alaska Downtown Sitka

Any comments or ratings appreciated!

I know that Castle Hill is the only high vantage point here, so your shot selection was limited. However, I really dislike the foreground here. If there was a lower spot from which you could shoot just the church tower with the mountains in the back, I think it would be better. Maybe 1/3 bottom crop would help? Not to make it a negative-only comment, I have to say that the mountains/clouds look really good. I am looking forward to more of your pictures.

Lou, nice scene.

Not a bad shot of downtown. I don't think the foreground looks that bad, better than standing in the middle of Lincoln street to get a photo of St Michael's with Verstiovia in the background.

 

Castle Hill used to have an awesome view actually, but they let the trees grow up around it too much.

This is a beautiful scene. The buildings in the foreground are distracting but still I can feel that great atmosphere of Sitka on a nice day. Not to many places better really. I lived there between 1976 to 1983. I miss many things about it ( not the 85 to 100 inches of rainfall per year though). Thanks for sharing this.

one of your best!!!

Great sky - otherwise this wouldn't have been quite so effective. The foreground bothers me a bit, too, but hey - it's a record of your visit there and a nice one at that.

Lou Ann, of course I don't know the place and I can't appreciate how important it is to get the whole of the mountain in the shot - therefore, my suggestion is probably silly, but ... wouldn't a bold crop like that shown get rid of most of the unpleasant foreground, while still preserving the better of the mountain? Also, adding some yellow to the picture stresses the feeling of a (partly) sunny day, which, from what I understand from a previous comments, is not exactly common in Sitka. Honestly, I am a bit surprised that they build fairly mean looking condominium buildings in Alaska - here in Sicily they say it is for lack of room, but... in Alaska?!

Thanks, Michele! I like your crop! This is where it comes out that I'm not an artist, and so many others on this site are!! :-) I wouldn't know what yellow would do to a shot, or what a crop would do! Still learning!!

 

As far as condos in Alaska ... in this part of Alaska the cities are built in places that ought to be impossible to build cities. The mountains and the seas close in TIGHT, and there is an absolute limit to the amount of space available before you are up against a cliff or a shoreline (and Sitka has a HUGE tidal crest as well!) That greatly affects cities like Juneau and Ketchikan and Sitka moreso than Fairbanks and Anchorage. It's an interesting point you've made!

If you crop the shot so that only the church towers and the mountain tops are left it looks like some cutesy village in the Alps in Europe. Include the apartment and the more grimey scene in the forground helps to portray the dynamics of Sitka - at least that's what I imagine, because I have never been to Alaska. So if you want to go for the postcard shot, please go ahead and crop. Personally, I prefer your original version.

Lou Ann, This shot shows the beautiful surroundings & a few of the warts & blemishes as well as the jewels of Sitka. Pure nature & man's infuence! A record shot that reflects both. I'm sure that given the time, an essential element, one could walk around Sitka & get some really great shots using the mountains as a backdrop. I see this one as a hurried tourist shot with some redeeming qualities such as the semi side light & amount of sky shown. While not my first choice, it's good to see the high quality Fuji Superia 800 can produce when one has to use it, even in full sunlight. Best, LM.