Sony a6300, Sigma 60mm f/2.8
f/8, 1/100s, ISO400
TK curves adjustments
A lot of scenery is conveyed in this image. You took advantage of the rainy weather to present colorful details in the rocks and trees. I like very much the arrangement of the rocks in the composition, to lead us into the scene, and also as a strong part of the picture.
But I think another picture lies within this picture.
My first impression was that the brightest areas, therefore the most eye-attracting areas, are also the least interesting … cloud and lower water. So I cropped those out. Also sharpened the top half . Used @Alister_Benn 's History Brush technique to emphasize what little contrast was in the clouds. Oh I could not resist adding red/yellow saturation to the trees.
Very interested in your thoughts.
My thoughts echoed @Dick_Knudson’s; that top is just so bright it really robs from the wonderful beauty of the lower portion. The ridge peeking through the clouds is cool, but I’m not sure it is worth the cost. The lower image is just lovely.
I’m gonna go against prevailing opinion in that I like your original idea better with a slight crop.
Thank you @Dick_Knudson, @John_Williams and @Michael_Lowe!
Dick, I like your crop a lot. The fog and clouds were not something I had a problem with in processing, but I think your crop puts the attention right where it needs to be. I think I will include a little more both top and bottom in the final crop.
Craig,
While I like both crop ideas I think I prefer my brother’s slightly as I would hate to lose the mountain because it adds so much mood to the image. How was Baxter SP? Just wondering as my wife and I were there many years ago during the fall. Looking forward to seeing what else you came away with.
Ed, I’m torn on the cropping, and I’m playing around with it. Thanks for your input.
Baxter was great. This was my second time up there. Two years ago, we went the last week of September, and the color was just barely starting. This year, the first week of October, I would say the color was just slightly past peak in some areas, but it was stunning overall. The park is great. It’s remote location keep a lot of people away. I noticed many times that on a very scenic trail or location, we’d see a handful of people, but a similar location in the White Mountains would have hundreds of people at this time of year. It was the perfect place to go during COVID.
