Eielson Elemental

Image Critiques Weekly Challenge
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Eielson-Elemental-8149A77II-25.jpg
Eielson-Elemental-8149A77II-25.jpg1333Ɨ2000 2.92 MB

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

Our last day in Denali was packed with all kinds of opportunities. We started the day early with a doors off flight from the main visitor center toward the mountain. Weather kept us from getting all the way there but I still got some good aerials (Oh what I would give to be able to fly a drone there :face_exhaling:). After landing we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the center and boarded a bus for the trip out to Wonder Lake. Prolonged stops at Polychrome Pass and a couple other places plus a stop or two for bears kept us from going any further than the Eielson visitor center. While there I explored the surrounding area extracting scenes with my long lens. This was one of my favorites.>=))>

Specific Feedback

I did boost the contrast from the original RAW file but did not boost the saturation. This was taken in the Fall so the tundra color was marvelous. Too intense?

Technical Details

Sony A77II
Sony 70-400 G @ 200mm, CPL
ISO 200, 1/125 @ f8

Critique Template

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  • Vision and Purpose:
  • Conceptual:
  • Emotional Impact and Mood:
  • Composition:
  • Balance and Visual Weight:
  • Depth and Dimension:
  • Color:
  • Lighting:
  • Processing:
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1 Like
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Very cool shot, Bill. I like the cascading triangles. The color seems fine to me.

3

Wonderful!! Color, shapes, lines ā€“ all fit together in a 3D drama! One thought occurs to me ā€“ I wonder about a darker gradient ā€“ or something ā€“ from the top? The lovely lines there are a burst of energy but they pull my attention off the frame. The contrast is already lower there butā€¦ I dunno. I love the way the small slice of tundra at the base gives a footing to the image. The viewer can stand there to take in the wonderful scene.

Denali from the air is an incredible experience! We were up there one day, about a hundred years ago, when it was incredibly clear. We hadnā€™t planned on being there (I think it may have been a side trip due to weather elsewhere) so had no tour reservations but Ted said, ā€œIā€™ve flown by this mountain dozens of times [from the left seat of a United flight] and this is the first time Iā€™ve seen it.ā€ So we took off and circled for a long time, getting to probably 16-17,000 ft. Which didnā€™t feel very high.

4

Bill, a fine look at this iconic area in AK. The composition works nicely sharing this HUGE natural drainage system that easily discharges the melting flows overallā€¦ :+1:
I flew over this area numerous times while in AK. One time in a DC-3 that both engines seized up in mid summer with heavy ice leaving the props motionless. A long time friend who worked on the same engineering crew with me was asleep. When I woke him and told him the engines had iced over his eyes where truly the size of softballsā€¦ :face_in_clouds:
Obviously, we made it back to Anchorage.

5

Hi Bill, This is quite a lovely scene you have shared with us. I really love how you have found the eye a fine pathway up the mountain and the wonderful transitions from warm to cool tones. Really well seen and processed!

6

Bill, this looks great as presented. The colors are strong, but reasonable and the leading lines from the plain up the mountain are outstanding. (BTW, if youā€™re using Adobe software, increasing contrast automatically increases saturation.)

7

This so massive and elemental. And the light. Lickable for sure. The lines are amazing, but so is the color change and shift from cool to warm. Really terrific and, dare I say it, epic.

8

Hi Bill,
I can see why it would be one of your favorites as it certainly would be one of mine! I love the way the colors seem to change with the cool tones on top and gradually giving way to warmer ones on the bottom. All of the diagonal lines leading to the natural drainage ditch work beautifully in this image. No suggestions from me. How were the crowds in autumn. We were there many years ago during the summer. This makes me want to go back . Now I may try to find my slides from that trip. :grinning_face:

9

Wow, what a view Billā€¦nicely seen and recorded. Enjoying all the V-shaped lines and various brown-red hues. I missed this on my trip; rainy day, jeans were soaked, school bus with minimal heat made me bail out and return on a shuttle, only to see a grizzly feasting on a dead elk near a bridge, which wasnā€™t a bad trade-off :grin:.

10

The shapes, lines, and textures, along with the exceptional colour pallette here combine to make this a very stunning image.
A marvelous EP!

11

A little late here but WOW, this is a spectacular image! The pastel, painterly look and feel is stunning! I love the transition from the color in the foreground to almost BW in the background and the vertical composition is perfect for this scene! Well done and congratulations on the EP!

12

Bill, Congrats on the EP here for this fine scene from Denali area. Hopefully the Denali name will remainā€¦ :downcast_face_with_sweat:

1 Like
13

Simply Gorgeous, Bill. Holy cow!!! Colors look terrific and I love the red tundra. Beautiful composition too. The scree lines are amazing and add tremendously to the composition. Love this one!!

14

Great shot Bill. The lines, the tones all work really well for me. I wouldnā€™t change anythingā€¦Congrats on the EP.
I was lucky enough to camp, canoe and fish Wonder Lake in 1977-78 when you could still drive there. Memory of a lifetime.