Elsewhere

Ok, the only think I did -here- was to bring the camera up and shot

-without a split ND filter, nor knowing yet how to assemble one in PS

Element 2.0

 

On a aesthetic point of view, do you like it? Does it make you longing

being "elsewhere"?

 

On a technical point of view, comments and criticistms are much welcome.

 

On an ecological point of view, can you visualise how this landscape

looked like before the planet started cooking and glaciers started

their retreat?

This photo is at the top of the chart for me. It is just plain breathtaking. Congratulations on a superb photo!

Excellent Lanscape shot.

Aside from the darker shadows in the foreground left, it's a great shot. Nicely done.

It's a knockout. It certainly make me want to be there. As far as composition goes, I guess that there weren't a lot of choices and that you have already croped it a bit. It's certainly a shot that I would love to see as a print, and preferably taken on something larger than 35MM.

From aesthetic point of view, the landscape is beautiful and I would love to be where you had been. From technical point of view, I would like to crop a bit from bottom. From ecological point of view it offers a glimpse of raw Nature,in its pristine glory.Salvatore, this is an image of my liking.

Aesthetic? Beautiful! Elsewhere? Canadian Rockies. Technical point? Take your time and put on that GND filter. I agree with the bottom crop but I'd much prefer if you had been standing in the foreground like your other images. Ecological point? Burrrrr..... cold!

Keith, Mujahid, thanks!

John, that's a trade off of trying not to blow up the glaciers too much. I know, I should either bring the GND with me or learn how to deal with this in PS.

Jeff, that's full frame, no crop at all! As for going beyond 35mm, I have had a regression in sensor side as far as my D70 goes, but those where the Fm2n days. I confess that your shots often tempt me to a larger format, but do you see me going with *ALL THAT* in the mountains? Actually, you came to my mind while posting this since it is an "act of desperation"... I was rummaging old scans since no decent shots seem to have been taken in the last couple of months.

A.K, thanks. I guess that without the bottom (I tried it) the mountains at the horizon are a bit "floating" in sky, I felt the urge of anchoring them well with the ridge I was standing on, before showing the intermediate one -still no high-mountains terrain- before the majesty of the Alps.

Thai, for the GND and the crop, see above. Both points taken. As for "standing in front"... ahem... that's actually not me! I usually stand behind the camera in quite clumsy positions... see, for instance, the bottom of this thread.

Excelente trabajo , perfecta luz y bello encuadre,, un cordial saludo Salvatore,,,6/6.

http://www.hectorbrandan.com/images/julio-carmona.gif

Aesthetically the scene is magestic and makes you breath fresh alpine air Salvatore

 

From the technical point of view would say you have made a great job once again up there, the composition is good, I like very much the textures of slopes and the general crosstalk of sunlight, the sky has just the correct exposure to make an adjustment with ps on the levels captured in the region where you would place a ND grad, (see result attached),

 

hope this helps, nice alpine show once again, regards

Julio, muchisimas gracias por tu comentario.

 

Ferrando your version is GREAT! Would you share a pedestrian step-by-step how-to?

Yes, I wish I was there! And yes, it's worrisome that the glaciers are melting, especially since my home is not far above sea level.

 

Salvatore, you continue to present wonderful alpine images. Regarding the exposure, I think my preference would be halfway between what you posted and Ferrando's adjusted version. Of course, slight differences in monitor calibration may be at play here.

I like especially the play of light and shadows on the slops, which accentuate the forms colors and textures of the mountains. I think the soft sky are better here as a contrast to the strong presence of mountains.Glorious scene, Salvatore. Pnina

Laurie, thanks. This shot was taken three summers ago, and since I did not get so many interesting shots in the last three months or so, I started looking in the huge pile of unprocessed ones. As for the glacier melting, my vision of these places has changed after the trip to Spitzbergen. There, you would just see something like the background peaks and ice below them. Here, I see everywhere the signs of a glaciar past, in the shape of the valleys and the ridges. And it saddens me.

 

Pnina, you highlighted a very valid point, in that the justapoxition of the blurred, fluffy, non-threathening texture of the clouds and the sharp ridges is a major point in alpine photography. Unfortunatly I think here I failed this target since I got also the sharpest -and most respectful- peaks of the Swiss alps a bit washed out.

Well, my very first thought was that the fore and middle grounds look real, but the background looks just like a painting. For this reason, I prefer the original, as it seems to suit the atmosphere better.

Though it has only a "moyenne montagne" flair and though half of the city can be met up there on the Bella Tolla I think I really like this shot.

 

One suggestion after I saw Ferrando Flores Rafael's retouching: You should not hesitate to spend a week-end or so learning to tweak pictures - I know it's hard when the mountains call you. But just instal PS and try. It may be most rewarding an experience to get your pictures as you would like them to look, learning the basics of levels, saturation, contrast and color burning/dodging. Just a friendly advice from a fellow mountain climber. cheers !

Stephen, again you are able to see things I like into my pictures but cannot see them myself. The justapoxition of the easily accessible mountain and the most severe peaks of the alps is indeed what I like here. Sharp against blurred. Real and present against farther and more unaccessible... Yes!

 

Chris, regarding PS... you're right, I know, I know! Regarding Bella Tola, you're right again, even though getting there from the North East I remember we did not meet a soul all day long!

Salvatore, sorry for the delayed response, been quite busy lately.

 

I attach a screen capture with the hole process of adjusting the levels of sky and peaks, note the selection but with the marquee feathered (in this case 50px) in order to smooth the transition, after this you just have to make a mask layer with the kind of adjustment desired (note the orange circle)..., you can see in the levels graphic that the left area is empty so there are some shadows or obscure info lost or missing, I just adjusted it to the border of the spectre captured. I recommend you to work on the original and at 100% size to see grain detail, texture, etc... hope this helps"!

 

If you have any other cuestions, dont hesitate to send an email

 

Saludos, Rafael

What can I say? It's a stunning photography! I'm speachless.. I'm without words not only because of the beauty of the landscape but also for your photographic technique... Thumbs up for your work! You have a very good gallery!