Landscape C&C's please.

[FoggyLens]

Took this today.. Any C&Cs would be loved.. Thank You.

 

[FoggyLens]

Is it really that bad of a shot? lmao!

 

[magoographs]

Too flat, too blue and lacks clarity and crispness.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Definately too blue. Are you shooting in RAW? Are you using PS for editing?

 

[dxqcanada5]

The shot will be blue due to UV haze, the lighting and sky reflection.
You might want to try using a Polarizing filter.

Looks like the exposure was more towards the foreground the image ... and the snow got blown out.

I suggest some colour balancing and darkening of the image.

You should also look at changing the composition, so intead of 1/2 sky ... try 1/3 sky or 2/3 sky

 

[FoggyLens]

Thanks everyone! This was shot in norm JPEG I also did have a polarizing filter on my lens. I didnt do any editing to the image. The blue is the blue it was.. lol. Thanks again.

 

[dxqcanada5]

You have to keep in mind what your light meter is going to do.
It will try to balance the exposure ... in this case it was the wrong thing to do.

Visualization is one of the most important things to do as a photographer.
You should spend a lot of time examining the exposure of different areas (using your spot metering), then see where everything falls in the exposure range.
Your histogram can show you a visual display of that.
Once you have figured out the exposure areas, you "place" them by manually setting your camera exposure.

example ... the sky is 1/8000 @ f/5.6 ... the hills are 1/60 @ f/5.6 ... that is a 7 stop difference.
If you place the exposure so that the sky is not over exposed ... then place the sky three over and hills four under, by setting the camera exposure to 1/1000 @ f/5.6

Now you have to take in mind what exposure latitude your sensor has ... this is where your histogram comes in handy. It will tell you what areas are over (ie snow) and under.

 

[FoggyLens]

Thank you dxqcanada! This has helped me a lot and I will keep playing.. I love your work and appreciate all your C&C's..

 

[rambler]

Since backpacking is a hobby of mine, I have lots of photos like this one, foggylens. I am struck by a beautiful mountain top view and want to "get it all in", so I point and shoot. Then I noticed that my favorite mountain shots were of subject either closer to me, or, in distant views, of a much narrower subject, ie. not the wide angle view.

So, ask yourself, "What is this a picture of"? Is it that cloud? Is it that tallest summit in the center? Is it the snowy shadows of the closer trees?

I am trying to say, "Narrow down the focus of your photo and zoom in on that".

Does the dark foreground add to the picture? I say, no. Does that spec of cloud? No. If it is the cloud that you like, and I do, then make that cloud your photo. If it is the blue of the sky you like, get more of it and include more sky, by putting the white mountain range at the bottom, omit the tree line.
Usually, I would opt for less sky unless I am after billowing or dramatic clouds.
Okay, if that is as close as you can reach with your camera, crop the photo down when you edit. I like the white mountains, Have them fill your photo.
Crop out the dark foreground. Crop out the wisp of cloud.

In short, what is the main subject of the photo. Narrow that down and emphasize it with cropping. For me, you have tried to include too much in the photo.

I have a wonderful book on Yosemite filled mostly with color photos by William Neal. The Sierras are filled with spectacular 360 degree views of distant mountains. However, 90% of Neil's photos are of small sections. Small segments of the world close-by around him. Trunks of the huge trees, not the whole tree. A photo filled with flowers, but not the whole field, just a segment close-by. Tree limbs covered in snow, or tree tops without leaves with fog bank or mist just beyond.

But, when distant mountains are in view, it is the foreground that is most dramatic, such as reflections of a lake, or a dramatic rocky face. The mountains are left in the distance. The cover is a picture of El Capitan, but is it, really? There is only the top of the peak showing, the foreground has the shadowy silhouettes of tree branches and cloud. The light is dramatic throughout.

Do not try to get too much into your landscapes! That is what I have learned.

Back to you photo. I like those white mountains and the play of the sun on them bringing out the ravines. So crop out all of the dark ridge line and trees in the foreground. Bring in the left edge, maybe even leaving out the first white mountain, right at the point where the incline up to the tallest summit begins. Lower the sky almost all the way down. Bring in the right edge to include only that last peak with the sun on it, crop out the nearly flattened tree line leading to the right edge of your photo.

Re-read dxqcanada. His tech data is really saying the same thing. Why make it so hard on your camera's light meter? Give it one thing to focus on!

You have caught those mountains at a nice time of day. Makes me want to take a hike, but not jump in a lake as you might want me to!

 

[Samerr9]

I really like it but my biggest concern is the lack of sharpness.. because i feel all those mountains r one

 

[KmH]

A bit of local sharpening and some other easy adjustments would make a big difference in the look of the photo.

But you don't allow edits, so no one can show you possibilities.

 

[FoggyLens]

KmH you are welcome to edit this photo! Thank you guys! Rambler thank you very much and welcome! I was going to ask if anyone had any good reads! : ) Landscapes are hard for me but yet I sooooo badley want the shot!