# Afternoon Rays **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** weekly-challenge\ **Created:** [January 29, 2026, 2:27am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555 "2026-01-29T02:27:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ted\_Forman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ted_forman/32/23367_2.png) [@Ted\_Forman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ted_Forman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 2:27am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555/1 "2026-01-29T02:27:44Z")
### Image(s) ![Afternoon Rays.jpg](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/7/d/7d14c22f173de1435629a0ddfd88fb63d0d221c4.jpeg) ### Image Description As the late afternoon sun was getting lower in the western sky, I couldn’t help but notice this great display of light rays filtering over the mountains in Palm Desert, California. I decided it was best to compose this shot without including the sun itself as this would overwhelm the scene. ### Feedback Requests Any helpful feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for looking. ### Pertinent Technical Details Canon R7, 100-400mm lens @ 200mm f/8, 1/160 sec @ ISO 100 Processed in LR ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Lowe](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/e36b37/32.png) [@Ed\_Lowe](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ed_Lowe)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 4:12am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555/2 "2026-01-29T04:12:38Z")
Hi Ted, The rays are flat out gorgeous and I think the layering with the ridgelines adds some wonderful depth to this scene. I think you made the right call on excluding the sun in this image. Who needs the sun when you have rays like these! While I quite like this as is I could also see a B&W here; a twofer if you will. Not necessarily better, just another option. I hope you do not mind, but here is a rework with what I was thinking. Just my opinion of course. Beautifully done. ![Afternoon Rays copy](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/f/0/f0c735370834d4cc2547cb4ee3e456f9bcc41a94.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Diane\_Miller](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/diane_miller/32/27391_2.png) [@Diane\_Miller](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Diane_Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555/3 "2026-01-29T19:20:13Z")
A wonderful find!! The clouds look a bit over-processed to my taste – dominating the scene a bit. I wonder about backing off the local contrast adjustment on them. ---
**Author:** ![madd\_laura](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/madd_laura/32/83885_2.png) [@madd\_laura](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/madd_laura)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 10:32pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555/4 "2026-01-29T22:32:56Z")
Hi Ted, I prefer the version in bnw. The drama is the light beams and everything else should take second place. I would make the foreground a complete silhouette or bring out all the shadows, not half-and-half. It must have felt like the heavens were calling. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Seaver](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/mark_seaver/32/231_2.png) [@Mark\_Seaver](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Mark_Seaver)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555/5 "2026-01-30T14:34:22Z")
Ted, you’ve got a fine mix of crepuscular rays and ridge layers. Definitely right to not include the sun. I prefer the color version and the fact that there are details to be found in the land. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Fach](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/bill_fach/32/78290_2.png) [@Bill\_Fach](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Bill_Fach)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2026, 2:16am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555/6 "2026-01-31T02:16:53Z")
Ted: What @Mark_Seaver said. Subduing the clouds just a _tiny_ bit is about the only thing that would make this better for me. Top notch shot.\>=))\> ---
**Author:** ![Elizabeth\_Thompson](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/elizabeth_thompson/32/82795_2.png) [@Elizabeth\_Thompson](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Elizabeth_Thompson)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555/7 "2026-02-01T16:17:27Z")
The parallel rays and ridgelines are stunning. Color or B&W, I am agnostic on that. I agree the clouds seem a bit unreal, but I don’t mind that. They frame the image nicely–light on top, dark on bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Ted\_Forman](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/ted_forman/32/23367_2.png) [@Ted\_Forman](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Ted_Forman)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2026, 10:08pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/afternoon-rays/49555/8 "2026-02-03T22:08:44Z")
Many thanks to @Ed_Lowe @Mark_Seaver @Bill_Fach @madd_laura @Diane_Miller and @Elizabeth_Thompson for your kind comments.