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cloudphreak · 12-22-2010, 03:15 PM

First posting, so any comments or suggestions for improvement are very welcome.

I don't know why I like this photo; maybe the haze and the resulting surreal feeling and distance to the formation it implies. Who knows...

I know the tree in the lower left foreground is distracting, but I don't know what to do about it.

joelovotti · 12-22-2010, 03:39 PM

Your right about the tree. I'd crop out about a third of the tree giving the photo more of a panorama look. My other suggestion would be to move the highest peak from the center of the frame.
It's a beautiful location, one you can photograph again and again in different light and weather.

**Ash** · 12-22-2010, 04:03 PM

The high perspective works well, but it's clear the bottom left tree is fighting for attention in the frame.
If you'd have moved in closer to the mountains, just in front of that tree you may have been able to eliminate the distractor without needing to crop the image.
The cloud highlights are burnt out and the RAW image (if available) could do with some highlight recovery.

Sparkle · 12-22-2010, 04:25 PM

In my opinion also, cropping as suggested will provide a nice panoramic photo and fix the tree problem. The clouds as they are depict a relaxed scene to which you referred in different words. Accentuating them would, in my opinion, spoil the ambiance.

Last edited by Sparkle; 12-23-2010 at 06:47 AM. Reason: to add a comma

cloudphreak · 12-23-2010, 05:54 AM

Thanks for all the suggestions. I played around with the RAW file some more. Here it is cropped, cloud highlights reduced some, and slightly sharpened.

joelovotti · 12-23-2010, 06:16 AM

Nice.

Looks great.

But it needs to look great to your eye not mine.

If I can preach for a moment...The goal of a Critique section is to share ideas on what makes a good photo and how to capture it. Then we can all go back out there as photographers and distill that discussion into what we see through our lenses. My key thought when I look through the lens, even if it is a panoramic photo like this one is, "what am I taking a picture of?" In this case I would have been shooting the highest peak and would have composed the shot around it in the viewfinder. If you just shoot "those pretty mountains" its hard to make the correct critical judgments on composition.

Good Luck
joe

joelovotti · 12-23-2010, 06:28 AM

I just took one last look at your new cropped and adjusted photo and I really like it.

Moving the highest peak to the left combined with the crop give the mountains a beautiful flowing look from left to right almost like rolling waves.

cloudphreak · 12-23-2010, 06:29 AM

Originally posted by joelovotti

If I can preach for a moment...The goal of a Critique section is to share ideas on what makes a good photo and how to capture it. Then we can all go back out there as photographers and distill that discussion into what we see through our lenses. My key thought when I look through the lens, even if it is a panoramic photo like this one is, "what am I taking a picture of?" In this case I would have been shooting the highest peak and would have composed the shot around it in the viewfinder. If you just shoot "those pretty mountains" its hard to make the correct critical judgments on composition.

I cannot disagree with anything you said. Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

Sparkle · 12-23-2010, 06:51 AM

The crop is good IMO. The sky, clouds and mountains, IMO, should have remained the same colour.

cloudphreak · 12-23-2010, 08:48 AM

Originally posted by Sparkle

The sky, clouds and mountains, IMO, should have remained the same colour.

Good point, and fixed. My PP skills are sorta haphazard at this point. But I guess that's a topic for another forum.

Sparkle · 12-23-2010, 09:08 AM

Glad you agree. Happy to help. Enjoy the holidays.

Myn.pheos · 12-23-2010, 01:15 PM

I would try also a square crop. The trees would propably show well the distance to the mountains.

cloudphreak · 12-24-2010, 05:09 AM

Originally posted by Myn.pheos

I would try also a square crop. The trees would propably show well the distance to the mountains.

I never thought of doing a square crop. It seemed counterintuitive for a landscape. But I gave it a shot, and I kind of like it. Dakujem!

Wombat · 12-30-2010, 06:31 AM

Just about there, mate. Now take out about half the sky and about 25% of the foreground and you'd have a fully developed subject, IMHO. As it stands, for me there's too much sky. The colour of the rocks is quite subtle and the rather vivid sky tends to outdo them. A touch of Fill Light in ACR or whatever you have might help with the mountains, followed by a smidgin of desaturation for the sky.
Magic country, eh.

12-22-2010, 03:15 PM	#1
cloudphreak Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ashburn, VA Photos: Albums Posts: 30	Kata Tjuta Lens: DAL 18-55 3.5-5.6 Camera: K-x Photo Location: Northern Territory, Australia ISO: 200 Shutter Speed: 1/200s Aperture: F11 First posting, so any comments or suggestions for improvement are very welcome. I don't know why I like this photo; maybe the haze and the resulting surreal feeling and distance to the formation it implies. Who knows... I know the tree in the lower left foreground is distracting, but I don't know what to do about it.

