The Passing of Time

[Paul_Holdorf]

Critique Style: Standard

The photographer is looking for thoughtful feedback on the image as a whole, especially around the areas noted below.

Feedback Focus: Artistic / Expressive

About This Image

The Passing of Time

When we glance back and consider what has been, it is easy to look with regret upon what has occurred in the past. Thoughts like, “If I had only done this”, or “If I had not done that, things would be so different” come easily.

I think about the past when I am wandering around in places like this. I wonder how tall the mountains used to be before the ice. I think about what it looked like when this land was covered in glaciers. Then, after the ice had finished its work of carving this work of art, how different did it look than before the ice appeared? How tall were the waterfalls? How deep were the canyons? I love to imagine this wild place eons ago when Native People viewed these majestic scenes. Did it look the same as it does now? Do you know what I think? I think mountains like Palace Butte and Maid of the Mist Mountain have endured some difficult times. I imagine that if they could talk, they might express some regret at what had happened. Think about it though, if the Ice Age had not left its mark here, things would look much different. This unmatchable landscape would likely not be nearly as rugged and interesting.

I think life is like that for all of us. Most of us have endured pain and difficult circumstances. To be sure, some of you have faced a more difficult journey than others. On the other side of that though, there can be a beauty that is difficult to comprehend. Be patient, stay strong when you can, lean on each other when you can’t, and embrace the journey. The passing of time leaves its mark on all of us, and it is a beautiful thing.

To mark the passing of time, I have used a very long exposure to create this image. 433 seconds long to be precise. It has a magical way of capturing the movement in the clouds and really adds a sense of richness to the image.

Feedback Requested

Despite the relatively calm water, the clouds were really sailing so I used a very long exposure of 433 seconds. I set the camera for 600 seconds but while the shutter was open, the sun began to shine on the tops of the peaks and I was worried about over-exposing the part, so I shut the camera off. Be sure to open this one up as it does lighten it up a bit. I photograph here quite a bit and that closer mountain on the left always seems like an issue to me. Not much to be done though, but I will say I did use the Liquify Filter in Photoshop to slightly bloat the two middle peaks to try to balance that issue a bit.

Technical Details

Nikon Z8

Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-4 G

ISO 64, f/25, 433 sec, 35mm

I used a 10 stop ND filter

[Youssef_Ismail]

Paul,

A wonderful photograph. You executed it very nicely. I love the softness in the clouds. It has a wonderful dichotomy with respect to time. The moving clouds show how ephemeral things are and yet the mountains the unchanging and immovable over time, with the trees seemingly static in the photo, but change over a year. I also am impressed that the water does not show a single ripple in the reflection.

[Mark_Seaver]

Paul, the smooth look at both the sky and it’s reflection contrasts very well with the ruggedness of the mountains. I am curious about how you managed to have so little movement in the trees. Is their limited movement just not seen at NPN sizes? The bit of blue sky is a great addition as it shows that this is a daylight view. The mountain on the left is in shadow so it doesn’t have the contrast that the other peaks have, but it fits in well and the fresh green in the trees on the left look good with a bit of spacing from the edge. Oh yeah, congrats on having a 10 stop ND that doesn’t add a color cast.

[Preston_Birdwell]

This is real nice, Paul. It does evoke a certain feeling of the passage of time, but it also reveals the timelessness of the world. The color and contrast are excellent, and like the others mentioned the stillness of the trees and water. I do see a slight halo along the crest of the ridge on the left side. The thumbnail does look a tad dark, but, as you said, it opens up with the large version.

Nicely done, sir.
-P

[David_Haynes]

The first thing that spoke to me about this image was the smooth swooping nature of the clouds both above and below in the reflection. You put all those seconds to good use. I love the dark nature of this as it adds to moodiness that the image imparts to the viewer. And the light that is beginning to hit those snow capped peaks is yummy. I also love your write up. You’ve got a a way with words. And yes, this image speaks to me about the passage of time. It feels like man has never touched this place…like a place time has forgotten about. Primal. My only suggestion is to perhaps crop some from the bottom although I do love that dark band enveloping the scene down there so perhaps not. Just thinking out loud as I type. Beautiful scene, Paul. You knew what you wanted and set about creating it.

[John_Williams]

I just adore a well-done grand landscape, and this one ticks a lot of boxes Paul. Your story of its capture is fascinating, and I’m amaze the reflection is that good with that length of shutter speed. Your merging “arrowheads” do a nice job of elevating your composition.

@Paul_Holdorf

Be sure to open this one up as it does lighten it up a bit.

Agreed, but my personal preference would be to open it even a tad more.

[Igor_Doncov]

Wonderful image. I like @John_Williams rework and where he’s taking this. You might try to bring up the leafy greens just a bit. I hesitate to say this because it’s easy to overdo it and make it look artificial and gaudy. It looks very natural now, but a bit flat.