Seems like the highs are clipped a lot. As for HDR, you may have missed the mark a bit. The colors are pretty, but I think the framing could use some work. I'm not sure of the scene from just this pic, but it seems like there might be a better shot there. The radio tower is pretty distracting, and given that it is HDR, there is very little detail in the sky. Keep at it.
I think the shot is boring but let's be more constructive. First, we need to highlight some bad points and then suggest better ideas. I'll try.
To be open and honest, I have never done HDR photography. That is because I just don't like almost all the results I have seen which almost always have strange plastic tonality, to some extent. This shot is not converting me. I would be interested to see a simple regular shot, not HDR, of the scene perfectly exposed to retain a hint of detail in the snow, which is the highlight in this shot, not the clouds which are noticably darker, it appears.
Frame a mountain shot so its peak(s) is near the top of the frame, so it looks big. That is not a hard and fast rule, as the sky or the breadth of the mountain range can sometimes require different treatment. But in this shot the sky is boring and the forground has been cropped too harshly so loosing a base for the composition and making the mountains look insignificant, so the above guideline would have served you well.
The snow is clipped, no detail. Perfect exposure always has detail in any highlight of any size, above almost microscopic, unless it is a specular reflection such as the sun reflecting off a chrome car bumper, or similar, on a sunny day. The dark forestry is very dark indeed, too dark. And as is so often the case with HDR the other tones are pretty synthetic.
I accept that the lighting, at this time of day does not favour a good result with the largest areas of snow, fully square on to the sun and the light is also semi-frontal on the visible sides of the hanging vallies, which is not going to work beyond a cheap old fashioned postcard shot.
This looks like more or less mid-day. Hardly ever a good time to shoot anything outdoors, especially landscapes. The exception being in the winter, when the sun is low even at noon.
That is all negative and does not make any positive suggestions to help you. So shoot much earlier, or assuming this is in the northern hemisphere, perhaps a couple of hours later, when the texture of the walls of the hanging valley's would be accented by the almost backlight. Don't worry about the escapment being dark, so what, it would not be in the light so it is supposed to be dark. This is how we get a 3D effect in the 2D world of photography, and usually 3D looks better.
Expose to keep some detail in the snow or whatever is the brightest part of the scene.
Untill you have developed a strong personal aesthetic, and that can't be rushed - it takes years of work, try to learn and apply the standard rules of composition. They don't always work but they are a great way to start to build a compositional skill and most photographs. When you follow the rules and still don't like the shot, either find a way to break the rules to make it work, or it is a rubbish shot, so don't shoot it, move on. The rule of thirds is perhaps the best known compositional rule. It work pretty well most of the time. Here a third of the shot might have been the green alp in the forground, another third the escapment and finally the top third a nice interesting sky. The rule also applies across the pictiue and here it is not very clear what part of the scene should sit on the third and two thirds zones but you seem to have made a pretty good call in that dimention. I might have panned to the right a tad to have a little more woodland on the right, maybe, depending on what would then come into shot on the right edge.
I know that was not what you were expecting or hoping to read but I hope it helps in the more general sense rather than just atthe HDR level. Keep at it and if you remeber only one thing from that tome, shoot when the sun is low and never clip highlights. OK, that is two things. However, they are vital to remember and applying. Nothing is more certain to make a photograph look amateurish than clipped highlights and high sun is hard to make look good because it flattens form and texture.
Ian..this was exactly what i was hoping to read instead of going to forums where all you run for is the count for likes..I really appreciate your kind comments and advice on how to improve myself next time..Thank you very much !!
Fishtail Mountain; Can I suggest you have a look at the mountain shot posted by Yogesh Dhakal, in the Landscape & Nature Photography group. IMO it is an excelent example of how to shoot a mountain and echoes many of the points I tried to make.
Early morning/very low sun. 3D form and texture through light and shade but also colour contrast (cool/warm light), exposed for the highlights, very dark shadows, peak near the top of the frame, natural tones and colours.
If you don't mind me asking - how did you expose this image? Was it with a through the camera spot meter placed on a certain aspect of the scene? If so, what did you expose for?
