One of those images I recall very well. I was just getting to where I could finally drive once again after a freak accident in breaking my right ankle. I had planned months earlier to meet Marc Adamus on his first trip to the Alabama Hills and I barely made the outing.
As we were photographing a sunset to the right over Mt. Whitney and the sierra range we turned around and saw this cloud structure forming behind us over the Owens Valley and dry lake. Needless to say it was an impressive sight.
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Technical Details
Mamiya RB67 ProSD - Mamiya C’ 65 mm lens - Velvia 50
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That’s an incredible light on that cloud formation and a great landscape to go with it, Paul! Nice job with the exposure on this shot. It’s always a good idea to turn around when shooting sunsets/sunrises. It’s paid off for me a number of times!
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I love both the sky and the FG vegetation, but I wish there was less FG and more sky. Might it have worked to shoot from lower to the ground and include more sky? That would have lost some of the separation in the clumps, which I would hate to lose, though. Any chance you shot one with a wider lens?
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@Gary_Minish @Diane_Miller …thank you for your kind reviews and comments.
Diane, this was an extremely fleeting moment. In fact, we were really there taking sunset images with the sun falling behind the highest point in the sierras at that time. We had completed that venture and only caught this sight by chance. In my case, different than Marc using digital, I had to change to a new roll of 120 film too.
Anyway, yes, both a bit less FG and maybe wider lens too would have netted a different perspective for sure…But, I take’m where I can get’m… 
Hi Paul,
I look at this and can’t help but think no doubt there is a Sierra Wave in there just bustin’ to come out!
Sure you must have your head on swivel in this part of the country. Fabulous and dynamic sky. Besides the sky, I particularly like the rising ridge of rock formations - they’re not huge, but I like the framing they provide.
Like the sagey foreground too, although I suppose it could be cropped some? It’s all about the sky anyway! I think a slightly narrower format would help emphasize the awesome line of clouds!
Clouds are wonderful everywhere, but none like the Eastern Sierra!
Lon
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@Lon_Overacker …thank you for the thoughts on this scene. I was lucky to have been there as things played out with the ankle break. I was actually struggling to even cover ground out there at that time.
No doubt. I think all of the old CANP folks have at least one take of awesome clouds from the majestic 395 corridor… 
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Fabulous image with magical Eastern Sierra sky! I agree, less foreground would be better. Also, I would straighten the horizon. Like so:
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Paul, that is a dramatic cloud formation with its multiple layers and nice sunset colors at the bottom. If this were taken in the plains, I’d wonder about the major storm just out of the view to the left.
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Thank you both @Mark_Seaver @Tony_Siciliano for the comments and your updated optional change here, Tony. I debated leaving the drastic slope leading down toward the old Owens dry lake. I’ll need to take a better look next time I’m there to see how things look from that exact vantage point. I know everything was level on my gear, but who knows as this was really from my archives when Marc was on NPN #1.
The first thing I loved about digital capture was the spontaneity! I had an RZ67 for years and changing a roll of film was a hassle. So were trips to the local lab. (So now I spend an equal amount of time deleting…)
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Good one, Diane…actually I’m pretty quick at changing rolls. But, there is still a small window of opportunity at times that digital is much better at…
Really nice look at the Sierra clouds. I like Tony’s changes. I don’t think a level camera always equates to a level looking horizon. I use the grid in my viewfinder and LCD screen and never even look to see if my camera is actually level.
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Thank you, Harley. I checked with the PS grid before I mounted it and saw the foothills in the extreme BG near Owens dry lake and they seemed level. In Tony’s the left foothill seems to be a bit higher than level now. Regardless, I’ll take another look see. … Maybe a split the difference there
@Gary_Minish @Diane_Miller @Lon_Overacker @Tony_Siciliano @Harley_Goldman @Mark_Seaver
Not sure where the time goes these days except going thru the C-19 bug has it’s anchors. I was finally able to make the suggested changes to a point and hope has a better look & feel.
Thank you each for your reviews and comments.
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I think this last version is excellent. It has a more wide-angle look and makes the clouds so much more prominent. I did notice in the original that you had apparently leveled to that distant BG, but for me the near “horizon” is more important, and the valley floor feels like it should be level, even if it isn’t. I’m with @Harley_Goldman on making it look right. I would go so far as to darken or clone out the sliver of distant bright sand, which now does not look level.
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Thanks, Diane…
Good point on the BG sand. 
It is a trade off as I know the FG area slopes dramatically toward the dry lake in the distance…
Artist interpretation versus documentary photography…an endless debate! 
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