moon over mountain range

[peter delaney]

I am in two minds over this image whether to bin or not?,

I love the dramatic clouds building up and play of light and shadow on the mountain range.. but feel from a compositionally that the image is not balanced...thought about moving the moon thought about cropping the moon out all together but in the end came back to original composition.

1/500 f8 iso 160 , leica m8.2

converted in Nik

[Ken Watkins]

Peter,

An interesting image, but I am not sure the moon adds a lot, perhaps if it had a little more glow?

I would crop the bottom to remove the darker area of the mountains.

[Bill Randall]

I might consider content aware scaling in CS 4 /5 and lower the moon down some. I think you have something here.

[Dave Mills]

Hi Peter, I agree with your indecisiveness. I reposted a crop which I feel shows the energy and majesty of the mountain range but it is one option.(I also lightened the frgrnd a small amt)
The original,due to the moon's high placement pulls the viewers eye in that direction and takes away from the clouds energy BUT it's interesting in that it shows the various levels culminating with the moon. I think both versions are interesting and stress different points...

[Chris Korman]

What a wonderful moment captured. The only thing I'd do is increase the contrast as it it doesn't have enough punch as is.

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Peter,
Dave got some of what I was going to say.....lighten the mountain range a bit.......but for me, a crop just above the main white cloud (1/2 inch) on the UR.....eliminating the moon makes for a stronger comp. Moving it is and option......but not sure where you would place it then and IMO.....it doesn't really need it!
Small tweaks will make this shine!

[Morkel Erasmus]

very dramatic scene Peter...Dave's repost has nailed it - the moon is a nice element but just too high IMHO and pulls the eye as Roman stated

[Ron Bernstein]

I see everybody's point: you're all right!!! However, to add another wrinkle, I feel that it is the moon and the stacking of elements that makes this image special, so I'd like to see a repost with the foreground mountains a bit lighter, as in Dave's repost, and with a bit more contrast, but with the original framing. How's that for six people and seven opinions?

[Robert Amoruso]

Peter,

I like Dave's crop but was going to suggest the same crop as Roman. I would open up the dark are in the FG some but do not crop it any. A bit more contrast may be a good tweak too.

[Don Lacy]

Hi Peter, If you wanted to keep the moon I think a vertical comp keeps the moon from getting lost in the frame I also lighten the FG and clouds. Just another interpretation if you wanted to keep the moon I also like Dave's pano crop.

[Tom Rambaut]

Stunning repost.

In the first image the moon needed to be lower and to the left in the image - to balance it out.

This is still a very moody image. TFS:bg3: