Landscapes

[Downrigger]

Here are two shots of the lovely Centennial Valley in Montana in early July. Would appreciate some C&C on how to make impactful images of such places

[Downrigger]

The other:

[Mike Buckley]

Everything about the first one works perfectly for me. The bright tones in the second one seem blown and lifeless to me. Perhaps that can be controlled in post-processing and perhaps not.

[John 2]

As Mike says Mark, the highlights in the second shot could be pulled back a bit (RAW images?) but with skies like that, the impact is already there. I really like the first image.

[Downrigger]

Thanks, Mike and John. Working with the second as you suggested improves it. It's in RAW, and actually originally exposed properly for the sky with the earth below in deep shadow, so pretty heavily processed already.

Re; posting and getting C&C... It's not hard to see what you pointed out once it's pointed out. I think the real problem may be that despite some interesting elements - cloud-dispersed sunlight, layered mountains, big space - it just doesn't hang together.

[Kaye Leggett]

These are beautiful shots with lovely skies and colour with impact. However in the first shot I would like to see a little more foreground, the curve of the shore exits the shot in the wrong place for me. I don't know whether this is possible though as sometimes shots are taken from the best place to avoid something else !!

[Mike Buckley]

Mark,

In the second one, try selecting the bright areas of the clouds and using the curve to introduce some grey tones and add more interest. You also might need to lighten the dark cloud or at least parts of it a bit to make it complement the other clouds a bit more. In other words, don't give up on the image just yet, as it might very well hang together just fine.

[Downrigger]

However in the first shot I would like to see a little more foreground, the curve of the shore exits the shot in the wrong place for me.

I really appreciate that suggestion - another thing I should have seen - to get that line to the corner. I think this is what you meant; I find it a helpful change in any case, it seems a small point, but it isn't.

[Brownbear]

Hi Mark,

The first image is truly stunning... and full of impact... beautiful

[Kaye Leggett]

Perfect.

[Stagecoach]

Mark,

Both very nice images, my preference is for No 1 and the mod suggested by Kaye has enhanced it. Something learnt I will now take notice of.

As for No 2 love the greens.

Grahame

[Downrigger]

Thank you all for constructive support.
We can always do better.
I am reminded of something I recently heard Richard Blanco (read his work at last presidential inauguration) say about his poems: …it isn’t a Richard Blanko poem because of what I wrote about, but because of how I wrote about it.”
I think this goes for making good images too, I am trying to think about that when I out with my camera.