Stormy Blackrock Dawn

[Alex Mody]

Here's one from a recent outing to Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, just two hours from my home.

When I got to the top of Blackrock Summit, I was almost entirely socked in by a lower layer of clouds but I knew there was something else going on above that. As luck may have it, there was a 5-10 minute break in the lower level of clouds that occurred just as the sun was coming up. It was just one of those one in twenty times in which I take a risk with weather and it works to my advantage.

Nikon D300, 12-24mm lens at 15mm, 3-stop hard GND handheld.

http://alexmody.wordpress.com/files/2009/05/20090509_0022-edit-3.jpg

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Alex,
one of the few scenes I've seen where the hard stop grad ND will actually work! If possible please post the specs (ss, f stop, and ISO) to further help with critiquing and others to learn. Really like this compositionally with the flowing layers and mood of the storm clouds. As presented...appears a tad dark.....and while I generally prefer them that way....may go for a bit of lightening. Way to wait for the break and nicely composed.