Thoughts...

[ejones]

Wondering what people think of this...worthy of printing and hanging on the wall???

 

[Bill Anderson]

Only you can decide what is worthy of hanging on your wall.

 

[BobH]

Bill has a point, but E has asked for our opinion of the image, so I think we can offer some comments.

I see some potential here. However, the image posted is too small to really tell the quality of the photo. There are some interesting patterns in the clouds. Viewed large, I suspect that they would be really nice. The bottom portion is completely black in the jpg, (at least on my screen) I don't know if the original has details in the shadows or that's a silhouette.

All in all, I'd say it's worth a look, but it's hard to tell from the preview.

 

[ejones]

Thanks Bob... The original also has the black hills on the bottom, lacking in any usable detail.

Third party input does help since they really don't have the bias that the photographer could have. They also often have good points and ideas about processing that the photographer didn't consider.

 

[BobH]

Thanks Bob... The original also has the black hills on the bottom, lacking in any usable detail.

Third party input does help since they really don't have the bias that the photographer could have. They also often have good points and ideas about processing that the photographer didn't consider.

There is some detail there. Here's a good example of what gets lost in the small size. I took the photo into PS, doubled the size and tweaked the contrast a touch. The result is this view of the ridges, which shows more details than the original small version. I have no doubt that the detail is also visible in E's print.



NOTE: Size doubled from the image posted here. The resulting lack of softness is a result of that process, not an actual softness in the image... Ignore that, and look at the details and colors.

Looking at the original image you posted, it appears rather heavy with the black on the bottom. I suspect a print wouldn't have quite the same effect.

As for third party input, you are correct. Sometimes I'll have a print that I love, and other people won't like it. My wife sometimes looks at one of my shots and gently says "Well, it's OK..." (It sucks, but I'm trying to break it to you gently...) Now there are some things she doesn't like, for example "cotton candy water" from long exposures. But for most stuff, her opinion is usually pretty accurate with that the general consensus is on my images, based on responses I get.

 

[arlinescott]

The part of the photo that stands out to me is the sky. The clouds have so much variety in color and detail that a slight touch of HD could really take to the next level. I say print it as a test at Costco or Sam's Club, (for the inexpensive version), check those results and then decide if you want to enlarge even further or go with a professional lab print.

 

[JaniceL]

I was thinking along the lines of a cropping solution too, but different than Bob. No HDR but maybe a tiny bit of image adjustments.

 

[ejones]

So here's a re-work. I brought the original back into Adobe raw. I then pumped up the exposure to the max and brought it into Photo Shop. I then opened up the previously processed image and posted the new exposed adjusted image underneath the other and used a layer mask to bring out only the over exposed hills. Made this version a bit higher in resolution before posting.

 

[JaniceL]

I like the depth in the foreground much better.

 

[ejones]

Thanks... I have to agree The definition that is now in the far hills gives context and meaning to the near black hills.

 

[fiznatty]

I agree with Janice's crop. Too much foreground black really weighs it down.

I like the sky, but the most dynamic elements are confined to only one half of it in this image. Since you asked, I would say either hold off on hanging (because I bet you can capture something with even more interesting patterns), or perhaps consider a vertical crop that confines things to a lot of the cloud action on the right side of this photo. The big cloud alone creates a sort of zig-zagging vertical line that leads the eye down the frame and into the distance, so it may be more effective in a vertical crop.

Max

 

[ejones]

Thanks.. I'll play with some alternative crops as I have time. However it will be several years before I'll make it back to this location for shooting It's not exactly in my back yard.

 

[squirl033]

i took Max's suggestion and gave it a shot... the foreground is still a good bit too dark for my taste, but at least there's some depth in the far hills...

 

[ejones]

I did a crop like Rocky did and one like Janice with the more detail in the foreground but less of the foreground. Just couldn't decide which I liked better though. I am thinking less is more on the foreground though - like putting it in the lower third which gives the sky two/thirds of the images.