Courthouse Towers at Sunrise

[Mike Landwehr]

This image was taken just after sunrise in the Arches NP last May. It is a Photomatix HDR based on three images, then adjusted with NIK Color Efex. No crop. Any suggestions welcomed!

1D Mark IV
16-35mm f/2.8 II at 18 mm
ISO 200
f/16
Tripod

[David Stephens]

Great light and sky. I'd crop a little tighter, cutting out that last bluff on the left and a bit of the FG. I'd pull down the reds on the face of the Courthouse Rock a bit. It seems a bit hotter than real, but I know that these red-rock sunrises can be truly brilliant, so I have to defer to you about what is right. The FG and sky seem just right to my eye. All in all, you captured a really nice moment.

[andresleon]

Hi Mike. I don't mind the deep color on the rock. Given the correct lighting I bet it could be even deeper red. I think the sky is ok, too. What I don't like is overall composition. Placing the monument with its peak at the center makes it some how less powerful, in my opinion of course. Maybe a slightly lower angle and putting the rock off to the right may have given it a more interesting view, but again, this is entirely subjective.

[Don Railton]

Hi Mike

Beautiful light and setting. Love the colours as they are. Agree the towers are a little too entered but the foreground tree is just right for me. So the solution if feel is to walk to the right a little to keep the tree where it is in the frame but have the tower a little more off centre.

Regards

Don


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[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Mike, on my cellphone this image looks fabulous...will have a second look this evening once back home. I personally don't mind the centered feel of the comp. I could see this image being cropped square for calendar use. Very nice HDR looks natural. Nice work!

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[Morkel Erasmus]

Solid comp and good light here Mike. It's got that "Photomatix glow" which I am not a big fan of, but other than that exposure balance seems good.
I think the foreground can go a tad darker for more realistic dynamic range?

[Dvir Barkay]

Neat shot, good skies and foreground. As people have said the rock is a bit hot, I would lower the saturation of the reds/yellows down to help that. The HDR is well done though, If you look close you can see a tiny bit of that HDR look but well done. Also I would crop a tad bit off the right.