This was from 3 handheld images stitched in LR. We arrived at the Grand Tetons a week after the storms that flooded out Yellowstone had gone through. I was hoping for continued cloud coverage and maybe some more storms, but no such luck. Clear (read boring) skies for the whole week we were there. On this day, after hiking for 6.5 miles, we came to this view of Grand Teton with the smaller foothills leading the way.
Specific Feedback Requested
All feedback is greatly appreciated.
Technical Details
Canon 5 DS R, 100mm, f6.3, 1/1250, ISO 200
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Hey James, I bet that was a really nice view from there!
I spent about 3 years of my photography career making images like this from the tops of mountains in Colorado and it was quite satisfying.
I think it’s REALLY hard to convey a subject in panorama format, so the first question I’d ask of you is to think about what you really want as your subject here. Is it the rolling hills in light and shadow? Is it the peak in the distance? Is it the clouds? As presented, it’s trying to be about all of that and it all kind of competes for attention and voice.
I also think on the processing side, you could lift your shadows just a bit.
Those out of focus bits in the center bottom should be excluded if possible as well. I think if you were to take just that center frame you could create any number of interesting compositions that are not a panorama and it would be a more successful image.
Trust me, I know how appealing it is to get EVERYTHING into the photo. I spent a lot of my career doing just that.
Hope this helps!
This is a nice layered composition. In fact, even the clouds form a layer. I think these horizontal elements work well with the aspect ratio you have chosen because it emphasizes them. I may agree that some of the darkest layers could be very slightly lifted. I think the brighter area in the forest on the upper central left draws the eye slightly and should be dealt with.
Thanks for the input. As is often the case, the expanse that I was standing in doesn’t necessarily work well as a panoramic photo. My goal was to use the hills to guide you vision to the center summit, so I’ll go back a spend some time working the center frame and see where less can be more, or at the least a more compelling image. I TRULY appreciate the constructive critique, which is why I joined. Looking at it now, I can see what your concerns are, and how I tried to get EVERYTHING into the image. Time to edit 
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Thanks @Igor_Doncov, I’ll take a look a lifting the dark layers and see what I can do with the brighter area. I’ve only used some basic Lr adjustments because I’ve been a little intimidated by not “over processing” anything. Thanks for the challenge to improve my skills and my post processing. Your feedback is TRULY appreciated.
Hi James, so sorry the conditions didn’t work out better for you. This is a great view of the range. I like the pano feel, but agree with @Matt_Payne that there should be a focus point. I downloaded and pulled it into Affinity Photo and tried the following crop:
I did a snapshot of the screen to show the golden curve overlay. Hope you don’t mind. I wasn’t sure where to crop from the bottom, but this seemed to pull me in to the scene with the V in the valley leading to the peaks in the distance. Anyway, just a thought and you know there are sometimes to many thoughts. 
Overall the mood is wonderful.
Cheers,
David
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Hello James, it was a bummer that nature did not treat you to better skies, but I love the layers you captured nonetheless. I really like @David_Bostock crop because my eye immediately flows up the canyon to the peak in the rear. I also agree the bright spot in the cut of the trees needs to be burned as it is distracting my eye. I love the layers of exposure from front to back. Thanks so much for sharing!
@David_Mullin and @David_Bostock, thanks for the feedback. The Infinity loop is an excellent tool and it really helps me see how bringing it in works for this. I should have some time this weekend to work on adjusting the bright spots a bit, I just have to hit up YouTube to learn how
Great comments above James, and despite the conditions it’s a beautiful view down that valley. I think @David_Bostock really nailed the best part. I too played with stitched panoramas back when I was shooting with what would be considered a toy by today’s standards, and I agree they are challenging. I find it hard to translate the amazing panorama view I’m experiencing, live and in three dimensions, to a viewer back home who has to view it in two dimensions only.
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James,
I wanted to put a vote in for the panoramic view. I think all the previous comments on this are valid and I do very much like David’s crop. But the pano view really gives the viewer that feeling of such a grand view - the expanse of the layered valleys and really the mountain is more of an accent to the grand view, rather than a focal point. I do wish the clouds were on the other half though!
The only suggestion I have and does go along with other comments, and that would be this looks a little underexposed - at least in the more shadowy areas of the layered ridges. More specifically, I would suggest dodging the foreground ridge with the wildflowers. I realize the hill is under a passing cloud and so naturally in shadow, but I think raising the exposure there would give that hill some deserved attention.
Lon