12-23-2010, 06:16 AM	#6
joelovotti Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 393	Nice. Looks great. But it needs to look great to your eye not mine. If I can preach for a moment...The goal of a Critique section is to share ideas on what makes a good photo and how to capture it. Then we can all go back out there as photographers and distill that discussion into what we see through our lenses. My key thought when I look through the lens, even if it is a panoramic photo like this one is, "what am I taking a picture of?" In this case I would have been shooting the highest peak and would have composed the shot around it in the viewfinder. If you just shoot "those pretty mountains" its hard to make the correct critical judgments on composition. Good Luck joe Last edited by joelovotti; 12-23-2010 at 06:24 AM.

12-30-2010, 06:31 AM	#14
Wombat Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 901	Just about there, mate. Now take out about half the sky and about 25% of the foreground and you'd have a fully developed subject, IMHO. As it stands, for me there's too much sky. The colour of the rocks is quite subtle and the rather vivid sky tends to outdo them. A touch of Fill Light in ACR or whatever you have might help with the mountains, followed by a smidgin of desaturation for the sky. Magic country, eh. Last edited by Wombat; 12-30-2010 at 06:37 AM.

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12-22-2010, 03:39 PM	#2
joelovotti Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 393	Your right about the tree. I'd crop out about a third of the tree giving the photo more of a panorama look. My other suggestion would be to move the highest peak from the center of the frame. It's a beautiful location, one you can photograph again and again in different light and weather.

12-22-2010, 04:03 PM	#3
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	The high perspective works well, but it's clear the bottom left tree is fighting for attention in the frame. If you'd have moved in closer to the mountains, just in front of that tree you may have been able to eliminate the distractor without needing to crop the image. The cloud highlights are burnt out and the RAW image (if available) could do with some highlight recovery.

12-22-2010, 04:25 PM	#4
Sparkle Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,521	In my opinion also, cropping as suggested will provide a nice panoramic photo and fix the tree problem. The clouds as they are depict a relaxed scene to which you referred in different words. Accentuating them would, in my opinion, spoil the ambiance. Last edited by Sparkle; 12-23-2010 at 06:47 AM. Reason: to add a comma

12-23-2010, 05:54 AM	#5
cloudphreak Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ashburn, VA Photos: Albums Posts: 30 Original Poster	Thanks for all the suggestions. I played around with the RAW file some more. Here it is cropped, cloud highlights reduced some, and slightly sharpened.

12-23-2010, 06:28 AM	#7
joelovotti Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: US Photos: Albums Posts: 393	I just took one last look at your new cropped and adjusted photo and I really like it. Moving the highest peak to the left combined with the crop give the mountains a beautiful flowing look from left to right almost like rolling waves.

12-23-2010, 06:29 AM	#8
cloudphreak Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ashburn, VA Photos: Albums Posts: 30 Original Poster	Originally posted by joelovotti If I can preach for a moment...The goal of a Critique section is to share ideas on what makes a good photo and how to capture it. Then we can all go back out there as photographers and distill that discussion into what we see through our lenses. My key thought when I look through the lens, even if it is a panoramic photo like this one is, "what am I taking a picture of?" In this case I would have been shooting the highest peak and would have composed the shot around it in the viewfinder. If you just shoot "those pretty mountains" its hard to make the correct critical judgments on composition. I cannot disagree with anything you said. Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

12-23-2010, 06:51 AM	#9
Sparkle Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,521	The crop is good IMO. The sky, clouds and mountains, IMO, should have remained the same colour.

12-23-2010, 08:48 AM	#10
cloudphreak Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ashburn, VA Photos: Albums Posts: 30 Original Poster	Originally posted by Sparkle The sky, clouds and mountains, IMO, should have remained the same colour. Good point, and fixed. My PP skills are sorta haphazard at this point. But I guess that's a topic for another forum.

12-23-2010, 09:08 AM	#11
Sparkle Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,521	Glad you agree. Happy to help. Enjoy the holidays.

12-23-2010, 01:15 PM	#12
Myn.pheos Inactive Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Slovakia Posts: 31	I would try also a square crop. The trees would propably show well the distance to the mountains.

12-24-2010, 05:09 AM	#13
cloudphreak Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ashburn, VA Photos: Albums Posts: 30 Original Poster	Originally posted by Myn.pheos I would try also a square crop. The trees would propably show well the distance to the mountains. I never thought of doing a square crop. It seemed counterintuitive for a landscape. But I gave it a shot, and I kind of like it. Dakujem!

Landscape Kata Tjuta

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