Stormy Sunset Over Azusa Canyon, San Gabriel Mountains, California - I originally shot this photo around Thanksgiving in 2008. Recently reprocessed a bit darker than the original to reduce impact of smog since this is Southern California after all.
Richard,
Wonderful moment in time - catching the sun just as it breaks through. I think the darkness is appropriate given the conditions.
As an alternate suggestion, I was thinking of a small crop off the bottom. One, the length of the cloud line and light streaking across the valley is suited for a more narrow format. Second, you might consider cloning or with that slight crop off the bottom, eliminate that light patch - either a building, parking area? not sure. But that’s really picky.
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Richard, nice moody image here, I like the darker processing, I like the strong use of diagonal lines that pull your eye across the frame, nice positioning of the mountains. I agree with Lon, a slight crop from the bottom might help, perhaps just above the bright square patch in the LRC. There is also a small flare dot at about 8 o’clock relative to the sun that could be easily cloned away. But overall, nicely done, it has a lot of mood to it, I think the smog actually helps in that regard.
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Thanks @Lon_Overacker @Ed_McGuirk - nice catch, I didn’t notice the bright patch at the bottom. I think that is a pullout or part of the OHV area.
Boom! what incredible light mate.
The darker processing 100% works for me for sure.
My only critique relates to the redness around the sun. Normally as you get closer into the sun you lose a little saturation due to the brightness of the light. Here, particularly to the top of the sun it’s a really vivid red - far more than the rest of the light. Dialling that back and making it a little more atmospheric will really help a lot.
I also agree with Lon’s comment re a tiny crop above.
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Thanks Sam. I’ll see what I can do about the sun, I think there is some posterization going on there.
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