Not so much a landscape person ...

[velvet4269]

And it shows, in my pics from my visit to Colorado. That said, this is still one of my favorite photos:


rmnp3020 by thevelvetmermaid, on Flickr

Specifics (pulled from the original, located here ):

Exposure: 1/250
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 45mm
EV -.7
Aperture: f/9.0
Flash: No Flash

Weather conditions were pretty overcast, and a lot colder than I'm used to; as well as being about 13,000 feet up (something else I'm not so used to, what with me living in central Texas). Conversion to B&W was done via PP, as was "removal" of the slight vignetting apparent in the upper left & right corners (since it's all sky, it stood out).

So I suppose the critique I'm looking for her is in how I can make this *better*. I'm not really a landscape person, focusing more on macro & close-ups, but I am planning on making a few more trips up into Colorado, and I do want to venture into the Rockies some more. Aside from "take the tripod," "acclimate to the altitude," and "don't go to the Rockies in December," I'd love any advice you landscape experts can spare.

And how did I do, in so far as framing? Too much sky? Not enough foreground/trees? Now I'm being all kinds of insecure. Again, link to the original posted to Flickr is provided; I'm considering the crop for a possible poster-print (for me).

Thank you!

[EOBeav]

Compositionally, I find it a little weak. There's really nothing for my eye to lock onto. Also, and I ran into this problem just yesterday, you've got low-hanging, lifeless clouds without anything in the sky to hold my interest. The best times for landscape photography are just at sunrise and just at sunset. You'll find you can get some nice light around those times on many days. That alone might make this shot a lot more interesting.

I'm glad you'll be returning. My oldest son works at Yellowstone NP in the summers, so I plan on making a trip into Montana/Wyoming and of course bringing my camera. :-) Keep shooting!

[IABoomer]

I'd be interested in seeing the original color SOOC. I think you might be able to take some of the haze out in the color version before converting it to B&W, which could help. You might also be able to bump up the contrast some to get more separation between the snow and the trees. Or, maybe with a little tweaking, you'd find a color version you like just as much, if not better.

As is, the sky does little to nothing for me. I'd probably crop just above the mountain peak, even if it meant having an odd aspect ratio and having to get a different frame made up.

[SwissJon]

As you might imagine, living where I do, I've tons of shots taken on White days such as this (Today is one).. I'm afraid this kind of weather is really not suited to taking distance photos like this one.. You lose colour and contrast, and the sky has no interest and tends to cause the rest of the shot to be incredibly dark

I would suggest that the next time you go visit the mountains (aside from taking oxygen) and it's a day like this, you look to doing close up work.. Find some trees in clouds and try to get a shot of them disappearing into clouds, find some paths that hold interest etc. In this kind of weather, foreground interest is the key to creating a great photo, you need something really strong there.. Something I've seen and liked is pictures of people and things in bright colours, a rescue helicopter, an old car etc. That allows the rather disappointing weather conditions to provide a white wall for you to hang the rest on.

On thing I'd suggest about this shot is that if you had lowered your stance, you might have got a bit of foreground rolling away from you, which would have added depth and allowed the eye a lead in.. Or perhaps there was a friendly tree that wouldn't have minded posing for you?

[velvet4269]

(read this next bit as though I'm grinning & winking at you, because I totally mean it with a sense of humor): So, what I'm getting out of this is that I should stick to flowers & butterflies

Funny enough, one of the things I do like about the shot is the fog rolling in & erasing the mountains - just this sense of vastness, and feeling very insignificant. The closest I can come to a colour version (the original is on an external drive; I'll have to hunt for it later) isthis one, which was taken from the same scenic overlook, just a different angle.

And, truth be told, I do tend to stick to macro shots because I have a really difficult time focusing with landscape shots; and a more difficult time envisioning how the shot should look :\

[SwissJon]

Only thing that can fix your Landscape phobia is more landscape photography I'm afraid.. You need to set the focus to infinity more.

Nothing wrong with liking different stuff to us.. It's what makes the world turn round.. The problem with the white you got was that there was too much to it and no substance to it.. I understand what you mean, and with a stronger picture it would have done it's job. Clouds with some shape, whisps with some form.

It's a learning curve, don't give up at the first hurdle.. Nobody said they didn't like your photo, they just pointed out what you could do better next time.. You posted on the critique section so you got critiqued.. We're all sadists in here

[velvet4269]

Lol ... I know, SwissJon - which is why I made the comment about "read the next bit with me winking at you" in the post - tone of voice doesn't really carry so well over the 'net

I do plan to go back out, particularly since I forsee myself spending more time in Colorado I just have to convince my "guide" to get up earlier & not be quite so much of a homebody

[SwissJon]

LOL.. Obviously it doesn't.. Otherwise you'd have noticed the smirk when I responded

Wouldn't mind going back to Colorado one day.. Such a phogenic area, haven't been there for more than 20 years.. I wonder if it's changed much..

[velvet4269]

It was a bit of a whirl-wind weekend for me, with a LOT of firsts for me, not the least of which were "first time in Colorado, first time dealing with high altitudes, and first time meeting my boyfriend I know the second trip will be a little less fast-paced (seriously, I got there late Friday night, immediately got whisked to his company Christmas party, did the Rockies on Saturday, and home on Sunday), but I've been instructed to leave my camera at home ...

... which means I'll be sneaking my p&s with me

[SwissJon]

First time you met your boyfriend.. And you went out taking shots of the mountains?? Shame on you!

High altitudes are a pain.. I was born at the seaside (Well, in a hospital next to the sea, not actually on the beach) and moved here 6 years ago today.. My house is at 500m (About 1650ft) and it took 2 years to get used to it and not run out of breath climbing the three flights of stairs in our house.

The trick is, when you feel you're starting to run out of breath but before you actually do run out, stop and take a moment. Let your heart slow, look around you.. Not all the best views are seen from the top, everyone naturally rushes up there and misses the exquisite details in between, snow covered trees, animal tracks, frozen flowers that forgot to die in Autumn, that kinda thing. Take your time, there's no rush.. And if your boyfriend complains you're being slow, just tell him you're saving your energy for later!