I had shot images of the Oregon’s Painted Hills here before so I knew what to expect. I was going to shoot them with late evening light coming in from right to left illuminating the folds in an organic way, much like a dune. Upon arrival I realized that I was too early and would have to wait for the sun to come around for the shot I wanted. I wear prescription glasses that darken in the sunlight. As I looked through them I saw a much darker version of the land with dark accentuations within the dark. Well, that’s interesting - I thought, and went about my business. And then a few moments later it hit me - THAT’S INTERESTING. And so I exposed the image to not what the camera shot, nor what was visible to the naked eye, but what the tinted glasses had revealed. I then processed this almost surreal form to match how I saw it at that moment.
Incidentally, when I started to shoot nobody was there but as I continued to work a group had gathered and started to shoot. I don’t know what they shot because unless this specific vision was revealed the image looked quite boring.
The thin wispy clouds became apparent as I worked on this image and I realized how important they would be to the composition. So they got special treatment.
These are Ed Lowe’s modifications. I really like being able to flip from image to image quickly rather than scroll. I want to see the comparison better.
Very creative and inspired! A different look for those hills, one I like. So dark and rich looking. I also like the contrast of the heavy mass of the hills vs the light sky and wispy clouds.
Igor, everytime we have to conclude that photography is so personal and full of surprises. So that even your glasses can make the difference .An image with a soul.
Igor,
I am not familiar with this area in Oregon and have not seen it photographed. This image has a painterly feel to it and reminds me of the badlands or areas near Death Valley. I like the rich colors and the clean three layer look. I am on the fence if the little portion of the hill rising on the right side of the frame adds interest or unwanted visual tension…I think tension. I assume it was intentional? Regardless, I really am enjoying this one.
This looks so different from nearly all of the images I have seen from the Painted Hills, they are generally either saturated color and contrasty, or in overcast light to showcase subtle colors. But you have struck an interesting middle ground here with this approach and it fits perfectly within your personal style of image making. Most people would have been tempted to crank the colors and contrast, but you elected to take a more unique approach and it paid off.
I also think the large U-shaped cloud at the top helps make this a more dynamic image. Without that cloud this image becomes relatively static looking. I like this image as presented, but I could also see another variation where you darken the foreground grass, and very gently dodge just the brighter tones, especially on the left half of the mountain.
Igor, a very well done image. The sky makes the image for me but the rest provides some fine layering and a lead-in for it. In the smaller version, the hills look too dark, but in the large it works well. No suggestions here.
I’ll add to the kudos for thinking outside the box. I often ride my bicycle with orange-tinted sunglasses; my brain adjusts so the sky looks normal, and that make the greens extra warm and rich. I often wish I could get that look in my images.
I agree that the wispy clouds are essential, and like the contrasting foreground. (I cropped it to see what two layers look like; I didn’t like it as well.)
This may be monitor variation, but I like slightly more contrast in the dark hills. If I hit them with a subtle shadows/highlights adjustment, it improves for my taste.
What’s interesting to me is how those lines on the hills come together very nicely with the clouds here. The darkened hills triggered something in my memory but I couldn’t bring up that memory, very interesting emotion. Did you dodge the lighter part of the hills? The contrast with the red/darker part of the hill is quite striking.
I love this image, Igor. The muted tones and the luxuriant curves of the hills give it the feel of a resting beast. I love the way the blue of the sky so beautifully offsets the deep reds of the hills and the way the clouds mirror the textures below. But it really is the thick folds and shadows in the hills that not only draw my eye but encourages me to linger. Beautifully seen and executed.
Igor,
This scene reminds me of those you might see from the Badlands of SD. The wispy clouds add so much to this image as they mirror the bands of color on the land formations. I do like the fact that you came away with something different by thinking outside the box. I do have a small suggestion and take this with a grain of salt as I do prefer my images a little warm. Here is a rework with the midtones shifted a little from cyan to red to bring out a little warmth in the bands of color. Of course this might totally defeat what you were going for
I like your take on this Ed. I have to be with it a bit to see if I like it better. Actually, I think I prefer the cooler version more. Thank you for the suggestion, though.
What struck me initially was how the folds in the hills glowed in the brooding darkness. I wanted to preserve that vision. However, as the lighter layers were introduced the impact of the dark layer became less. I decided that the blue clouds (which appeared optimally in just one of the shots) had to be included because of how much they added, I burned the base of the image as much as I dared in order to not compete with the said folds. However, Ed and Adhika, you make good points that perhaps the light parts of the hills could be accentuated a bit more with contrast. It’s not a very straightforward change because I don’t wish to get too far from the initial vision.
What’s interesting is that if I flip the image upside down the clouds seem to form rolling hills in the sky. I’m wondering if that’s the reason the sky works so well here.
This is an arresting image, Igor. A simple, elegant composition with those wispy clouds holding all the layers together. I really like your processing. The muted tones have a subtle richness. Personal taste but I could see raising the luminance on the hills by maybe .15~.25 stop.
I like the direction that @Ed_Lowe took his rework. I think the warmer tone helps a lot, good call Ed. Ed’s increase in brightness of the lighter tones in the mountains also helps the texture of the folds of the mountain to be more prominent, which is a plus.
I’ve uploaded for a side by side comparison and don’t see the increase you mention. I’m still on the fence with the color change although I’m starting to see things your ways on this.
It’s pretty subtle, I’ll admit. To me it sometimes seems to me that when you increase the WB temp that the right side of the histogram shifts a bit to the right, which may be why I perceive it as brighter.
Hi @Igor_Doncov, a very good shot in my opinion. I love composition and the contrast between sky and mountain tones. I also like the 1:1 crop, really a good crop choice. Regarding post processing, also a monochromatic conversion can work. Thanks for sharing.
A little late here and I chime in as perhaps a lone dissenter. I actually think this is a fascinating image and after several visits and study, I do pick up on your vision of glowing folds in the "brooding darkness. Yes, I see that now.
But actually it was that darkness of the hills that first struck me - and bugged me somewhat. The only reason really is that the sky seems perfectly exposed, and the high, diffused light seemed to cover the foreground about right. But then why is the hill so dark? I think, it’s really more of a perception than a technical thing. And again, I finally was able to recognize the faint glow in the darkness. Still, in the end that balance of light and dark doesn’t seem right to me. Unfortunately, I don’t have the advantage of viewing and experiencing in person.
The hill is so dark because I want it to be. I’m not really that interested in depicting reality but a caricature of reality. Below is a Georgia O’Keefe painting of a similar type of subject. I like her interpretation of these eroded hills and tried to come up with something similar. As you can see in her paintings the background is too dark and the foreground is too light. But it’s the lines, tones, and shapes that I like. It’s a simplification of nature.
Of course I don’t have the marvelous colors she has.
As stated, the bottom layer bothers me the most because it’s too ‘photorealistic’ and lacks the impressionism of the rest.
Thank you for commenting. I always appreciate and try to understand where you are coming from.
