5.3800 for "Crashing Waves"by
hahn23Comment by Paul: An interesting scene, but I don't believe you've done it justice. I know who shot this and I also know that your work is normally much more engaging than this. I know you will tell me this is absolutely level but the impression to a viewer's brain is that it needs righting. Images have audiences and their perception is as important as your intent when it comes to the forming of their vote.
Those two trees are disappearing into the hillside beyond doesn't work for me, and a low tonal level is set a little high for me - there is more shadow than there needs to be. I see few patches of true black, but too much just above the black point.
What was your workflow? Did you apply curves?
I think you've done a great job with the highlights, but it isn't matched by the shadow work.
Having said all that, I think you'll get a bit more than your estimate. 5.65 perhaps?
(I've looked on three monitors - granted only one allowed me to differentiate between the last two black blocks on the scale, but it didn't help with my appreciation of the image).
Perhaps it just a really hard scene to capture - I do believe that.
Photographer found comment helpful.