Morning Bells

Is this a composite photo? I can't wrap my mind around the sunrise alpenglow with what looks like midday clouds.

Youre out of season, Verdon
Well, the Bells are the most photographed mountain in N America probably, so you really need something special to stand out from the crowd. I really like the light here, works well with the dramatic sky/clouds. I think you need to bring some more detail out of the shadows here--it's too dark overall. Be careful though, since obviously there needs to be contrast here for this to be effective, so not much--just enough so theres some more detail visible. Id also warm it up a bit--seems to be a bit heavy on the blues. thanks for sharing!
EDIT: I just read Jacks comment--and i was thinking the same thing--the combo looks very strange, but i was assuming thats just because of the exposure and oversaturated blues

I don't think this is alpenglow so much as direct rays where the color looks like alpenglow. I think that's a safe bet considered the exposure is f/12 @ 1/160 of a second. At alpenglow, those settings would underexpose like hell. Whether those colors look natural to the scene is up to you, and to be honest, you're typical art enthusiast may not find anything weird about it, but it does look out of place. I think dropping the saturation some in the sky/mountain tops would help quite a bit, and maybe messing with the local color balance in the mountain tops as well. I do agree with Stan, some added contrast in the shadows would be nice, make the yellows in the aspens pop more. Overall its a great shot though, excellent composition and drama!

I do believe Jake is right! So Its afternoon light, no?? I just assumed it was sunrise due to the faux alpenglow...
EDIT: OK, not afternoon--early morning. but not alpenglow, which is what was throwing Jack and I.

I like the glow on the mountains, but the image feels too dark to me overall. I'd like to see another version with the whole image lightened up a bit for comparison.

It's a bit dark to me. too. I know the alpine-glow look is your focal point. If you can bring out the detail in the FG mountains...I see a lovely curve of yellow trees from one mountainside the the next, I'd love to see you brighten these yellows i think this would give it a very different, wonderful look. IMO.

This is not composite photo dear friends,, it was early morning with very low sun and the clouds been very high, sometime in the future I will post shot from MB but from different position what was taken maybe 20 min after this one, thank you for your interest and for your suggestions....

Congratulations, Verdon. You've managed to confuse almost everyone. I've not been here, but it always looks like a pretty place when I see it in photos. I too feel the darker tones are a bit underexposed.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to wrap my head around this image if it's not a composite. After residing in Aspen for 5 years, climbing these peaks twice, I've never see the Bells look like the above image. The foreground and mountain "yes" but not with a sky that appears mid morning to mid day. I keep thinking that with light on North Maroon like that, the clouds would pop with at least a hint of morning light above...but nothing at all; just don't get it. Otherwise there was some serious shadow work going on. I also think the water appears to cool.

Verdon, how shall I put this delicately? You are being dishonest by claiming this is not a composite. I won't call you a liar because I guess there is an extremely remote possibility that you altered this shot and forgot about it. I'll leave that avenue of explanation open to you. The proof is right on your own website. This photo and the one right next to it in your landscape gallery have the exact same sky. Start at the ULC in each one. That's where you cropped from the wider angle sky and composited into this photo. Even if you teleported yourself from one location to the other instantaneously, so that nothing changed in the cloud formations, the angle of view would still be different. If you openly prove me wrong in this forum, I will donate $100 to your favorite charity.

Hi Michael, you don't have to put anything delicately, I am not the person who runs right away to lawyers, you just said your opinion and that's all right, tell the true I can't tell you for sure, it is what it is....... But on my first comment I said that it is not composite (maybe it was not that smart from my side if I wasn't 100 % sure......) but anyway I will hold my ground even I will be in your eyes liar, it is photography and I will still taking landscapes shots as a relax, thank you all for your comments and suggestions...
Btw Michael that thing with money to charity it's awesome idea, I will remember it, thank you for your honesty

Sadly... Michael is correct.

I feel the need to back up Verdon further. If you have ever shot at alpenglow, you should know the light characteristics and generally what settings will expose the scene properly. ISO 200, 1/160 sec F/12 will dramatically UNDEREXPOSE a scene at alpenglow. Additionally, he said that he took this 20 minutes before sunset, which I find consistent with time signatures some of my own photos that have blue sky. Also, it doesn't even look that much like alpenglow, which tends to be more red than the orange to yellow shown here. It ain't alpenglow and it ain't a composite. I believe you are honest, Verdon.