Mt.Shuksan

[jay_deewilliams]

Here are some pictures I took of a Mountain up by Acme in Washington State. I thought they turned out fairly well but how do you get the mountain to really stand out. Sometimes I take shots and its like the mountain is washed out. Any help would be great.

[nickyminor]

i think the top one looks really nice. I am a rookie so i can't critique but i do like that one.

[wordsmithereens]

Jaydee;

I hate to disappoint you, but that's not Mount Shuksan. Your photo is looking east from the town of Acme, WA on SR 9 the mountains to the right are the North and South Twin Sisters and the white peak to the left is Mount Baker.

Here are some examples I've taken of Twin Sisters and Shuksan

Mount Shuksan
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/82226068
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/44194254

Twin Sisters
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/46278208
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/59827404
http://www.pbase.com/image/47298079

Mount Shuksan is at the north end of Baker Lake, and east of Mount Baker.

I'll leave the advice about the better ways to photograph the mountains to those who can do that sort of thing.

[rfrady]

Nice images. You ask a question I have struggled with for many years and there is no simple answer. The haziness is caused by atmospherics and incidence of light. In months when the air is warmer, the smog and moisture create the haze we get in taking the shot. While the HAZE filter will minimize it to a small degree, it is often impossible to totally overcome. The best I have seen is usually on a clear day after a day of rain, the air is usually cleaner. In the winter, however, the air clears because of the colder air and lowered humidity and makes our images clearer. In these conditions, it becomes a matter of the angle of the light and quality of the optics. As you probably already know, adding a graduated ND filter will lighten your foreground and increase the saturation of the mountains. Hope this helps.

[jay_deewilliams]

Originally Posted by wordsmithereens

Jaydee;

I hate to disappoint you, but that's not Mount Shuksan. Your photo is looking east from the town of Acme, WA on SR 9 the mountains to the right are the North and South Twin Sisters and the white peak to the left is Mount Baker.

Here are some examples I've taken of Twin Sisters and Shuksan

Mount Shuksan
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/82226068
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/44194254

Twin Sisters
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/46278208
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/59827404
http://www.pbase.com/image/47298079

Mount Shuksan is at the north end of Baker Lake, and east of Mount Baker.

I'll leave the advice about the better ways to photograph the mountains to those who can do that sort of thing.

Well that is kind of rude. I am just a beginner and was just looking for some advice.

[jay_deewilliams]

Originally Posted by wordsmithereens

Jaydee;

I hate to disappoint you, but that's not Mount Shuksan. Your photo is looking east from the town of Acme, WA on SR 9 the mountains to the right are the North and South Twin Sisters and the white peak to the left is Mount Baker.

Here are some examples I've taken of Twin Sisters and Shuksan

Mount Shuksan
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/82226068
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/44194254

Twin Sisters
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/46278208
http://www.pbase.com/tjod/image/59827404
http://www.pbase.com/image/47298079

Mount Shuksan is at the north end of Baker Lake, and east of Mount Baker.

I'll leave the advice about the better ways to photograph the mountains to those who can do that sort of thing.

And also your first picture looks allot like mine except for in black and white.

[wordsmithereens]

That was not the intent of my reply, sorry you found it rude.

The best advice I can give is to take LOTS of photos. Bracket, different angles, different times of day. The mountains are moody.

We go by the Twin Sisters 5-6 time a year or more and we always stop at that spot for photos. Many of the shots just don't make it, some do. I must have 500 photos of Mt Shuksan, the same or more for Baker - but only a few are published.

Point is, keep trying. Late afternoon seems to be good for the Twin Sisters, especially in the spring and fall, late evening in the summer.

That's all I have - I can't suggest one setting or another because scenes change.

... and your two shots you posted are good photos. The main improvement, IMO is that different light is needed.

If you go up Mosquito Lake Road (east from Acme north of the bridge on SR 9 and go up to the Van Zandt Dike Recreation area a few miles to the top of the hill, there are some excellent viewpoint for Baker and the Twin Sisters. If you go to the end of SR 9 and head East on SR 542 to the end, there are some great possibilities for Mount Shuksan and Baker at Picture Lake and Heather Meadows near the Mount Baker Ski area. Check the weather forecast first.

[jay_deewilliams]

Originally Posted by wordsmithereens

That was not the intent of my reply, sorry you found it rude.

The best advice I can give is to take LOTS of photos. Bracket, different angles, different times of day. The mountains are moody.

We go by the Twin Sisters 5-6 time a year or more and we always stop at that spot for photos. Many of the shots just don't make it, some do. I must have 500 photos of Mt Shuksan, the same or more for Baker - but only a few are published.

Point is, keep trying. Late afternoon seems to be good for the Twin Sisters, especially in the spring and fall, late evening in the summer.

That's all I have - I can't suggest one setting or another because scenes change.

... and your two shots you posted are good photos. The main improvement, IMO is that different light is needed.

If you go up Mosquito Lake Road (east from Acme north of the bridge on SR 9 and go up to the Van Zandt Dike Recreation area a few miles to the top of the hill, there are some excellent viewpoint for Baker and the Twin Sisters. If you go to the end of SR 9 and head East on SR 542 to the end, there are some great possibilities for Mount Shuksan and Baker at Picture Lake and Heather Meadows near the Mount Baker Ski area. Check the weather forecast first.

Oh Sorry I guess I took that wrong. My apologies. Thanks for the info!

[Teewinot]

I think your first photo is simply stunning...gorgeous! It seems to me that you hit the light almost perfect. Perhaps a split neutral density filter would have helped the foreground be a bit brighter, but otherwise it's great. I love the sharpness and detail. Looks like a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing!!!

[FrankenPengie]

I haven't been at this for too long but I think I can add something. The first shot is focused solely on the mountains and treetops in the foreground, and on the hills leading to the mountain. The sensors have this limited rang to focus on and adjust to, and are better capable of taking a shot bringing out those highlights.

In the second picture, there is the foreground grass, the dark row of trees, then another lighter layer....

These look to be taken on the same day near the same time but you'll notice the sky looks different in each shot.

Honestly, I haven't got it all figured out myself, but how you took the pictures, and how they came how are telling you things. On my camera I can push the shutter half-way down to set focus and exposure on a specific area, and then move to a slightly different area. I would need to adjust metering and focus method accordingly. If yours does the same thing these are things to play with. Try setting metering for center weighted and focus for area fous if available. Point at the mountains, hold the shutter half-way till it beeps. Then frame your shot and press all the way down.

I lived up there in the late '70s and know how hard it can be to keep track of which is what mountain as you're winding around another. I also know the smog/haze problem wasn't near as bad back then. Look into some filters and try to get these types of shots in early fall and winter mornings when the cold air has everything pushed to the ground. Afternoon warming and the day's smog from western burbs will muddy the sky.

BTW I think I have your first pic taken care of in post processing. Let me know if you're interested and I'll post it to the thread.