Top of the Mountain - Mt. Cook, South Island, NZ

[Jay Gould]

I just received some great news about a medical condition that has been a serious concern; I am on the "Top of the Mountain"!

Camera: 7D
Capture date/time: 26 Apr 11; 3:48PM
Light condition: sunny
Lens: 70-200 f/2.8
Focal length: 70
Extender: none
Distance: Inf
Tube: none
Flash/Comp: no
ISO: 400
Exp Prog: Av
Speed: 1/30 sec
Aperture: f/13
Exp Comp:
Metering: Evaluative
WB: Auto
AF Drive: One shot
Tripod: yes
Filter: SR GND
Crop: 25%
Images Changes: stuff I didn't like removed!

Processed in LR 3 and then CS5

All C&Cs gratefully appreciated!

[Don Railton]

Hi Jay

Congratulation on the good news about the health...!

I love the colour on the mountain, but I am not so keen on the black whispy cloud stuff on the upper RH side or over the mountain. Looks more like smoke than a cloud. I can also see artifacts from processing forming a ghost image over the top of the mountain. The Maori name for this mountain means 'cloud piecer' and I think this image might look better if you retained the cloud below the peak and removed that above, but lets see what other think, I am usually in the minority...

I am very envious that you have the opprtunity to travel around NZ taking these photos..
DON

[Dave Mills]

Hi Jay, Very happy to hear about your good news.

I love the light and the angle you took it at. I do see the ghosting over the mountain top as Don pointed out. I don't feel the clouds are strong enough to give them that much attention. I cropped out about 1/3rd of the sky and felt it strengthened the image overall...

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jay,
I was very happy to hear about the good news yesterday! I like Dave's idea on the crop......but I would leave the cloud (sorry Don!). I have been at high altitude many times.....and this vividly brings me back to many a location as the sun started peeling off some wisps of clouds! I just love mountain peaks! I might tone down the whites a touch more and take care of the halo.....but all in all I like this one very much and congrats once again on the good news!

[Rachel Hollander]

Jay - Great news on the health front. I agree with the others about the halo. I don't mind the clouds and agree with Roman on the whites. The red makes it look like the mountain has been sprinkled with paprika.

Congrats again on the good news.

TFS,
Rachel

[Robert Amoruso]

The upper right cloud that some want to crop - I like it as is. The diagonal it forms with the peak to the UR helps to balance the image for me.

Congrats on the good news Jay.

[Judy Howle]

I'm happy to hear that you got good news!

I like the image just like it is. Love the wispy clouds!