Nice scenic image. The layered composition is the right one to show depth and distance. The yellows are really strong and break the image in two halves by color. One thing to notice is that the sky is fairly open yet most of the landscape seems to be in shadow. I guess there were clouds directly above.
It is a very nice scene and, as @Igor_Doncov points out, the layering gives it a nice sense of depth. I like the way the orange of the lower grasses compliments the blue of the creek. However, I also agree with Igor that those same grasses seem to cut through the image and block it off. I think it is because though the orange and blue of the water compliment each other they don’t compliment the rest of the colour palette. I would try shifting the lower grasses away from orange towards yellow and the blue of the creek towards cyan. That would warm the lower section and help it integrate better with the rest of the picture. Play with it and see for yourself.
Ed, the layers here are excellent and you’ve got quite a spectrum of colors. The pond and reeds surrounding it make a fine visual entry. I do feel like you’ve pushed the saturation of the orange reeds and green grass a bit too much.
I really appreciate your assessments @Igor_Doncov, @Kerry_Gordon and @Mark_Seaver. I went back tot he RAW file and reprocessed it over again. I cooled the temperature slider which seemed to reduce some of the orange/red look in the reeds. I selectively processed sky, grass and pond/reeds separately and tried not to get too carried away with contrast and shadows, etc. Please let me know if this looks more realistic. Thank you for your help.
One thing I like about the rework is that the landscape is wider. A wider aspect ratio reinforces all those horizontal layers. The second thing I like is that there is a minilayer of dark grass at the bottom and the reeds are not at the bottom edge of the frame. I think that’s better. I think that leads you better into the picture even though it seems like a small change. The new version doesn’t have quite the punch of the original but the composition is stronger and it does look more natural.
Ed, I liked both images, but the repost works better for me with the wider format and additional green grass in the foreground. Although the detail and texture of the sky and mountain were lost. A quick sky mask and brush in Lr would take care of it. Very nice image.
Ed, I pretty much agree with @Igor_Doncov and @Stephen_Stanton . The wider aspect ratio is stronger and, as Igor pointed out, the added band of green at the bottom of the frame, strengthens the horizontality that is the strength of this image. I also agree with Stephen that the sky and mountains could be stronger in this version. It depends on how much you like post-processing work but for the sky, masking it and just pushing the dehaze to the right and maybe pushing the highlight slider a bit to the left would certainly help to bring out more texture in the sky. I wouldn’t add clarity or texture (or no more than a very small amount - far less than in your original post) to the mountains but by whatever means with which you are most comfortable, you might add a bit more contrast. The bands of grasses in the lower frame are much better in terms of colour but I would still push the blue of the creek more towards cyan. As it is, the water doesn’t feel consistent with the colour palette, tone, or mood that you seem to be trying to evoke in this image.
Agreed that the re-edit works better compositionally than the first. Also it looks natural and not over processed. The haze in the back of the image looks natural also as things usually aren’t as crisp and contrasty to our eyes when we look at this kind of vista. Such rich color - speaks of the richness of the life that makes the Lamar Valley home. I see Kerry’s point about the sky and water colors being so different - usually they are pretty close since the color in the water is often a reflection of the sky. Such fabulous layers - it’s so inviting.
Wow. Thank you so much for the thoughtful reviews on this @Igor_Doncov, @Stephen_Stanton, @Kerry_Gordon, @SandyR-B, @Kris_Smith and @John_Williams. Sorry to be so late in response, I’ve been out for a bit traveling. I have done an alternate repost in hopes of making this more consistent throughout. I may have overdone it this time, but I really appreciate your help.
