Rest Awhile

Image Critiques Landscape Critiques
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Over the past few years a couple of friends have introduced me to winter backpacking. I’ve been able to add some gear that has made it more enjoyable, and I had high hopes of getting out quite a bit this season as well. Odds and ends have gotten in the way of that. (My first grandchild was born in January; that’s a priority reorganizer!) This weekend I was finally able to change that, and a friend and I spent Saturday night on Mount St. Helens.

In the few winter backpacking trips I’ve made over the past couple years, I’ve been blessed to have good conditions for photographing the mountains in our neighborhood. (For much of the winter, they can be hidden in clouds.) This weekend was another nice one for photography.

I played with compositions with trees in the foreground (to the left of this view), but the tripod would sink in the snow. That lowered the camera angle enough that the trees would be block the view of the mountain. I wandered over to this shorter guy and took a couple of photos. I wasn’t happy with how the space between the tree and the gully was so empty. Then, the sun broke through the clouds and spilled over the ridge to my left to produce that nice shadow.

This is a blend of two images. When the scene had this nice light, the very top edge of the mountain was obscured. When the mountain top showed about 7 minutes later, the nice foreground light was gone. So, I put the two together. (It’s a personal compulsion, but I prefer images where the top of the mountain is visible.)

The camera read this scene cooler than what my eye saw, so I’ve warmed it a bit. Do you think the color looks okay?

I forgot to take my polarizer off, even though I was using the wide angle, which made the center sky very dark. I’ve tried to correct that. Does the sky look okay to you?

Thanks for any and all additional thoughts or suggestions.

FUJIFILM X-T30

FUJIFILM XF 10-24mm F4 at 12 mm (18 mm equivalent)

1/30 sec. at f/11 and ISO 160

I cloned out some tracks in the snow.

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I really quite like this shot John. Also congrats on becoming a grandfather, that’s great news. I can sympathise with life reorganiser, we bought a house last year and I have been deep in rmovating mode.

Compositionally it works well in my eye. It seems well balanced. The trees are balanced by the dark valley on the right. I see how some people may not like that and may want to see trees on both sides, bit I dont think it matters at all. I also like how the shadow of the tree links into the other shadows, almost like the shadows are enveloping the landscape. Temperature seems spot on too. There may be a touch too much purple/magenta in the but that could be me.

SKy looks fine to, where you have corrected for the CPL. although the haze on the left is quite light. I think tha’s natural so no point in correcting it.

All-in-all I think it’s great. Nicely done

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John,
First off, congratulations on your first grandchild. You will cherish the time. The image is superb and is a great Plan B IMO. I think the gully on the right balances the FG tree very nicely and the interplay of light and shadow is outstanding. I also think the clouds hovering over the top of the mountain cap off the image perfectly. I could see this just a touch cooler, but that is just a personal choice because this is fine as is. I only have one small suggestion and that would be to clone out the four bright spots of snow in the shadow of the gully. Very nicely done.

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John,
I am really enjoying this winter wonderland scene! The snow detail and shadows are wonderful and naturally lead the viewer to the mountain. I also love the spotlight on the little tree and see a possible, less grand, alternate composition of the foreground and tree. I do agree with @Eugene_Theron and see a little purple in the temperature. The sky looks very natural IMO.

Beautiful work !

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John, congratulations on your new grandchild, and kudos to you for hiking out to experience these wonderful conditions. I have to say the processing here is excellent, the tones of blue and yellow on the snow look awesome. And I am really impressed how many subtle tones of blue you achieved in the gradient of the shadows. I’m glad you waited for that shadow to appear, it takes this image up several notches.

My only nitpick here is the tree along the right frame edge, my eye gets pulled there a little more than I would like. Perhaps burning it down some, or making a slight crop away from the right edge would keep the viewer from drifting over there. But that’s a nit, this is one sweet image :+1: :+1:

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A beautiful winter scene, John. I am thoroughly enjoying this image, as we don’t get to see much snow here in NC. :+1: :+1:

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Winter backpacking is something that I would like to work towards. It is images like this that makes me think that I need to just bite the bullet and take the mountaineering course at the Sierra.

