Dawn from Brenta

[giorussello]

This picture was taken at dawm (right before the sun broke from the clouds) near the Pedrotti hut, on the Brenta Group Dolomites.
To reach this location the previous day, hiking for 5 hours from the Molveno lake.

I would appreacite any critiques.

gio


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[larkvi]

I would first wonder if there is enough compelling interest in the sky to really make the image the way it is shot. The color is nice, but it is still a bit underwhelming. Not because it isn't nice, just because competition in the viewer's experience is wwith a lot of great skies.

That said, the composition could be improved some, in my opinion:

1. There is a lot off boring dark space on the left--crop in to focus on the color and the hills more.
2. I think it could also stand a bit more red saturation, if you are not opposed to that kind of thing.

[giorussello]

I would first wonder if there is enough compelling interest in the sky to really make the image the way it is shot. The color is nice, but it is still a bit underwhelming. Not because it isn't nice, just because competition in the viewer's experience is wwith a lot of great skies.

That said, the composition could be improved some, in my opinion:

1. There is a lot off boring dark space on the left--crop in to focus on the color and the hills more.
2. I think it could also stand a bit more red saturation, if you are not opposed to that kind of thing.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=79128\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

"Unfortunately" that was a morning without a single interesting cloud!
Thus, the sky above the mountains is quite boring.

I agree, the left dark part is too much and adds nothing to the overall picture. I'll crop it out and try to increase the saturation of the red color.

Thanks for the comments

[alainbriot]

Gio,

I would start by levelling the horizon (tilted to the right slightly).  Then clean up the colors. There is a lot of grey and cyan etc.  in the distant colors of the hills.  Also crop slightly on the right (maybe gone after levelling too).  Finally brighten overall the image.

I personally like it, and  after the improvements I am suggesting it should be a lot more attractive.

[giorussello]

Thanks a lot, Alain.

I'll try to implement your suggestion over the weekend.
However, pardon my ignorance, but what you mean with "clean up the colors"?

gio

[Tim Gray]

Actually, I quite like this.

Regarding the "tilted" horizon, I suspect that the appearance of tilt is more due to the receding nature of the mountain range than a tilt.  I don't see it as a problem.

If you shot RAW you could probably bring out a bit more detail in the lower left and right.  Actually, on my work monitor (way too contrasty) it doesn't look too bad, but I suspect it would be very tough to print as processed.

I'd crop the sky down to just above the layer of clouds.

Also maybe use a mask and selectively punch up the contrast of the "layers" in the distance.

As for the "un-clean" colors - I believe that's a matter of choice as to what temperature you want to portray.

[alainbriot]

Thanks a lot, Alain.

However, pardon my ignorance, but what you mean with "clean up the colors"?

gio
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=79313\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Essentially working towards purer colors by removing unwanted color such as grey and cyan in the sky and mountains.  I do that with curves essentially, working in the individual R, G, B curves (not the RGB channel but the individual channels) but there are other ways of doing it.

As Tim says, this is a matter of personal choice.  This is what I would do if this was my photograph.

If I have time I wil make a revised version of your image and post it here.  

Let me know if this helps.

[howiesmith]

Actually, I quite like this.

Regarding the "tilted" horizon, I suspect that the appearance of tilt is more due to the receding nature of the mountain range than a tilt.  I don't see it as a problem.

If you shot RAW you could probably bring out a bit more detail in the lower left and right.  Actually, on my work monitor (way too contrasty) it doesn't look too bad, but I suspect it would be very tough to print as processed.

I'd crop the sky down to just above the layer of clouds.

Also maybe use a mask and selectively punch up the contrast of the "layers" in the distance.

As for the "un-clean" colors - I believe that's a matter of choice as to what temperature you want to portray.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=79326\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

If the horizon appears tilted, it doesn't really matter wherther it really is no not.  It looks that way.  I would make it look level even if I had to tilt it.  Photography is a visual art.

[Ben Rubinstein]

How about this take on it? I've burnt in the mountains so they are less distracting when leading the eye into the picture, I've tried to enhance the sky with saturation and contrast, though I would like to see an example of Alain's technique and I've brought the mountains out in the center. I've also cropped it to a 2:3 crop. That way the compostion splits nicely into thirds, top/middle/bottom, the foreground leads nicely into the rest of the picture and the rather useless space on either side of the 'humps' is gone. It does have a rather velvia without ND grads feel to it though if that bothers you.


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[larkvi]

How about this take on it?[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=79922\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I really like this version and the immediacy it gives, compared to the original.

I am getting out-of-gamut reds, though--is my unprofiled monitor betraying me?