Atigun Pass, Brooks Mountain Range, 2

Snow in JULY!! Whee! This is Atigun Pass in the Brooks Mountains,

partway between Deadhorse and Wiseman, AK. After the snow fell, the

clouds cleared partly, and I was trying to shoot the beautiful

snow-covered peaks against a gorgeous blue sky. Any comments or

ratings are appreciated!

I think this needs a darker sky to make it more dramatic.

 

When I shoot mid-morning or late-afternoon I normally try to meter the sky and set the tone at +0, 18% gray, neutral tone. Sometimes this means an ND grad or polarizer to make it happen. I may even think about -1/3 or -2/3 for a deeper, dramatic effect. This depends on the film and how I think it will scan.

 

I think this could also use more contrast to bring out the texture in the snow. Recognizing the right conditions for strong but not overpowering shadows takes time, but you can learn (I'm still not that good at it!)...

 

You'll need to experiment, but I find that a 1.5 to 2.5 stop difference is what it takes to produce strong texture in snow. Spot meter on a shady and then bright white location in scene to tell you what the end result will be.

 

You would have to combine all these settings/values to produce the vision I see--deep blue sky, strong texture in the snow, ominous mountain peaks. To me that means +0 sky, +2 bright snow, -1/2 shade in the snow.

 

Just some suggestions--you probably already know all about this stuff and wanted a lighter feeling scene so please take it as one point of view :o)

Thanks, David ... no, I don't know any of that stuff. I think that stopping up/down and metering are on the nearby horizon of my learning curve ... but I'm not quite there yet. I am pretty sure that I did use a polarizing filter on this, but didn't write it down exactly. There really is SO much to learn. I really appreciate the time that you take to leave thoughtful comments on my photos. I look forward to your newest shots of Michigan!! Regards!

Like this image best. The technical stuff is important but so is the eye...and you have the gift. Regards, Howard

To get the sky dark I had to darken the snow too much, but I just thought I would see how it would look if the sky were evened out.

I agree about the ND grad but I'm always forgetting to use it. It comes top of my list of 'filters I wished I'd used'. Nice shot.

Nice and simple...I like the sky as it is. I like the color version.