You have anchored the image really well with that tree in the FG. I also really like the clouds on the peak. That said, I feel that the lower right area seems a little empty. It doesn’t feel imbalanced though. So, it’s not too big of a deal. I agree about the magenta cast but when taken artistically, it is not a major distraction for me.

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Winter backpacking is so much fun and opens up tons of photographic possibilities. You might already know these tripod tips for sinking in the snow, but packing down and building up the area below the legs can help and there are also feet that are analogous to snow baskets for ski poles that help keep the legs from sinking. These can also be made from lightweight materials.

I think this image is great. I really like the composition- the left to right and front to back balance is appealing and the slope line from the lrc leads one right into the frame. The sky looks fine. The only thing I might do is a slight crop on the right side of the frame to exclude the large tree and if you wanted to keep a similar ratio, a little bit off the top. This would also make the peak and the clouds a little more prominent. Regardless, it’s a lovely image, well done.

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Beautiful, winterscens can be just amazing! The light in the fg really lifts the image. I would trying to lower the brightness of the lightest highlights on the fg tree maybe. I would also clone out the white dots in the blueish shade at the bottom of the gully. The sky looks good to me, no CPL distractions. I like the lighter haze coming from the left, where the light comes from too. Going out in winter landscapes always seems to be worth the extra ‘problems’! :slight_smile:

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This is lovely, John. I envy your intrepid spirit camping out up there in the winter. I really like the composition: the leading line of the river, the huge expanse of snow.

I especially like the warmth in the lone fir and the clouds rising from the peakless mountain. Nice work.
ML

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Thanks for the thoughts all! @Eugene_Theron, @Ed_Lowe, @Alan_Kreyger, @Ed_McGuirk, @robb_hirsch, @Ron_Jansen I’m adding an edit that adds some of the edits suggested above; they are appreciated!

@Adhika_Lie, go for it! It really helped me to go with those more experienced than I, but now that I’ve done it five, or so, times, I’m in love with it. There is a solitude and beauty that you just don’t get in the warmer months, somewhat spiritual. If an old guy like me can get started, you would be all over it!

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Gorgeous image, John! Congrats on your first grandchild; wonderful news, but they will alter your future freedom considerably! I have seven g’kids now ranging from 2 to 19 so shooting trips now have to be arranged around piano recitals, football games, ballet and dance recitals, plays, birthday parties, soccer games, etc., etc. It never ends, so it’s great!

Now, the image. I like the warming a lot, but it seems to have left a slight magenta cast. Take that with a grain of salt because I’m on my laptop and I haven’t calibrated it in quite some time. I really like that you increased the amount of sky showing; that really lets it breathe more. I agree with @Eugene_Theron and @Ed_Lowe on the image being well balanced, and on your success in toning down the polarized sky. Beautiful shot.

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I actually like the warmth of the original image but the fg tree looks better in the rework. Ah yes, it looks as though you raised the exposure a bit in the rework. I love the composition you created here. Overall the rework is better. The exposure adjustment trumps the loss of magenta.

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John,
For my tastes you nailed this perfectly with the repost. Thanks for taking the time for the rework.

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John,
I am also a fan of the rework, this is really a superb scene!

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I really like this shot (2nd one is my fav). I would not change a thing. I love landscape photos that draw you in, and make you want to step into them. This one makes me want to crack out my snowshoes and take a walk thru there.

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I like the side lighting and over all composition, very nice image! 2nd one is the one for me!

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Hi John - Congratulations on your first grandchild! I really like your reworked version. I think the shadow in the lower right fills the void nicely.

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John, with considerable work (both on the acquisition and in the processing) you’ve put together and totally inviting winter scene. I prefer your original both for the comp. (subtle change in v2) and for the colors, with the stronger blue/magenta adding nicely to the chill and making it a bit moody. Your use of that small tree and it’s shadow in the foreground works very well at putting me right there wishing I could snowshoe in further.

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John, fabulous image! I prefer the first. It seems to have a bit more punch and the tonality is more pleasing to my eyes. Well done!