Desert Range

I believe that the cacti in the foreground keeps this image from being a "stale subject".

 

Lone Pine peak is one of the more commonly photographed peaks in the Eastern Sierra, but most compositions usually just include various Alabama Hills rock outcroppings in the foreground, or cottonwoods or other desert scrub brush. I had not ever seen one with, not just a cacti, but an amazing cacti, in the foreground.

 

To me, it symbolizes much of what is so interesting about the Eastern Sierra in the clash of desert meets alpine wilderness with very little transition zone between the desert and the mountains. While the Tetons have just as much of an abrupt uprising as the Eastern Sierra, you don't see that unique transition from a desert ecosystem to an alpine ecosystem like you do in the Eastern Sierra.

 

I have spent hours searching for prickly pear or other cacti here in Colorado to anchor my foreground in images of this sort around the Gore Range or Flattops, and have ended up with the stale sagebrush foregrounds 99% of the time. The cacti was a great find, and I enjoy the fresh take it gives the image.

Another vote to keep the cacti. I find it to compliment the overall composition just as much as the distant mountain.

It is interesting that this is taken like a poll :-)

 

As I already said in my post, this composition could not be better, I too like the cacti's position, just the light/colors on the bottom half of the picture are not strong enough to keep me much engaged there(you may though). But it seems many got caught by the cacti ;-)

The color at top third looks too much like a filter job. Love the textures & detail in the foreground. Composition is on the money - but you knew that.

Actually, the top third very much matches the soft, ambient light cast over the remainder of the scene, so I'm not sure where the 'filter job' comment is coming from. Can you elaborate? Usually an abrubt color shift would or severe darkening would be an indicator of over-filtration.

Marc,

I however agree with the filter job comment. It is just "you" did not apply the filters, but the clouds did for you :-)

 

Karen,

I live in the west. High altitude deserts and mountains ranges in west always have this beautiful color cast. The skies are much more smoke free than east (unless fire season). The clouds are always painting the skies and mountains and snows. I am stunned by the colors Marc were fortunate (and had perseverance) to obtain but never felt fake.

 

+Lalit

Color and detail is amazing in all your photos!

Wonderful shadow detail.

Keep it up.

Could you include apertures or are these almost always set to 16-22 ?