This is an image that made me stop and look at it close. And that is a good thing!
So points for having the ocean LEVEL- you would be surprised how many images I see with a slanted ocean!
So the more I look, the more I see- which I LOVE in a photograph. It took me over a minute to notice the footprints... NICE TOUCH and so subtle!
Just a lot happening, and a lot of work on your part to make this a great image!
I also like the fact you did not over saturate the colors. A lot of people think Rainbows = Color = Saturate....and to an extent that is true.... but there is a fine line between saturate and over saturate. You came down on the correct side of that debate!
Thank you for entering the Rainbow contest- I am glad to have seen your shot!
Dave
I like this image a lot- I love the wide view that still keeps the rainbow prominent.
Dispite the rather ordinary clouds, I find a lot of interest in it. And the sheep/goats/cows adds a LOT of interest....
The green MAY be a bit hot. but overall the color seems nice- you did not blow out the rainbow...
So thank you for entering the contest- I appreciate you taking the time, and I am so glad I got to see it!
Thanks!
Dave Koch
This has really wonderful lines.The developing is really nice- I love a light hand in developing- and you did that here.
If I had any criticism, it would be that it would benefit from a better crop (I think!) I would have cut off the near foreground, and the shadows on the right. Probably would have been better to move up on the hills....
I dunno- I am pretty bad at crops myself! :)
Love it!
Dave
Hmmmmm....
I liked this image- it made my first pass to be looked at for awards in the Rainbow contest.
Now I am coming back and making second judgement. This had good eye appeal for the first cut- good color, nice framing, and an interesting shot.
My second look is deeper. The more and deeper into this I look, the more problems I see.
Since you made first round, I thought you might like to know what I see that pulls this image down. THIS WILL BE CRITICAL, so if you dont want my advice, stop now. I do not give this to you to be mean, but rather because I hope you will see what went wrong here, and what you need to make better images in the future...
The first major thing I noticed is the chroma is a bit too hot. Specifically in the rainbow...
I like that you saw something, realized it was pretty and stopped to take the picture. I question whether you spent enough time crafting the picture, but I love that you stopped to try and capture it.
One thing I do not like about the framing is the bottom. You have intermittent dark shapes. Above this, you have a layer of green trees, a layer of mountains, a layer of clouds. The dark trees should be a full layer, too- its not like the clouds at the top are all that interesting. So tilting down just a bit would have made a better image I think...
The image MAY be tiled, I am not sure. It LOOKS tilted low to the right. Whether it is or not, I would adjust so it looks right, not IS right if that makes sense. (This is a personal call, but ultimately my feeling is address how viewers would look at it, not what is technically right if those to objectives differ.)
But the biggest problem is the macro blocking and jpg artifacts in the image. Maybe you zoomed in way too much after the fact, maybe it is over processed, maybe it is a copy of a copy of a copy, I dont know. But there is way too much noise in this image. And when I can see the actual JPG blocks, well, that is too much.
Also, and probably because you cut into the picture too much, the whole image is soft. Landscapes need to be tack sharp...
It could also be your ISO settings....there is no reason to shoot ISO 12800 when you can pull 1/8000 at f/14. ISO adds a whole lot of noise unnecessarily. What would I have shot this at? ISO 100 f/11 at 1/60 or even ISO 64 f/14 at 1/40 would be the same exposure. I would have used a tripod- I ALWAYS use a tripod, and so should you (because of just this situation). If you dont care enough to take the best picture possible, why should I care about your picture at all? You HAVE to put in the effort to get really good images.
If you absolutely positively had to shoot this hand held you could have done ISO 800 f/11 at 1/500... that is fast enough for hand held with that lens. But, IMHO, 12800 is NOT an acceptable ISO for outdoor photography and this image shows why.
Here is my advice to you. You have a good eye, keep shooting. But be more critical of your work. Learn more of the technical side so you are not abusing the limits of the camera, but working within the confines to make better images. And this: dont show off "good" images.... only show off excellent ones. If a shot does not kill it, dont show it...
Anyway, good luck and keep shooting!
Dave
Thank you for entering the Rainbow contest!
This is a fun image. I love the bits of cliff and the lighthouse in the distance. And clouds in shadow and in light- that is a very cool thing!
