I may have posted this several years ago, not sure.
I drove three hours to Mount Rainier to catch sunrise and the summer wildflowers. Sunrise was mostly a bust due to so much low cloud/fog, and I was either too late or too early for the wildflowers.
This shot is a 15 second exposure to try to get some of the mountain visible in the fog. I had no idea if it would work, but was pleasantly surprised when I got home.
Specific Feedback Requested
Any comments appreciated.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Fujifilm GFX 50S, GF32-64mm @ 41mm, 15 Sec @ f/11, ISO 100, Polarizer, Tripod.
Processed in Adobe Camera Raw (Capture One did not yet support the GFX 50S).
This is gorgeous, David! I think it’s better than if you had a classic sunrise! I love all the fog and then how it’s just starting to reveal the top of the mountain. Beautiful blue colors too.
Drop dead gorgeous!! I love the composition with the reflection just limited to the trees. Perfect subtle light on the peak with the base of mist. 11/10.
Beautiful! This photo was worth the 3 hour drive, I think! The mist and long exposure really softens up the tree line nicely, which provides a solid base for the highlighted mountain to rest on.
The upper right corner looks a little more green/cyan than the rest of the blues, so trying to have that match the rest of the blues may help the image.
IMO this is well worth the three hour drive, David. This is flat out gorgeous and dripping with mood. You may not have gotten your sunrise or wildflower image you were seeking, but you came away with something special and unique with the fog and that sweet light on the mountain. My only suggestion; and this is just my personal taste; would be to reduce the cyan a little in the ULC sky. This has to be one of my favorites of yours. Beautifully done!
Thanks everyone for the nice comments. Much appreciated.
@Ed_Lowe and @Craig_Moreau, here’s a repost with some color balance to the upper right corner. I need your help on whether I got it right. I am a bit color blind so have to rely on the RGB color values for subtle changes like this. Let me know if this works, or any recommendations.
David, that area has gone very magenta, and it affected a larger square than needed. Here is a screenshot of the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer and the mask I used on it. Just a few swipes with a 40% opacity soft brush seemed to take care of it.
If this image isn’t worth a 3 hour drive, I don’t know what is !!! As @Vanessa_Hill said, I’d certainly take this image over a good sunrise with nice clouds.
Even though this is a summer time image, the blue tones and heavy fog give this image a very cold “almost at winter” feeling. The image is dripping with that mood. I really like what the 15 second exposure did with the fog. I’ll have to try that technique coming up this autumn when I’m out shooting at foggy ponds early in the morning.
The green / cyan cast is still in the URC of your rework. Another Photoshop tool to try is Color Balance, reducing cyan (adding red) and reducing green (adding magenta), and masking it in similar to what @Craig_Moreau suggested with Hue Saturation.
David, This image couldn’t be better. I love the serene mood and can feel the morning coolness and the moisture in the air. i hope you got in a good nap after driving in the middle of the night. You are more than duly rewarded.
Thanks Tony, I spent most of the morning up there, traipsing around Paradise looking for wildflowers and other scenes. Then had a great breakfast at the lodge. Then headed back home.
I’ve been to 49 states and over 30 countries and Mt Rainer is still my favorite mountain. This image does it due justice in all respects. The atmosphere is enchanting.
