A couple from the top of a West Virginian mountian. C&C welcome.

[MacHoot]

#1

#2

 

[rawny1016]

The pic is really dark... hard to make out what it is. But the rays of light through the clouds are cool

 

[jowensphoto]

Yes, the foreground is pretty dark. Here's a quick edit I did in GIMP of the first one.

I duplicated the photo into a new layer and adjusted the curves (looking at that now, the snow is a little blue/purple). Next I copied the top half into a new layer, set opacity to 75 and changed it to Multiply. The bottom half was copied onto yet another new layer and mode was set to overlay at 88.

It's not the best edit (I'm still honing my skills!) but you get a little more of the foreground. I liked in the original photo how the clouds had sort of a wispy, dreamy feel so I played that up in post.

The photo, overall, is really just a snapshot of some really pretty clouds. Also, watch for distractions like the power lines.

Keep practicing

 

[Joel_W]

Given the two photos, I would have opted to edit the 2nd one. Using the rule of 3rds, the cloud formations are much more dramatic in the 2nd photo, and there is less of the rather flat foreground to have to be dealt with.

I have no idea if you can remove those power lines that just go straight across the middle of the photograph.

 

[MacHoot]

Thanks guys I'll keep after it. I think if I had my tripod with me I could've left my shutter open a bit longer and lit up that foreground.

 

[Mo.]

Next time shoot at different exposures (Y). Clouds look great though.

 

[MacHoot]

Next time shoot at different exposures (Y). Clouds look great though.

Thanks Mo!! Really that's what I was shooting for...but the rays IMO had to hit something, so I got some ground.

 

[Sonoma]

I kind of like the second one better. You moved the horizon line from the middle of the picture and that works much better. If the clouds were your intended subject, I for one, don't see anything wrong with the foreground being dark and silhouetted.

 

[Joel_W]

Thanks guys I'll keep after it. I think if I had my tripod with me I could've left my shutter open a bit longer and lit up that foreground.

I started carrying my tripod in the trunk of my car, and never go out shooting without it. I find that I use it nearly all the time. Lets me take my time to concentrate more the image at hand.