stormy weather

[Lolkat]

We were driving from Boulder back to Denver after the firework show was canceled due to inclement weather, and decided to pull over for this shot. In the background are mountains that are covered by clouds and it was still drizzling, so I took this from inside the car with no tripod. Do you all think this looks underexposed? Is the bush distracting? and also any suggestions for improvement are appreciated.



Exif data
Camera NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D90
Exposure 0.167 sec (1/6)
Aperture f/6.3
Focal Length 40 mm
Focal Length 40.0 mm
ISO Speed 200
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash No Flash

[pjflan7]

this is one of those shots where yor eye connects to your emotions and you can see, feel and hear the moment. The camera doesn't do so well at this. It takes a few minutes to get into the photograph and experience it. The bush doesn't bother me.....it helps to set the scale of the shot. Given the difficulty of capturing light or detail and contrast in this type of shot, the bush and fence are more necessary than not in my own opinion.

[Michael_2010]

I think I know what you are trying to portray with this capture, but it is not quiet working for me. It should be grand scenery, but it lacks depth for some reason. Would some tone mapping help boost that sense of grandiosity?

[KansaiGreenie]

Hi Lolkat,

I heard that the weather in Denver was terrible on the 4th. That's too bad about the fireworks.

Do you all think this looks underexposed?

No. I don't think that it is underexposed, but I think is lacking in contrast and little too blue. I noticed that you had the white balance set to cloudy, which I think is a step in the right direction, but I would go even further. If you shot in RAW then I would play around with the WB to warm it up a bit. If you don't have a RAW file, maybe try adding a warming filter in post. Of course being shot at twilight it will always be blue. Also, I think that I would try adjusting the contrast to get some more depth in the clouds.

Is the bush distracting?

No, I don't think so. I think it adds some foreground interest.

As for other suggestions, I agree with Michael_2010, I think that this need to be 'grander'. I noticed on Flickr that you have some other images made at the same time. You might try to stitch some of them together to try to get a panoramic image. I think that would really portray the larger than life scenery along highway 36.

[Lolkat]

thanks for the input! I definitely see what you guys are saying regarding the lack of grandiosity. I think one thing I would have done differently would be to get closer to the fence and use more of a wide angle, but unfortunately the car door would have been in the frame. would have been nice if the clouds weren't so low so more of the mountains would be visible.