I took this image just past dawn in Rocky Mountain National Park last June. I welcome all comments and learning. Thanks.
Matt: One of my favorite places on the planet and one I’m hoping to revisit this summer. We always camp in the Moraine Park CG so this is a familiar scene. My only concern with the image is the sky and the top of the FG hills. It looks like you used a fairly dense GND filter or a strong gradient in processing. Perhaps its just a cloud shadow in an opportune location although the sky shown here is crystal clear. In any event, a fine scene nicely rendered.>=))>
Thanks, Bill. That shadow appeared for just a second and is why I picked the shot. I did use a GND (the early morning sun was super bright), maybe a bit much.
You’ve captured a pretty scene. The comp doesn’t feel cohesive to me though. Perhaps the angle is too low or the flowers kind of feel stuffed in there as the foreground but it competes with the river for attention as opposed to complimenting each other.
Matt,
I really like the composition - I think it’s very strong with the leading of the stream, the patch of summer wildflowers and of course the mountain range. The streak of light across the meadow is great asset. I can see why the comments on the shadow at the top of the hill, but the explanation and end result work for me.
A suggestion/wish I have would be for more sky up top. I think that might lessen the issue with the perceived graduated filter and the darkness of the shadows. The only other suggestion would be to back down on the overall saturation. It’s not overly saturated per se, but a tad strong. Of course that’s a personal, subjective opinion.
Lon
Hi Matt,
Great Scene! I like the stream leading into the scene. I agree with Lon in that I would give more sky at the top of the frame and also lower the saturation.
There is a bit of hallowing at the top of the peaks and a little bit of banding in the sky,
For my eye and taste the organs hues are a bit too strong and clash a little bit with the green hues. Here is another interpretation of the colour balance with the orange tones cooled off so that the palette is more analogous.
Below is my interpretation which hopefully gives you some ideas for a different approach.
Thanks, Richard. I guess I stuffed too many elements into the scene.
Thanks, Lon. I struggle with how much sky to leave. On a cloudless day like this, it feels like empty space. But the narrow sky makes the composition feel crowded.
Nathan, Thanks for taking the time to adjust the image. Your greens have a softer, more natural look . I’m not sure how I feel about the orange hue adjustment. This helps a lot.
No worries Matt . I used the hue/saturation adjustment layer in photoshop. That tool might be useful for your processing
