Haha I guess it would help if i included the image
Any input is welcome.
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn) 35 mm ISO 200 1/100 F 14
I’ve always wanted to get up here - seems like one of the best views the Northwest has to offer!
I know this is subjective and you probably wanted a darker, more dramatic mood, but I’m having difficulty exploring the image due to the darkness. I think the issue for me is that all the highlights aside from the snowfields feel dim. I would maybe try moving over the white point on everything except the snowfields. There is some nice subtle light on the craggy exposed rock that I’m having a hard time appreciating when it’s this dark.
Looking at the composition, I feel the left side is a bit distracting - those snowfields and the way the mountains start sloping back down pull my eye. I think a crop off the left will bring the more interesting parts of the scene to a more central position and lend the composition more symmetry, as well as preventing the eye from getting stuck on the left edge.
I would also consider cloning out the small snow field near the bottom. Lastly, getting real nitpicky here, there is a distracting little bit of white against the edge in the lower-right.
Here it is with my suggestions in play - just pulled the white point over to about 215 on a Levels layer with an inverted Lights 2 mask, cropped from the right border over to the edge of that bigger left-hand snowfield, and did some quick cloning and vignetting on brighter areas along the edges.
Cool shot, John. Moody light, awesome altitude, deep shadows.
I’d love to see greater tonal differentiation between the serrated ridgeline and the clouds just beyond because that ridgeline is incredible.
Well done.
Matt
John, what dramatic light you had here. I love the spotlighting effects that you got, it really accentuates what color you had in this scene. I also think you chose a very strong arrangement of the mountains in your composition. I like how you mostly cropped the sky and clouds out of the image, it makes the jagged mountains even more dominant.
I really like what @Alex_Noriega did with his re-work. He did a nice job with the sky and shadow detail in the mountains, and his recommended cloning of small distractions helps tighten this up. This is very much a matter of personal taste, but I wouldn’t crop quite as much from the left as Alex did, I instead prefer something more like this
Great image from a beautiful place. I like what Ed did with his rework. I agree the original, while moody, it a bit difficult to explore. It sure is sweet light.
John,
First post? Welcome to NPN!
Excellent mountain landscape. The leading in of the foreground ridge makes for a more dynamic composition and gives some depth.
I like the edits provided, especially the increased luminosity of the rugged, rocky peaks. For me, the various patches of snow don’t really grab my attention too much, mostly because the patches are numerous throughout the frame and therefore accepted - I think.
Love the dappled light as well. No doubt quite a sight and experience standing there. Thanks for sharing.
Lon
I love the broodiness of this image. It’s broody without being overly dramatic. Both reworks are great. Noriega has cropped out those bothersome rays in the ulc. Ed’s crop handles the snow patch better. I would take Ed’s crop and darken that light cloud in the ulc.
Yeah, I waffled on that crop a bit - initially I had something more like Ed’s (a 7x5 ratio from the right side). Then I took it farther because of how it gave the curves of the mountain crest symmetry, centering the main peak. Looking at it with fresh eyes I do prefer the crop a bit wider like Ed’s though.
I agree with you Igor, burning the revised ULC would also help. Hopefully @John_Moses isn’t overwhelmed with all these suggestions, but hopefully these type of comments can illustrate how even relatively minor changes can make a big difference in the final image.
Changed my mind. Alex’s is better. That snow is just too bright on the left, as is the sun on it.
Welcome to NPN John,
Not much more I can add to the already good suggestions given. My attention is split between the the jagged ridge and the richly colored and lit foreground ridge. I thought maybe cropping out the bottom would help put more attention on the jagged ridge, but then the overall photo loses impact. So…just 2 more cents.
Alex
Thanks so much for the all of the suggestions. I couldn’t wait to get home tonight to try them out. I am blown away with the amount of time and effort each of you puts into critiquing the images. It is so helpful and very much appreciated.
John
Youssef
Thanks for all of your thoughts and suggestions. Very helpful.
John
Igor
Thanks for all of your help. Your comments were very helpful
John
Ed
Great suggestions. I love all of the effort each of you puts into reviewing these images. Very helpful
John
Lon
Thanks for your thoughts. I love this group. You guys are very helpful.
John
Harley
Thanks for your input on my image. Everybody has been so helpful. This is great.
John
Matt
Thanks for your comments. This is incredibly helpful. Everybody’s feedback certainly helps as I try and work my way through processing my images.
John
