As the Dawn Breaks

Image Critiques
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Original - TN2026-_MG_7849-Edit- NPN copy.jpg
Original - TN2026-_MG_7849-Edit- NPN copy.jpg2250×1500 1.33 MB

Critique Style: Standard

The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.

Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive

About This Image

This image is from my short photography outing this past Sunday. I’ve not been shooting much this year though I hope to really get back into it.

I’d been to this area quite a few times before. There’s a hiking trail near this spot that gives you a somewhat similar view of these mountains, but unfortunately, there are some ugly power lines, quite a few trees blocking the view, and generally just a pretty messy composition.

In June 2025, after shooting another sunrise nearby, I had some free time to explore, so I decided to scout this area for a “better” spot. After a bit of bushwhacking, I found this little spot.

Ironically, I eventually found and followed a worn path through the bush, so it turned out that, as is often the case, I hadn’t really discovered anything new at all. I was just following in someone else’s footsteps.

I’m okay with that, though. :slight_smile:

Feedback Requested

I know that these type of wide angle, grand landscape images are not in vogue these days but I still love them. I also have a few images from this morning that I made with a slightly longer lens - a 45mm, that has a different feel and that I’ll post another day.

Technical Details

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens: TS-E24mm f/3.5L II
Focal length: 24mm
Shutter speed: 8s
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 100

Tripod/handheld: Tripod
Focus method: Manual focus
Filters: 3 stop ND grad and a 6 stop ND filter
Technique: Used the lens tilt to get everything from the foreground to the background in focus while using a middle aperture.
Conditions: It was a beautiful morning and I’m so happy I was able to be outside to enjoy it.

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Outstanding image. The light, the reflections, are all wonderful. I can’t think of anything I would change.
Good use of diagonal elements. Good use of leading lines.

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Hi Tom. Nice job on the bushwhack to a better vantage point. Funny how we bushwhack our way to trail. Been there, done that. I like this a lot. The colors (the blue in the sky and the water, the orange on the rock face) are fantastic. I see no need for it to be darker, lighter. Strikes me as just right.

FWIW, my favorite element in this is the fir trees in silhouette at the far end of the lake. I think it’s because they have the most detail, and they are furthest away. That’s an unusual combination (detail at a distance) and it creates a motivation forward within an otherwise quite calm scene.

Nicely done,
ML

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Amazing to find this image of yours and @Steve_Buffington side by side today and looking almost like mirror images of one another despite coming from totally different locations and habitats, Tom. Being a morning person, I really love dawn images and this is a beauty with great leading lines. I also agree with @Marylynne_Diggs that the little line of trees at the far end of the lake is a big factor in making this image special as they just set there against the skyline pulling the viewer through the image in a very gentle way.

I’ll be very interested in seeing what the slightly longer lens did to the scene, but it’s going to have to be something special to beat this one.

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Hi Tom,

I agree with you… grand landscapes are “grand” for a reason, in vogue or not (let’s just consider them classic and they can never go out of style:o)

This is a beautiful image! The richness of the colotrs, light and shadows are perfect and, like @Dennis_Plank and @Marylynne_Diggs have said, really lead the eye well to those exceptional trees at the end of the lake.

Love it!!

Holly

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@David_Schoen , @Marylynne_Diggs , @Dennis_Plank , and @holly1 , thank you all for looking and for taking the time to comment! I truly appreciate it.

I’ll post the second version of this, the one shot at a longer focal length tomorrow. I still need to finish editing it.

Denis - you are so right about @Steve_Buffington coastal image and this one being mirrors of each other. One is left to right, the other is right to left. One is of the mountains, the other of the sea. So complete opposite and yet feel the same. I love it. :slight_smile:

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Visual Notes

It’s nice to see you back in the saddle again. I agree with the others that the most attractive part of the image is the line of shadowed pine trees against the sunlit mountain. One question I had is why did you add the ND filter and take an 8 second exposure? I decided that it was for the water and there are some nice streaks on the left bank. However, the long exposure did catch some movement in the plants at foot. Since some plants are sharp and other aren’t I’m guessing that was unintentional?

