PN Death Valley Storm on the Mountain 8239

Any comments/suggestions for improvement are greatly

appreciated.

Great lighting before the lightnings, ha!

Warm regards Sandra!

PDE

Sandra,  

First, it's so nice to see your posting.  Geometry lives in this image.  You have wonderful repetition and perspective here.  Note how the vertical rays of light coming from the storm cloud on the left contrast with the pyramids and texture in the rock, building the overall effect.  You are painting with Nature. You can almost claim this image as "pyramids in the Mojave desert as opposed to the Egyptian desert.  I've always wanted to visit Death Valley.  The mood and grandeur of this capture is terrific.  Happy Spring, Sandra.

Larry

Larry - Thank you so much for your comments; they are much appreciated. It's nice to her from you also! I've been doing a lot of photography, spending more time in the field and less time on line, plus I have gotten a lot more selective with my posts. Too bad this image is a small jpg instead of the original full frame TIF.  The zig-zag pattern really caught my eye; it reminds me of a 17th century fabric weave called a "flame stitch." Death Valley is a photographers paradise and spectacular beyond description. GO! 

Excellent image and Larry has said it all for me. The only thought I have is whether the whole image would benefit from a mid-tone contrast increase without changing the colors. It might destroy the mood.

attachment for your evaluation

Tony - 

Thank you for your thoughtful evaluation and opinion. I value them very much, and you have a good point. I often struggle to find the correct balance between retaining the original impression/mood and adding punch. I am usually far too conservative, I think. I like your version, but ultimately would  probably prefer something in between the two. I really like what you did with the clouds and sky, but would probably hold back  a little more on the mountain shadows. ..try to get retain the pinkish and buff tones while adding a   bit more punch. Another one to play around with... thanks for the inspiration!