Storm brewingby
brentg3Comment by dsidwell: Greetings from the Critique Club!
I concur with all of the compliments below!
This is an image full of drama, captured so well by the light and contrasts you pointed out with your point of view and cropping. It reminds me that nature is powerful, yet strikingly beautiful at the same time. It does what a really good photo should do: move me beyond the image itself and to other thoughts. In other words, you don't merely "record" clouds here, you artfully suggest deeper and broader things upon which to think, or at least feel. The light you've captured here is fantastic, and makes those clouds really fire up with color. the cropping, also composes the clouds within the frame so that the brightest portion of the image is in a place that looks natural, yet allows us to explore the image at the same time. My clouds for this challenge were never sharp, so I really admire the skill you've shown with clarity.
To improve the shot, if this is possible, I would begin by looking at the "uninteresting" portions of your image. The figure, for instance, might be interesting, but we can't see him/her well enough to know if that is an important part of your photo. The ocean, likewise does not have enough light to command any focus, so we are wondering what function it serves as an element in this image. On the one hand, your choice to keep these elements was wise because clouds can rarely "stand" on their own in a photo, but perhaps playing with exposure may have given these elements a bit more of a role, while retaining the exciting drama of the clouds. Well, I'm picking nits, now!
This is a great photo that ought to be on your wall. Keep up the great work. I hope to see more of your images in the future!
David
Photographer found comment helpful.