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Cardrona Valley
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Cardrona Valley

by Luke Austin

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 1, 2012379 views17 comments

This image is from one of the first couple of frosty mornings from my short trip to New Zealand. As the morning sky was starting to light up I settled on this composition with the frozen pond and frost covered trees.
I have to get back over there in the near future to explore a little more.

Thanks for any comments and feedback.

Comments

17 comments
Comment posted by Bob Miller on August 1, 2012 at 9:49 AM
Love the color palette here Luke. The clumped grasses in the frozen foreground makes a nice anchor for the scene. Processing looks great. Well done!
Registered on January 24, 2005, 152 Posts, 405 Comments
Comment posted by Bret Edge on August 1, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Beautiful sky and a lovely warm/cool contrast in the FG with the grasses and ice. Composition works well for me.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 711 Posts, 6363 Comments
Comment posted by Rick Turner on August 1, 2012 at 10:33 AM
A true soulscape Luke. Great comp, colors and presentation. Well done mate
Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on August 1, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Lovely scene that shows off the frost very well. The sky colors are a perfect complement to the warm browns in the landscape. I see a halo where the sky meets the land. Not sure how you processed this, but I often saw halo's like LR3 when using the clarity slider.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by Bill Chambers on August 1, 2012 at 2:31 PM
Nice to see a colder image after the summer we've had in the US! Love the pastels in the sky and the frost adds a very nice touch.
Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments
Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 1, 2012 at 2:33 PM
Wonderful colors here, Luke, and a great looking scene. This comp works very nice and I really enjoy the frosty conditions. Very nicely done!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI
Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments
Comment posted by Jon LaBass on August 1, 2012 at 2:37 PM
I really like the pastels in this. Makes for a peaceful picture and the composition works well - the frozen pond in the foreground adds to it.
Registered on June 9, 2008, 13 Posts, 63 Comments
Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on August 1, 2012 at 5:04 PM
Beautiful comes to my mind. So much interesting and appealing things to see. Excellent conditions for photography.
Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments
Comment posted by Ian Plant on August 1, 2012 at 7:26 PM
this is really sweet :toast:
Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments
Comment posted by Andrew Morrill on August 1, 2012 at 10:48 PM
Really pleasing scene, colors and comp. Only nit is the blown (at least it appears to be) cloud highlights. - great shot nonetheless.
Registered on June 10, 2010, 51 Posts, 216 Comments
Comment posted by Zack Clothier on August 2, 2012 at 1:35 AM
Beautiful landscape, the frost really makes this pop. :toast:
Registered on January 28, 2010, 343 Posts, 2257 Comments
Comment posted by Mat Malone on August 2, 2012 at 2:02 AM
Love the foreground, Luke. You've got me looking forward to winter. Is it just me or are some the highlights clipping the brightest part of the sky?
Registered on December 15, 2008, 91 Posts, 882 Comments
Comment posted by Luke Austin on August 2, 2012 at 4:31 AM
Thanks for the comments and feedback everyone.
Andrew and Mat: I was sure people would suggest the highlights in the sky were clipped/blown. I have gone back and checked in PS now just to make sure. The red channel is close to be clipped but not quiet clipped. That area of the sky was much brighter than the rest so I decided to keep the sky with that balance. In hindsight I could have darkened the whole sky down a touch. Thanks again
Registered on November 30, 2011, 5 Posts, 43 Comments
Comment posted by David Edwards on August 2, 2012 at 5:07 AM
Beautiful capture of the dawn light Luke. Sure looks cold! I like the frosty trees in the mg and the balance of your comp.
Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments
Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on August 2, 2012 at 9:17 AM
Very nice comp and colors and the textures are very engaging. Good eye for putting this all together.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments
Comment posted by dean hebert on August 2, 2012 at 10:36 AM
I like the shades of pink and the arrangement of the FG. Feels like a cool morning. :toast:
Registered on August 4, 2010, 70 Posts, 1132 Comments
Comment posted by John Williams on August 3, 2012 at 12:44 AM
Fantastic! You pulled a lot of elements together for a stunning whole. The sky color caps it all off.
Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments