jimg

The surreal scenery of Death Valley offers some great photo opportunities, but no more so than at night. During a new moon the skies above Death Valley unveil every star in the sky. It's really breathtaking to see how many stars can be seen less any light pollution. The sky lights up so much from the stars in fact my clients on this night kept asking me if I was sure that there were no other light sources. Truly an awe inspiring scene and one that translates well in star trails photos. I'm looking forward to returning here in February with a new photo tour group. I'm also happy to say this image is featured in my latest eBook

Great lighting and the triptych presentation works very well. Taking a quick look at your photos it looks like you've improved quite a bit since I last was on here regularly. Keep up the great work.

 

Jim

JMG-Galleries.com

I've never seen Chief Mountain look so cool. The color in the trees and sky is beautiful. I think taking a little off the top does help, but the difference is negligable. Per Rick's comment I commend you on sharing your workflow, but I agree there are numerous photographers out there less talented than you that make money off sharing such information. Personally I try to be as forthcoming as I can in the right forum but its a matter of personal comfort/taste.

Oh and the bonus on this image is that it doesn't appear you had to stand in ice water to get it :)

I love the night shot of this common perspective. The Aurora clearly makes this shot. The color and lines compositionally work exceptionally well. If I were to nit pick about one thing it would be to clone one spot out of the road. Its likely a pothole but it looks like a dirt spec on a digital sensor... even though this was taken with film. Great work.

Congratulations on great timing. This shot is incredible, but to really take this to the next level you should crop this down to really see the detail of his posture and face.

Great lighting and original piece.

Beautiful is the only way to describe this. Love the coloring and panoramic layout.

Great first submission. The colorful sky and silhouette work very well together. The suns intensity is hidden well behind the trees. I like it quite a bit.

The color and composition of this image is really nice. This reminds me of the northern version of the Gorman wildflower bloom. Stunning scene. BTW thank you for your comment on my portfolio. I look forward to seeing more of your Alaska photos.

I have two small nit picks about this image... hopefully the feedback will help you perfect this shot. There is a faint line above the squirrel in the background. Easy enough fix I think you can clone that out. The not so easy element to fix is where your image is sharpest. It looks like the Arctic Ground Squirrel's hands/paws are in sharp focus while the eyes are a bit softer. Whether this is due to the aperture chosen, focus point or movement of your subject next time around I'd work to keep the eye of your subject sharp. That being said the red/fall color makes for a striking photograph. The contrast between the red foliage and the grey fur makes for a very eye catching photo.

The reason is the sense of movement that is rarely captured. There is no movement, no blur... its a static subject, yet I feel as though I'm moving through the image. The lines along the wall take me to the back lit door. The combination of compositional lines and highlights to pull my eye in are perfectly combined. My only recommendation would be to use a square format. The left side has a mild highlight that doesn't add to the scene... either that or burn your corners ever so slightly to amply the effect that pulls the viewers eye to the door.

I really like the competing symmetry/asymmetry of this shot. Its a very grounded scene. The tones remind me of a dust bowl era photo. Very cool shot.

With hints of the baskets at the top of the frame I wonder if this might have been a better vertical image. Hopefully you have alternate versions. Fascinating subject.

It seems a little dark and could use a minor curves adjustment, but compositionally and subject wise is perfect. I really like this. Very well done.

before on the right and after on the left

You're lucky not to have much glare off your windshield. This is a fun shot. Another shot to try the next time you're heading over is to take a photo of the city skyline through the bridge cables.

Cool wildlife photo. Any more details? I'm curious to know what setting this was taken in and what kind of dogs these are.

There are two elements of this image that are competing against each other in my mind. Ultimately I am really liking this image, but= I have to share the one thing that bothers me. The lighting and reflection are amazing. I really like it, but the large shadow from the trees creates a competing void. I think I would look past this if there wasn't a fallen tree leading my eye into the void versus the great reflection of El Capitan. Perhaps this could have been strengthened with an alternate composition.

That is a close encounter. Glad you weren't lunch. I think this would be even better if your scan were color corrected. As it stands now the whites are very grey/blue and it doesn't compliment your subject. If you're unsure how to color correct an image check my web site as I have a good intro article on the subject.

The gradiation of color from the foreground to the snow topped sky is excellent. I'm not fond of the blown out sky though. That is a tough element to work with and a very common problem with images taken in this area. One thing that might work is to double process your RAW image (if you took this in RAW) for the highlight and the rest. The only other option I can think of is to crop the image ever so slightly. The rest of the image though is a gem.

I have a feeling that your memory of the scene allows you to see elements that I cannot. The highlights and the shadows are hitting an extreme knocking out detail to at least half the image. The exposure for the water is dead on and the color there is very nice, but for me its not enough to carry the image. I would imagine seeing this in person must have been incredible.

I would consider working with the sky more. The sky looks odd and lacks the punch the rest of the image has. The stitch work is excellent. The lighting and shape of the mountains are great.

I'll sound like a broken record, but the detail and exposure are excellent. This is worthy of far more recognition than it has received.

Is this a single image or a multistitch panoramic? The lighting is amazing. Its great to see such a dramatic panoramic on here.

Its just about that time of year. This is from a previous trip of mine

through Utah. Thanks for your feedback and comments.