Sunrise at Dolly Sods last Fall. There were no clouds in the sky so I included only a small amount of sky. I tried to brighten a few of the highlights so it does no look too flat. Also kept what was dark looking dark. Such as the back of the foreground pines and the back of the rocks on the left. I have never seen that area so busy even and hour before sunrise. I got the last parking space.
Comments and critiques please. Even without the clouds I had hoped for I still like it.
Specific Feedback Requested
Composition and processing thoughts please.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Nikon D750 Nikon 24-120. F16 1/5th and ISO 100. Tripod
Second guessing myself. Although brighter than reality the colors are perhaps better in version 2. Still feels like the proper balance just the foreground lightened and the sunrise darkened.
I think since the sky isn’t the focus of the image, lightening the rest of the shot helps since we can see it more clearly than in the darker shot. If I were on the ledge next to you I’d have tried for a lower perspective so the trees were up through the sky itself. They look a tiny bit odd being so even with the horizon. I like the diagonal they make and the variety of colors on display is also really nice. Maybe try dialing down the rocks a little and lighting up the red plant within. That might be cool.
Overall, the composition looks okay to me, good choice to minimize the amount of the sky. I agree with @Kris_Smith that the tip of the spruce being right on the horizon line draws undue attention to that merger of tree and horizon. Otherwise the arrangement of the trees and rocks works really well for me.
In terms of luminosity I think the second version helps with the lighter tones but not the darker ones (too much shadow lifting). I would aim for something where you darken the darker tones of the second one, while leaving the lighter tones as is. Here is a rework where I used a TK Darks 2 luminosity mask to darken the darker tones. Darkening the dark tones makes the lighter yellow and orange foliage colors stand out even more. I also cloned away a few of the yellow leaves in the lower right corner. And for illustration purposes, I cloned away the tip of the spruce to show what a different perspective might have looked like, and how one might perceive the image differently.
Thanks for the extra effort on my image. You taught me a few things on this one. Appreciate all that posted comments. I really try to learn something from each post. NPN is a great community.