[A1] movement

visual notes
visual notes1600×1067 629 KB

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Hi Tom,

You just put the grand landscape back in vogue with this lovely image. I think there is an ebb and flow as to what types of scenes nature photographers shoot, so if the wide angles are what gets your motor running, then do what makes you happy. The combination of the warm light bathing the mountain and the cool tones of the sky and water contrast beautifully and make for a great combination. I am also loving that reflection. I think you were the one to find this location as you had to bushwhack; the others followed you and made the trail. Beautifully done.

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Hi Tom - i totally agree with what others have said about the beautiful light and colours. What’s not to like about oranges and blues - a beautiful combination!

I was just looking for feedback I could add and did notice a few things that you might want to play with:

  • I find the very small gap at the top left slightly distracting. These little elements so close to the edges seem to carry disproportionate visual weight, i think. Maybe crop it to eliminate that element? You’d probably have to bring it down so you don’t introduce another gap above tree at top right though. Perhaps you have enough pixels to introduce more sky above both sections and make the gaps less obvious, if that makes sense…?
  • i might also play with eliminating the rocks under the water in the foreground using a mask and tone curve. For me, they’re an element that doesn’t add to the story of the beautiful stream and rocks and reflection.

I like the grass in the foreground - I like the depth it introduces. i did wonder about cropping the image for landscape, But I’m not sure about that one - I’ll throw it in as food for thought.

It’s a beautiful image Tom. I like your selection of a long shutter speed to smooth things out - I think it’s work really well.

Visual Notes

[Crop] Focus on reflection and line of trees?

visual notes
visual notes1600×1067 420 KB

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Wonderful image Tom. I hadn’t got the memo on grand landscapes being out of vouge. LOL. I think I will trash bin it when it comes my way. Like others have pointed out, the colors and contrast are excellent. An element I like is the tree on the right framing the shot and helping to lead my view into the distance. I personally think the rocks showing below the still water assist in the depth and the calmness of the mood, IMO. Well taken.

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Thank you @Igor_Doncov , @Ed_Lowe , @Doug_Wilson and @Steve_Buffington for your comments!

Igor - As the sun was coming up, the wind really started to blow and it was killing the reflection so I put on the 6 stop ND to smooth out the water. In hindsight, what I should have probably done was to take two images - one with the ND for the water and another without it for the grasses and blended them together in Photoshop.

Doug - thank you so much for all of your suggestions. Definitely gives me food for thought! :slight_smile:

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That blend would have been very difficult. At least for me. Perhaps others have skills to create masks separating blades of grass but I usually just quit at that point. But I do agree that the foreground adds to the image. And keeping the right bank with its trees was also good in my opinion.

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Tom,

Wow, this is gorgeous! I’ll try not to be repetitive, but I have to say the light and colors are just spectacular. I love what you did with the long exposure (sure, hindsight onthe grasses…)

The composition is well balanced with the tall pines framing the scene on the right, and the grasses at the bottom.

I can imagine how exciting the experience must have been watching this develop and then scrambling to capture all the opportunities (and I’m sure you did!)

Beautiful image. No nits or suggestions!

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I, too, had the immediate thought that this was a wonderful “mirror” to @Steve_Buffington 's image.

This is one of those images that make me want to be there. It is such a peaceful scene. Even though it’s a morning shot, it makes me think of that feeling when you’ve arrived at camp after a long hike, pitched camp, had supper, and can just sit back and relax to take it all in before hitting the sack.

Unfortunately my eye also grabbed onto those moving grasses. A blend would have been interesting to play with.

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Thank you @Lon_Overacker and @John_Williams!

Lon, funny you mentioned “scrambling to capture all the opportunities”! It made me laugh because I was actually scrambling (just a little) while shooting this and managed to drop my filter holder. It’s fine, but it’s still covered in mud, which reminds me that I should probably take it out of the bag and clean it!

It also reminded me of my early photo adventures, when I was relatively new to all of this and would completely freak out when the light was going off. I always wanted to capture as many compositions as I could, and I’m one of those people who, whenever I try to do something quickly, immediately starts messing things up, dropping things, and generally making a mess of things. :slight_smile:

I can’t even remember how many times I dropped my filters…

@Igor_Doncov , you might be right in that the blend would have maybe been a nightmare anyway though now I wish I had that extra shot so I could have at least tried. Oh well.

1 Like