Here’s another photo from our recent trip to Vermont and New Hampshire. This one is from the top of Mt. Major in southern NH. Even though this is a well-traveled area, my wife and I had a bit of an adventure capturing this photo. We got hung in traffic on the way down for sunset, and the hike was a bit more strenuous than I anticipated when done in a rush. With those two issues combined, we got the top of the mountain with minutes to spare before dark. The views were spectacular, but on the way back, we lost the trail for a bit while hiking in the dark (we found it pretty quickly and without any incidents). So, all in all, a fun adventure!
I know the colors are a little pre-peak, but this is the best I could muster this year!
This is only one photo, so in post, I worked on the exposure, colors, and contrast a bit. I also cloned out some lights along the shore in the background and snipped some of the treetops on the right.
Techs:
D850
Zeiss 21mm, f/2.8
ISO 100
5 seconds
f/16
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This is a grand view for sure, Lyle! I am enjoying this image very much. Having never been to this spot in NH I am curious as to the name of the body of water. It sounds as though you and your wife had a little bit of extra excitement while capturing this scene. I too have lost the trail in the dark a couple of times myself. the things we do as photographers. I only have a couple of small suggestions. First I would clone that fallen birch on the left as it catches my eye, secondly I would warm the highlights just a little. lastly I would boost the midtones just a touch.I hope you do not mind, but here is a repost with what I was thinking. just my opinions of course.
This is a classic view Lyle. And since you shot at twilight, you were able to capture enough dynamic range in one shot. And I like your use of a dominant foreground here. The way the orange maples ring the edge of the rock cliff is pretty interesting. I really like the tweaks that @Ed_Lowe made with his rework, the increased luminosity in the sky and foliage adds some more vitality to the image.
The forest around the Lakes Region of New Hampshire has a lot of oak trees in it, which turn a bit later than the maple/beech forest in the White Mountains that are further north. That’s why you still had so much green here. In a “normal” Mt. Major is best shot in the third week of October, when you can pick up more color from the oak trees (although you lose the maples, so it’s a trade-off).
Really nice, Lyle. I like @Ed_Lowe’s rework. The extra luminosity makes it pop.
Looking at the thumbnail, I almost thought this was from Cadillac Mountain in ANP.
My most common “nit” about photos posted on this wonderful website is that the inclusion of a really big eye grabbing foreground essentially divides the photo into two separate photos, and the eye doesn’t smoothly move from bottom to top. It seems di rigeur these days to include a lot of foreground, often with a separate subject than the background, and I think it often defeats the purpose of creating a harmonious, unified photo. I think that is the case with this photo. I would crop out much of the rock.
I only have a couple of small suggestions. First I would clone that fallen birch on the left as it catches my eye, secondly I would warm the highlights just a little. lastly I would boost the midtones just a touch.I hope you do not mind, but here is a repost with what I was thinking. just my opinions of course.