Smoky Mountain High

Robert,

This is certainly a grand view and a terrific set of clouds. I like the layered composition and the tonal range is good for the b&w. Technically this seems a little noisy to me, but then that's pretty hard to judge at these web sizes. I like that you were able to hold and retain some detail in the foreground and I like the overall balance and layering of the elements. Having said that, I'm not sure there's enough overall interest and no single element that really keeps me engaged for very long. Of course I wasn't there, but I think perhaps if there were some more interesting trees to silhouette against the background ridges and sky you might have a more compelling landscape.

Lon

Hi Robert,
You certainly have layers here. I have to completely agree with everything Lon stated.

Bob, I appreciate your compositional approach based on the diverse layers. The texture of the clouds is of special interest to me. The version on your website shows delightful details also in the foreground, which makes for a more immediate experience of the scene in my opinion.

It would be interesting to me whether a color version adds another aspect to the atmosphere of this shot.

Peter

I like the elements here. The clouds, being a strong horizontal element here, makes the comp a bit static, IMO. There are some great textures in the clouds and maybe playing this up by significantly increasing contrast would be helpful. Unfortunately, the pure white in the clouds will be hard to get any texture from.