A Few More From The Rockies

[dje]

Here are a few more shots from my recent holiday in the Canadian Rockies. The first two are of Moraine Lake which is a beautiful (and iconic) photo spot near Lake Louise. The third shot is from Cascade Ponds near Banff. The fourth shot is Gap Lake which is on the eastern edge of the Rockies (east of Canmore). This is probably a lesser known lake however it has a lot of potential for photography IMO.

Your comments are welcome on composition, processing etc.

Thanks for viewing

Dave

[MilT0s]

Wonderful scenes, exposures and colors Dave .

In #2 and #3 however I think the colorful boats and the bridge are not perfectly positioned as they are near the edges of thee frames without effective negative space to support them. The compositions are not are balanced as they should.

Thanks for sharing.

[Mike Buckley]

These images make me want to return to the area.

In the second image, consider making it nearly square by eliminating the left side of the lake. For me, that crop emphasizes the layers: rocks, canoes, trees and mountains. Consider also pumping up the color of the canoes just a bit to make them look as they would when they were brand new.

[Andrew1]

Dave, 1, 2, and 4 are great photos of the area. The Moraine Lake ones are especially nice. That lake in brilliant sunshine is spectacular and your shot with an overcast sky is equally as appealing.

[Donald]

Excellent photography of such a landscape.

In the second image, consider making it nearly square by eliminating the left side of the lake.

I'd fully endorse that point. It could work as a 5:4 ratio image, but I think the 1:1 (square) suggestion works wonderfully well.

[Geoff F]

All good shots, Dave.

I see what Mike means by cropping #2. You would lose a bit of water but gain by concentrating more on the boats and there is still plenty of water width at that spot.

I suppose #3 would have been improved if the bridge started more to the left instead of running from centre to the right edge; but I suppose that angle would have lost something and possibly included something which was best not shown.

And although it does tend to take the eyes towards the right edge that skyline brings attention back to the centre; so it doesn't bother me too much.

[dje]

Thanks everybody for your helpful comments. Here is a square cropped version of #2. I think it works very well.

Dave

[Donald]

Oh yes! I think it increases the majesty of the landscape.

[Richard Healy]

Agree. It works much better. Good job.

[dje]

Thanks Donald and Richard. It just goes to show the value of "fresh pairs of eyes" assessing an image.

Dave

[Mike Buckley]

Nice job, Dave! The newly cropped image does wonders for me.

[Harpo]

Bravo on the updated #2! I agree… Im noticing colorful boats in settings like this are few and far in between- and really adds to the image.

[dje]

Thanks Mike and Mike !

[nimitzbenedicto]

Hi Dave,

Awesome views/pix. Perhaps, if you can, give some more info how you make such clear colorful pix.
I saw your pbase gallery and would like to someday produce images like yours.
( yes, I did read the settings of your pix. but maybe more info/exif/editing process/etc. for newbies like me. using D3100 18-55mm & 55-200mm. Thanks)

[dje]

Hi Dave,

Awesome views/pix. Perhaps, if you can, give some more info how you make such clear colorful pix.
I saw your pbase gallery and would like to someday produce images like yours.
( yes, I did read the settings of your pix. but maybe more info/exif/editing process/etc. for newbies like me. using D3100 18-55mm & 55-200mm. Thanks)

Thanks Victor

I'm afraid I don't have any magic formulae for producing good images. Most importantly I suppose it's all about getting the basics right :

Exposure
Focus
Depth of Field
Shutter speed
Composition

The CiC tutorials are a good starting point for all of this. Then there is another factor:

Managing the Light - there's an old saying that photography is "All about the light" and whilst this seems to be stating the bleeding obvious, it's worth remembering and concentrating on this. Sometimes we can choose the light conditions for example by choosing the right time of day when the light is good and coming from the "right direction". Other times we don't have such control and then it's a matter of doing the best you can with the situation you have eg by choosing the most suitable place from which to take the shot in terms of where the light is coming from. Generally front lit scenes are far easier to manage than backlit scenes.

The other factor is post processing. This is worth pursuing seriouslly because it can make a big difference to an image. Once again, there are plenty of tutorials around but you need a decent editor to start with.

I'm sorry I cant be more specific with these comments but I think it all comes down to practice and more practice ... and more practice. Keep perservering, you will gradually get there.

Dave