Input on a scene I regularly shoot

[jamesdak]

I'd like some help with making this shot better. I shoot this local scene all year long and would love to hear how I can improve it. My favorite shots are actually fall with the yellow leaves and snow on the mountains. Normal technique is to shoot one row of vertical shots using a telephoto and then putting them together with photomerge. This shot was taken using a Canon 5D with a Leica R 180/3.4 APO lens. Aperture was either f/8 or f/11 and speed I'm pretty sure was 1/640. When I shoot a multi-row of this scene I wind up with one huge and detailed file.

http://www.pbase.com/jhuddle/image/87394765.jpg

[jamesdak]

This link will take you to a larger post of the image. This link was still a work in progress when I put it up so there's still some dust spots and such.

http://www.pbase.com/jhuddle/image/87408333/original

[Robert Amoruso]

James,

Thanks for the link to the larger version. Much easier to evaluate that. All in all, you think youdid quite well with this image. It is richly detailed, has great contrast. I like that you lessened the FG grass but include enough to exhibit its richness. The sky is well detailed but if it were mine I would do a selection on the sky and make a curves adjustement to darken it and create a more dramatic look.

On the top I think that you included the right amount of sky. Sides are always tough on where to terminate the pano but it looks like you chose well. ON the left side I think I would crop it so that one taller tree's leaved branch is not protruding into the frame.

I like the dual diagonal slopes of the two closer slopes. Thanks for posting.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hi James,
I too looked at the larger version and it does help make the assesment easier and will just add to Robert's comments.....as presented his idea of a multiplied layer on the sky or the curve adjustment is the way to go.......this will bring out a lot of detail in the clouds and add some more impact and balance to the FG. In the future....in the field........earlier would probably be better.....as the shadows would just add another dimension of depth. You may have to add the split ND filter then....to keep the FG light enough.......but maybe not as it looks like you weren't that far off exposure wise here between sky and FG. I also debated the room to the right of the barn......in the larger version you can make out "stuff" in the evergreens BG.......either tone them down (earlier may put them in deep shadow and eliminate that need)......or leave the right group of evergreens out.......this still makes for a very strong composition without sacrificing much. I still feel this is a very nicely composed image.

[David Kennedy]

James,
I would agree with Roman and Robert that you could tweak some more out of the sky with curves. I do like the composition (a lot, actually), but since you're looking for different ways to photograph this scene that you see regularly, you could try going both wider and narrower in composition. With this image, you have approximately a 50/50 split between sky and land (I realize it's more layered in terms of sky/mountains/farm/foreground). You could include much more sky in the composition to give it a different feel. You might also try some tighter views of just the mountain ridges meeting the foothill (middle of the frame?).