First post -- Crown Point, OR

Dewey316

Hello,

I've been lurking on dgrin for a while, and entered this photo in the latest challenge. I thought I would come in here for some C&C on the shot, and also the edit I have done, and get some further advice on what I can do to make it better.

Here is the shot as entered, and as it came out of the camera:



This is my first edit, I removed the branch in the middle, along with the one in the lower left, I removed a telephone pole, and made a very slight levels adjustment. Let me know what further changes might enhance this.



Thanks,
John

rhituraj

I like the 2nd one. Welcome to dgrin.

eoren1

Nice shot John and welcome!
My first thought on that first shot was to get rid of the distracting branches
I'm a bit torn on whether a different crop would strengthen the image further. Right now, my eye jumps from the observatory (?) to the bright side of the hill/mountain. I want my eye to move across the beautiful layers but it won't...
I did a virtual crop (moving browser window up/down) and think I like cropping out bottom where the green land meets at just above the brighter spot of the hill/mountain. You end up with the observatory as a focal point and the eye then moves along the S taking in the layers.

Doug Solis

I agree with Eyal that a crop modification may help your composition. I would also try this crop idea: crop from the top down until you have removed all of the sky, it really isnt doing anything for your image. I like the repetition of the red/orange rock below the observatory and the red rock on the face of the nearest mountain. Perhaps you can do a levels or curves adjustment to bring out the distant layers in the mountain ridges, that way it may help the eye move up the river and to the mountains.

idiotabroad

Yes Doug. I agree.

Dewey316

Thanks for the input guys! I cropped it the way Eyal suggested. I think it is a much stronger composition. I may crop some off the top too, and do a really wide perspective. I think maybe a combination of the two ideas may work out best. As much as I love the color and patterns of the cliff face, I do like the cropped version better.

Dewey316

Here is a tighter crop, and some adjustments. I wonder if it isn't too dark now, I might have to keep working at getting the levels right where I want them.

tbasten

IMHO, I would have to say that it is a bit dark now. The original photos seem to be better with regards to brightness

Dewey316 wrote: »

Here is a tighter crop, and some adjustments. I wonder if it isn't too dark now, I might have to keep working at getting the levels right where I want them.