Hey All,
It’s been a few years since I’ve posted here. I see a few familiar names still around.
I took this recently on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Not hard to see how the Blue Ridge Mountains got their name.
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Nothing really but feel free. It looks the way I like it. I know about dust bunnies, etc.
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
This is the feedback I’d really like. How does it make you feel, etc? How large of a print would you want of it?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Sony a7riii, Canon 50mm, 1S, f10, ISO 50, No Filters, Single Raw Image, LR only, tripod, Standing in the back of my truck at a roadside pullout to get above scrub brush.
You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
Makes me feel like I want to sit there and stare at the view for a long time. Nice layering, and I enjoy how the colors transform from blueish to warm orange and back to blue. Nice dark clouds too. For a large print I maybe would want the foreground vegetation a bit sharper, but it’s hard to tell from this size.
I love these layering mountain images. This is nice, but I think I would actually prefer it without the bushes or trees in the LLC. JMHO. Processing looks great and any print size would work fine.
@Michael_Lowe I appreciate your feedback. That’s the one thing I was wondering if someone would mention. Completely excluding the trees in the LLC would require a drone, which is probably illegal since the Blue Ridge Parkway is part of the national park system. I’ve also thought about making a telescopic pole in the back of my truck to get above the scrub brush, etc. the overlooks are where they are and the sun sets where it sets. If you move forward, you go down 5 feet for every foot forward. Perhaps I’ll do more planning with Google earth in regards to sunset direction and which overlooks I go to at what time of year.
@Ron_Jansen Ron,
Thanks for your comments and suggestion. I looked a bit closer, and there is some motion blur in the vegetation from the 1 second exposure. Some of it’s pretty sharp though. It looks better in the original file.
I sympathize totally, Bradley. I’ve never been to BRP, but I shoot some in Shenandoah and agree it’s hard sometimes to shoot from the overlooks without including some FG growth.
Pretty sweet view, Bradley. I love the image. I just moved to Phoenix last year and it’s really pretty flat here in the valley. I’m gonna start carrying a step ladder on top of the jeep to get above the creosote bushes. It can be frustrating to have a wonderful scene unfold and no way to shoot it. I know Ansel Adams built a platform on top of his carry all for such situations.
@Gary_Phillips, Thanks. My wife said I should buy a used bucket truck. Maybe I’ll build a platform on my truck like Ansel did. I did a consult/review with Alain Briot a few years ago, and he said I have to get above the scrub or learn to embrace it. I tried embracing it, but I got poison oak.
Including the brush can be ok sometimes, but I generally prefer not to. I got above the close bushes with this one. The lower left is a nearby mountain. I thought the image was stronger with the sunset centered. I considered leaving it in silhouette, but I thought a little detail looked good when I edited it.
Bradley, having been on the Parkway multiple times and tried some of these, I can attest to the challenges that you overcame to pull this together. The sky is lovely and the ridges fading into the blue are great. The near ridge with subtle details in a good addition. (Maybe my problem was not climbing onto the roof of my car!..)
It’s a lovely shot, Bradley. I understand your debate about the foreground but I don’t mind it. With those dead trees thrown in there I almost think you could emphasize them more to make them more of a feature instead of a shadowed foreground you may prefer to not have. May be something I’d play with if it were me but also very subjective (and may not work!).
The first that jumped out at me, though, was a spot of dirt on your lens. Figured I’d point it out if you’re considering printing this large. Easy fix!
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