Sunset from the upper tux trail...

[w7xman]

I shot this yesterday on the upper Tuckerman Ravine Trail, just after sunset. The light show was pretty good, but I wanted to focus on the drift patterns around the rocks. I found this foreground and set up the tripod.

I'd love to hear thoughts on this, especially on the larger foreground rock, and the amount of sky. I cropped this to 4x5 to focus the eye, and bumped the saturation of the blue channel so the (old) snow didn't look so grey!

Canon 20D w/Sigma 18-200mm
1 Second @ F10
ISO 100
1 Stop Soft GND
Tripod

 

[kmorgan]

I really like the shot a lot. The only thing I'd change (my personal taste) is to lighten up the foreground snow.

I did this in Photoshop by first applying auto levels. Then I duplicated the background layer and used the image adjustments to increase the exposure and really lighten up the snow. I hid the new layer with a Hide All mask, and then painted out the mask over the snow to allow the lighter layer to show through.



Kevin

 

[w7xman]

I really like the shot a lot. The only thing I'd change (my personal taste) is to lighten up the foreground snow.

I did this in Photoshop by first applying auto levels. Then I duplicated the background layer and used the image adjustments to increase the exposure and really lighten up the snow. I hid the new layer with a Hide All mask, and then painted out the mask over the snow to allow the lighter layer to show through.



Kevin

Hey Kevin,

Thanks for the insight on your use of layers to lighten this up. I have mixed feelings with the edit. I like the foreground lighter, but I like the feeling of the blue cast. Perhaps I should go back and warm up the RAW just a hair, retain some blue, and follow your edits to lighten the foreground...

We have two differing opinions of the color of the snow...any other thoughts on the two edits or more ideas???

 

[Grumpy]

This is an interesting photo. I see no fewer than four horizons in it, and like the composition / crop. Great, warm sunset colors sandwiched between a cold, forbidding foreground landscape and the dramatic sky above. I think the original as we see it here could use a bit more contrast, added with care to avoid blocking up the light area of the sky, which is a primary interest point in the photo. I like the bare hint of warmish color of the snow in the original, which subtly reflects the colors of the fading sunset.

G.

 

[kmorgan]

Hey Kevin,

Thanks for the insight on your use of layers to lighten this up. I have mixed feelings with the edit. I like the foreground lighter, but I like the feeling of the blue cast. Perhaps I should go back and warm up the RAW just a hair, retain some blue, and follow your edits to lighten the foreground...

We have two differing opinions of the color of the snow...any other thoughts on the two edits or more ideas???

Sure. Here's one I like. I adjusted the color balance and it brought out the sky's color on the snow. I also adjusted the curves a bit to make the contrast more pleasing to my eye. I'm including the settings I used with the image.



Kevin

 

[Ridgewalker]

Jim,

What a stunning photograph! I like the simplicity of the piece with the clouds above and the all around view. Did you use a filter to capture the sunset? Look forward to seeing more photos in the future.

Best Regards,

Clarke

 

[Mark Schaefer]

Of the three color/brightness edits, I prefer Jim's original edit. The tonal range of the snow is well balanced with the distant mountains and the clouds. For me it appears the most realistic for this time of day which is often dominated by blue. It makes a nice rhapsody in blue.

The bright snow edit conveys more the feel of an hour or two before sunset. I think the added magenta may be a bit too much in the third edit, but it does have a wow factor. I prefer the very subtle amount of reflected magenta in Jim's edit.

It is great to see all three for comparison purposes and to read some of the technical steps to produce them. Thanks for the details.

The picture is very well composed. In a way I would like to see more of that rock with the snow plastered on the far side. It would be nice if it was larger. However, I don't see a good position that would yield a better composition. So I think you chose the correct foreground with the interesting textures in the snow. This way you have a picture about the sunset and the overall scene, rather than a picture of snow plastered on a rock which may not be as interesting. I like the amount of sky in the picture, just enough to include the clouds which complement the mountain shapes.

 

[w7xman]

Thanks all,

Kmorgan...I've never played with color balance, but I like what you're doing there. I may have to do some experimenting.

Ridge...I used a 1 stop graduated neutral density filter...square mount in a cokin P holder

Mark...Thanks for your comments. I wish I could have done more with the rock, but it was the reason for the drift patterns, and I had to pick and choose...as with any comp there are comprimises!

 

[darren]

Very nice shot. Good crop and exposure, and nice use of the GND filter. I like the color of the original shot. The blue snow looks natural for that time of day. Good composition, between the sky, background, and foreground snow shapes there is plenty to look at. Nice job.

- darren

 

[RGF1]

Very nice shot. Good crop and exposure, and nice use of the GND filter. I like the color of the original shot. The blue snow looks natural for that time of day. Good composition, between the sky, background, and foreground snow shapes there is plenty to look at. Nice job.

- darren

I like the orginal also as Darren said it looks natrual for that time of day givng the viewer the impression of night fall coming . At least that How i saw it .
I have a shot I took a bit above there near te huge rock you cannot miss if you are climbing in the winter , at the same or a little later time of day a number of years ago and usedasGND got the same result though my shot is horizontal andtakne with wder angle lese iwanted the and sky reflecting n the ice in the image .


Nice shot Thanks

 

[Brambor]

Nice shot. Makes me want to be there and that means the photograph fulfilled its purpose.