, I really like this - the cloud band really does mirror the shape of the hill - quite an intruiging abstract effect, brought out by the b&w. I wonder whether I'd have noticed the effect as quickly though if you hadn't pointed it out Donald? Reminds me of a photo of poppies which I posted the other week, I intended it to portray poppies at different stages but this didn't come over, it looked like a photo of a single poppy... I decided that I needed to emphasise more what I wanted people to notice, though of course they have a perfect right to their own take! I agree with Wendy, darkening the grass or just cropping it out, might help - this isn't the typical landscape shot where you want to lead people in via foreground interest, its the banding etc which is the subject... Anyway, that's my six pennyworth!

~ David

[Katy Noelle]

It's not your monitor Katy, I saw them too but did not really find them distracting (on my monitor) so I did not mention them. If the lines were straight instead of circular it would look like rain showing up against the dark clouds.

That's only because I'm hyper-focus girl and a big subliminal target in the sky.....transfixed, I am!

[Donald]

Erm, there's something curious. There seems to be a target in the sky - a round circle with radiating concentric circles...

Radiating circles? What is that woman on?

I saw them too

Oh my God, there are two of them.


I'm not seeing them. Where are they? Are others seeing them? It's possibly the ghost of old Jock, who used to live there.


Thank you, everyone, for commenting.

Wendy - you raise a fascinating issue for me. When I came round the corner and saw this scene in front of me, what really hit me between the eyes were the bands of tone, starting from the bottom with a relatively thin strip of this light coloured, tall, wispy grass with the field of rashes (don't know the right name, but that's what we call them) behind really having taken over from grass in the field. And then through the building to the bands of cloud behind.

So, right away, even before I set up the tripod etc, that band of light golden grass at the front was the foreground of the image that had formed in my head. Now, if you're right in your view (and I am happy to accept that you may be) then my initial reactions upon seeing the scene have, maybe unhelpfully, remained dominant and not allowed me to engage in more objective thinking that perhaps should have been applied at both the capture and processing stages. I saw it. It was in the image in my head. Therefore I had to carry it through into the final image. Flawed thought processes maybe?

Maybe there should have been even more of this light grass in the foreground, rather than none. I should maybe have pulled back to allow me to still include all the elements and retain the square crop. There is a lot more showing in the captured image, but I cropped it out. Similarly, there is a lot more sky showing, but it's also been sacrificed for the sake of the composition I made in the viewfinder.

Questions, questions!

[NoCard]

Sorry Donald, but I see circles too...
They become more prominent if I tilt the laptop screen away from me, and squint with one eye and hold my breath for about 10 seconds.

Seriously though I do see them, their centre is mid-width of the image and about half way down the sky...but still a great image and I do like the tone/texture bands of grasses and clouds. Nice...

[Nicola]

Are others seeing them?

Hi Donald,
I'm sorry, i can see the "Katy's circles " quite clearly (I saw them before reading Katy's post) on my new IPS panel...

[purplehaze]

Hi Donald,

With respect to the lighter band of vegetation at the bottom of the frame, I would have preferred more over none. I respond very much to the layering of texture, and I think if I had been at this site when you were, I would have seen and shot what you did, the bands of light and texture on the ground echoing the bands of light and texture in the sky. I think in this case, less would have been less, and betrayed the full miracle of that scene.

I too can see the circles on my 27" monitor, but didn't notice them until Katy drew my attention to them. Even then, they were not distracting, but it has been a while since I calibrated.

[MrB]

I wish that there was much more sky (more epic) or much more grass leading to the sense of really being "up on the hill". My vote goes for more grass on the hill - but you still have to have the glowering clouds! ... What a great atmosphere.

Donald, I agree with this comment from Katy and for the same "uphill" reason. I also think that the changing tones and the detailed textures in the grass are wonderful, and they complement the tones and smoothness of the clouds, if that makes any sense.

Oh, and I cannot see any circles in your image on my laptop screen - and I have tried looking from many different angles.

Philip

[Katy Noelle]

Hi Donald,
I'm sorry, i can see the "Katy's circles " quite clearly

Oh, ACK! It's contagious! Face masks, everyone!

[Harpo]

I see the target too! I also saw them on "the fourth bridge" and was told its my monitor... ummm... really, what is causing this? is it really a calibration issue? I tried calibrating on my mac using the utilities, nothing seemed to happen...

Other than that... Great shot Donald! Im finding myself in many situations with my camera with bad lighting or too much sun... but think it would be a good project for B&W. You're inspiring me. I need to either get Silver Efex pro or get another mac with more memory to add all these programs.

[Donald]

I see the target too! I also saw them on "the fourth bridge"

Oh gawd!

If you have the time, would you like to have a look back here and see if you can see them as well.

I just re-calibrated and set the profile and am wondering if I've set myself up wrongly. Or am I over-cooking with SEP2 and causing this?

(signed) Worried from Glenfarg

[NoCard]

Oh gawd!

If you have the time, would you like to have a look back here and see if you can see them as well.

I just re-calibrated and set the profile and am wondering if I've set myself up wrongly. Or am I over-cooking with SEP2 and causing this?

(signed) Worried from Glenfarg

That's odd, now I seen it once, it seems more apparent - it is on all the Forth Bridge shots in that thread, the circle centre is again mid-width, but just above the top of the bridge. Not in the same place as the "Hilltop Ruin" though.

[Nicola]

Oh gawd!

If you have the time, would you like to have a look back here and see if you can see them as well.

I just re-calibrated and set the profile and am wondering if I've set myself up wrongly. Or am I over-cooking with SEP2 and causing this?

(signed) Worried from Glenfarg

yes
even upon the Bridge, but in a different position, as NoCard said:
could it be due by a different crop? but so it means that depends on lens/filter..