I photographed this fleeting alpenglow in the mountaintops of the Southern Alps. My understanding of it is that it’s sunlight reflected (or diffracted) by moisture droplets in cloud/mist etc onto the mountaintops just after sunset. Quite surreal the first time you see it.
Specific Feedback Requested
All comments gratefully received. I found it difficult to photograph as I did not have a tripod so it is not as sharp as I would have liked. Nonetheless, it is an image that I have always enjoyed looking at to reflect on the peaceful time when I was there with my wife Elizabeth.
Technical Details
1/20s, f6.3, ISO 200, 120mm
Olympus 40-150mm
LR, PS, slight crop and white balance, Topaz DeNoise
I like the transition between the cool blues in the ice and the warm light up above. I could see adding a bit more contrast (mostly making the lighter areas brighter) since it feels a bit flat to me. You might try running this one through Topaz sharpen AI to see if you can recover some detail in the blurry areas. Sometimes it works very well for me!
I love the soft light gradient and the muted colors on this. Wow. Agree with @ScottSmorra that it could use a bit more sharpening. The composition is spot on. Well done.
I very much like what Igor did to this image. I believe it’s a huge improvement. The image now has more life to it. It was a little bit flat and dull but this rework is terrific. It brings out the blues in the ice/snow and really warms the glow above the peak. This must have been awesome to witness in person. Composition looks good to me but the image is lacking in detail as others have mentioned. Was this shot on a tripod? 1/20 is pretty a pretty slow shutter speed for 120mm.
Thankyou for your kind and helpful replies @David_Bostock@David_Haynes@Martha_Montiel@ScottSmorra@Cameron_Wilcox@Igor_Doncov. I am glad I found NPN, it is so friendly and helpful.
I did actually try increasing contrast and brightening the glow but it got to a point when I felt that it was not representing what I remember the scene so fondly for. At that time of day the light is low as it is after sunset and the alpenglow is very diffuse, nothing looks sharp…instead it is an erie sort of scene.
So I sometimes have this dilemma…do I present a photo that is true to a fond or strong memory (i.e. am I processesing it for myself) or do I process it to provide a much stonger image (i.e. to provide a wider appeal). Sometimes I don’t know. In this case it is really helpful to get your responses and especially Igor your rework, that is certainly a big improvement.
In reply to David H, I didn’t have a tripod and it was just a cheap consumer lens I used as it is very light. Hence the softness and lack of contrast. I was using an older m4/3 camera that has good internal stabilisation.
Phil, I understand your dilemma. I have dealt with it too. I finally decided that I was shooting and processing for me. Others can either like it or not. Now here on NPN, I often get some great ideas and suggestions to help the image. If the rework still meets my feeling that I am processing for me, fine. If not, I typically won’t change the image.
I do think that @Igor_Doncov’s suggestions improve the image quite a bit, but it still should be a reflection of you.
Beautiful surreal looking image Phil. AT first I thought it was a close up abstract type of shot. The cool blue and warm pastel colours work well together. I like @Igor_Doncov suggestions. Nice composition.
Nice looking scene here!
I think you could give it even more punch somehow to draw the eye around… right now the eye goes straight for the pinks IMO. Maybe if they were slightly darker and the blues were slightly lighter. Maybe… =)