The time of day is perfect- you captured a wonderful light. The shadow and light play across the grass is nice.
If I can make a suggestion. I would have totally shot this just like this. Just to make sure I had it. But then I would have waited.... I would have LOVED to have seen this shot with the grass in shadow, or even shadow and highlighht..... but a good, strong light on the lighthouse. I think that would have been a much stronger image as the highlights deep in the image on the lighthouse would have drawn the viewers eye in, and that is a good thing to do!
I do find the vehicles or whatever on the road distracting though. Perhaps through cropping, moving your self when shooting or just clone stamping, I think those should have been removed. They grab the eye and do not add to the image (IMHO).
There are also 2-3 big white spots in the ocean that grab my eye. I think maybe they should be cloned out...
Other than that, I really think this is a good image! I just love the angle, the light and the mood! Keep up your great work!
Dave
To me, this is a very natural looking rainbow. This is my favorite type, with the setting sun shooting in almost parallel to the ground.
Sometimes the colors look too pumped up.... but this is legit.
My only problem here is the gravel field in the foreground.... and the two white stakes in it. Not sure why those are included....
I think this image could be improved with a bit of cropping....
Thank you for entering the contest- I did like your image a lot!
Dave
Really a nice image! This caught my eye and was in my short list for consideration on the contest- so good job! I really like what you have done with this image.
If I have any problem with it, it is you over enhanced the reflection. It does not look natural to me. Reflections go lighter not darker....
Thank you very much for sharing, and for entering the contest!
Dave
I love it when you can get a whole rainbow in a shot This caught my eye and was in my short list for consideration on the contest- so good job! I really like what you have done with this image.
Also, good job on keeping YOUR shadow out of the image!
Thank you very much for sharing, and for entering the contest!
Dave
This image has such subliminal beauty, I just fell in love with it. I am just beginning to realize just how beautiful the Isle of Skye is, and this image is a really unique view of this special place.
I love the softness, and the mist. The light is really unique, too. Really a great image- congrats!
Dave
616 Images entered
306 Photographers
So many good things going on here!
The framing within the frame is a really great look, and unique in this contest- that alone makes your image stand out.
I also like the fact you did not over saturate the colors. A lot of people think Rainbows = Color = Saturate....and to an extent that is true.... but there is a fine line between saturate and over saturate. You came down on the correct side of that debate!
Thank you for entering the Rainbow contest- I am glad to have seen your shot!
Dave
You had another image from this arera, right? Honestly, while I like the other one, this is better. You have a better control over the exposure here, and the chroma is not all blown out.
Honestly, I find this one more interesting, too.
Thank you very much for sharing, and for entering the contest!
Dave
There are a lot of wonderful things about this image. The dreamy quality and otherworldly cliffs make this a unique and lovely image!
The colors are bright without looking overdriven, something that a lot of people tend to do in rainbow images. This looks natural.
Love, it, thanks for entering the contest! :)
Dave
So peaceful! This caught my eye and was in my short list for consideration on the contest- so good job! I really like what you have done with this image.
Dont be afraid of using photoshop or lightroom. They are NOT the enemy. Overuse of them is. They are tools like anything else. How you use them is what makes them good or bad.
Would you think it wrong to use a 200mm? No. But there are times for it, and times for not using one. Same with Photoshop.
Thank you very much for sharing, and for entering the contest!
Dave
What I love most about this image is the clear sky through clouds to the rainbow. I love seeing that transition across the frame.
The light is just gorgeous, too. The play of shadow and light is pretty..
If I could make a comment to make this a stronger image.... I would clone stamp the telephone poles out of the image. I really found them distracting.
Thank you for entering the contest and congrats!
Dave
19,414 Ratings
Brief
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***This contest is open to subscribers (members on the Challenger, Pro and Master subscription tiers). However if you're not a paying subscriber you can still purchase entries for £2 (GBP) per image.*** Rainbows are a natural phenomenon that are hard to predict, so having the right equipment on you at the right time isn’t always a given. However, there are situations (such as after a rainstorm, or near a fountain or waterfall on a sunny day) when you’ll have a much better chance of finding one. Since rainbows aren’t a solid object, you’re going to want to photograph them against a background that’s as uncluttered as possible!
Meet the expert judge
