Critique - Phantom Canyon

RF 100-500 Macro

I like flower closeups, and am impressed with the close focus abilities of the RF100-500. In this case, I did manage a critical focus on the center bloom, but at this aperture there isn't enough DOF for the shot in my opinion. If the bee had managed to be in focus this might have been a keeper image. There was some wind too, so that made things more complicated.

Interesting Log

I found this to be an interesting subject, but the harsh light did not do anything flattering for this. If I had been more adventurous I could have scrambled down to get closer and perhaps made a more interesting image of a close up of just the left end with the decay. Technically not a bad image, but not compelling to me.

Single Frame Macro

So this was playing with Bruce's fine macro lens. I set this up on the tripod and as soon as I started to shoot it realized how shallow the DOF was even at f/8. The next image is the result of a 10 frame stack as I tried to focus all around the rock to make sure I had images with each area in focus.

Macro Stack - Rock Detail

So this came out really nice technically. Once again to my eye though the subject isn't really all that compelling, and it is not helped by the harsh lighting at all. Still fun to see how easy this was to process auto-magically in Photoshop to create this blend though. Good technique in search of a worthy subject...

Rock Study

I was attracted to this interesting pattern through the middle of this rock. Played around with a number of views \of this. As usual I started off with too much in the scene than slowly took images that zeroed in more. I might have benefited from some even closer shots, although I did like the small greenery in the corner. I had higher hopes for this in camera than afterwards, a common occurrence. Can you tell this one is taken handheld at 1/30th of a second? Love the IBIS/IS combo in the RF world, really can perform well.

Grab Shot

I liked this potential composition. Could be better silhouetted against an interesting sky perhaps.

Tree Against Rocks

I like that I was trying new things. This one almost works, and the idea is worth revisiting in the future. Perhaps with fall colors in the image. Not sure about the background blur level - could have backed up and zoomed in more to make it larger. I did take some with the other 2 lenses that made it less, and that cluttered up the background too much. So this is closer to what I was going for.

Idyllic Meadow

This image has potential to me. I did work a while to set up the tripod to shoot through the barbed wire fence that is right in front of the camera. Had that not been there I think a little more flexibility in composition would have been available. That said, I wish I had moved enough to eliminate the interference of the background tree with the stump, as well as managing to somehow frame this to not cut off the top of the largest tree.

Mountain Ridge Pano

After leaving the canyon, it was back to my 'comfort zone' type of subjects. Need to work more on finding interesting subjects in different conditions... This is not bad, but seems a little cramped on the framing at the bottom to me. Did catch some of the rapidly changing light. Stitched automatically in Microsoft ICE.

Pike's Peak Vista #1

Can you tell Bruce and I were set up next to each other? :) This is a 16 x 9 crop of a wider image. I did like this subject as it was a different view than I had seen before, and the light was doing some fun things.

Pike's Peak Vista #2

Zoomed in some more - might like this view better than #1, still thinking about it.

Peak View

A case of an interesting image but here I missed the majority of the light, which was changing rapidly at this point. Shot with the 100-500, there is also softness in the foreground, to be expected at f/7.1. Might be OK though, just not the usual way I roll, as I like to make everything in the frame in focus if possible.

Ridge View

We hiked up a small trail Bruce remembered from previously and with the help of a passerby found this cool view. I probably spent too much time fiddling and missed the best light. This is a 3 image blend, which did bring the scene more into line with what we were seeing I think.

Ridge View #2

This is another blended shot of 3 exposures. I am not sure on the framing, but it was constrained due to some other interfering elements in the foreground. You can judge if this blend is too aggressive, as the last image is the middle exposure of this set of 3, edited as a single image. I personally think somewhere between the 2 might be best, what do you think?

Ridge View #2 - Single Image

Here is the single image of the previous scene.