Continental Divide Lake

Needing advice. I know that too much sky can be distracting to an

image, but what if you need it in order to keep a perspective tree

line? Is the sky in this distracting to the image? Or is the overall

composition just bad?

I would crop off the tree on the right, since doing so does not, IMHO, spoil the composition -- unless of course you just want it in. For photos like this it might be better to shoot at least 3 shots, -2,0 and +2ev, and blend them with a tool like Photomatix; or take 2 shots, -2 and +2 ev. and blend them manually (www.thelightsright.com) has a tutorial for that. If you can't take this shot until next summer, because RNP is now closed, you might try some means to darken the highlights. If you use PS create a new layer from background image and use shadow/highlight adjustments on the new layer and blend to taste.

Frank has some great suggestions. My camera can be automatically programmed to bracket each exposure +1 f stop and -1 f stop. All I have to do is click the shutter three times. This is very handy for shosts that will not be easy to replicate. Then I pick the best exposure or stack the appropriate layers for a composite. I use a Canon 1D Mark II and a Canon 20D and Photoshop CS2. Unfortunately I know nothing about Nikons.

 

There is nothing major wrong with this shot that cannot be tweaked out. I am not sure what your subject was: the tree in the foreground, the lake, or the vanishing point. When I look at this image, my eyes are forced to the left by the out-of-focus front tree and I stare at the manmade abutment. If you are shooting a wilderness shot, manmade structures are generally not bonuses. If you want the vanishing point to be the focal point, crop the tree like Frank suggested and fix the sky glare with photoshop. Remember: guide the viewer's eyes to your subject.

Thanks! That helps a lot! Duh. I didn't get it at the time. I think sometimes you get so overwhelmed at all the great stuff around you that you try and get everything all in one picture at one time. I need to slow down and think about what my subject is, and not use everything!