Hi Mike, sure..if I read the question correctly you ask me on the metering I used. I used evaluative metering and focused on the snow peaks and took the same shot with multiple exposures. Thanks
Seems like the highs are clipped a lot. As for HDR, you may have missed the mark a bit. The colors are pretty, but I think the framing could use some work. I'm not sure of the scene from just this pic, but it seems like there might be a better shot there. The radio tower is pretty distracting, and given that it is HDR, there is very little detail in the sky. Keep at it.
Thank you Jason ! Much Appreciated..
I think the shot is boring but let's be more constructive. First, we need to highlight some bad points and then suggest better ideas. I'll try.
To be open and honest, I have never done HDR photography. That is because I just don't like almost all the results I have seen which almost always have strange plastic tonality, to some extent. This shot is not converting me. I would be interested to see a simple regular shot, not HDR, of the scene perfectly exposed to retain a hint of detail in the snow, which is the highlight in this shot, not the clouds which are noticably darker, it appears.
Frame a mountain shot so its peak(s) is near the top of the frame, so it looks big. That is not a hard and fast rule, as the sky or the breadth of the mountain range can sometimes require different treatment. But in this shot the sky is boring and the forground has been cropped too harshly so loosing a base for the composition and making the mountains look insignificant, so the above guideline would have served you well.
The snow is clipped, no detail. Perfect exposure always has detail in any highlight of any size, above almost microscopic, unless it is a specular reflection such as the sun reflecting off a chrome car bumper, or similar, on a sunny day. The dark forestry is very dark indeed, too dark. And as is so often the case with HDR the other tones are pretty synthetic.
I accept that the lighting, at this time of day does not favour a good result with the largest areas of snow, fully square on to the sun and the light is also semi-frontal on the visible sides of the hanging vallies, which is not going to work beyond a cheap old fashioned postcard shot.
This looks like more or less mid-day. Hardly ever a good time to shoot anything outdoors, especially landscapes. The exception being in the winter, when the sun is low even at noon.
That is all negative and does not make any positive suggestions to help you. So shoot much earlier, or assuming this is in the northern hemisphere, perhaps a couple of hours later, when the texture of the walls of the hanging valley's would be accented by the almost backlight. Don't worry about the escapment being dark, so what, it would not be in the light so it is supposed to be dark. This is how we get a 3D effect in the 2D world of photography, and usually 3D looks better.
Expose to keep some detail in the snow or whatever is the brightest part of the scene.
Untill you have developed a strong personal aesthetic, and that can't be rushed - it takes years of work, try to learn and apply the standard rules of composition. They don't always work but they are a great way to start to build a compositional skill and most photographs. When you follow the rules and still don't like the shot, either find a way to break the rules to make it work, or it is a rubbish shot, so don't shoot it, move on. The rule of thirds is perhaps the best known compositional rule. It work pretty well most of the time. Here a third of the shot might have been the green alp in the forground, another third the escapment and finally the top third a nice interesting sky. The rule also applies across the pictiue and here it is not very clear what part of the scene should sit on the third and two thirds zones but you seem to have made a pretty good call in that dimention. I might have panned to the right a tad to have a little more woodland on the right, maybe, depending on what would then come into shot on the right edge.
I know that was not what you were expecting or hoping to read but I hope it helps in the more general sense rather than just atthe HDR level. Keep at it and if you remeber only one thing from that tome, shoot when the sun is low and never clip highlights. OK, that is two things. However, they are vital to remember and applying. Nothing is more certain to make a photograph look amateurish than clipped highlights and high sun is hard to make look good because it flattens form and texture.
Ian..this was exactly what i was hoping to read instead of going to forums where all you run for is the count for likes..I really appreciate your kind comments and advice on how to improve myself next time..Thank you very much !!
Fishtail Mountain; Can I suggest you have a look at the mountain shot posted by Yogesh Dhakal, in the Landscape & Nature Photography group. IMO it is an excelent example of how to shoot a mountain and echoes many of the points I tried to make.
Early morning/very low sun. 3D form and texture through light and shade but also colour contrast (cool/warm light), exposed for the highlights, very dark shadows, peak near the top of the frame, natural tones and colours.
I sure will..Thank you for taking out the time and sending this to me..
If you don't mind me asking - how did you expose this image? Was it with a through the camera spot meter placed on a certain aspect of the scene? If so, what did you expose for?
Hi Mike, sure..if I read the question correctly you ask me on the metering I used. I used evaluative metering and focused on the snow peaks and took the same shot with multiple exposures. Thanks