Desolation

A beautiful classic (and wonderfully stark) image. I love images of wide open spaces and this one works quite well. Very minor, but to my eye, it looks like a little bit of lens distortion? Perhaps flatten the horizon slightly? But like I said, very minor and it could also just be the lay of the land. I like this a lot. 

Scott, I like this a lot too. The desolate open land topped off by those fantastic clouds works wonderfully in black and white. I especially enjoyed looking at the large version. Nice work!!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.

The large view is definitely the way to go. The clouds, sky, and mountains are spectacular. I would make this an even longer pano by cropping the bottom to just above the large log. That would emphasize the clouds more, which are the best part of this image. A great image either way, however.

There are stunning dynamics for me in your image, Scott. The clouds with their rich contrasts draw my attention and lead me into the depth of the scene.

I think of increasing the contrast in the foreground and especially brightening the midtones a bit in order to balance it with the sky. That is just my personal opinion of course and the composition is convincing as presented for me.

Peter

This works superbly for me, Scott.  The balance of foreground, hills and sky is perfect, with the conversion also beautifully balanced and varied in tones..

The B&W works really well for this image. The dramatic sky makes the image for me. Also the great depth of the image. 

Really liking the comp and textures.  Black and white is a good choice.  Some of the grays in the foreground and clouds could maybe use a bit more contrast for to bring out additional drama.

The large version feels like I'm standing there. That sky is awesome.

Wow, the thumbnail certainly does not do this justice, Scott. I love the expansive feel of this desert landscape along with that drama laden sky. Beautifully done.

Ed

Awesome drama in the sky, Scott. I agree with Harley there might be a bit of distortion, but it could be the pano at 14mm, just has to have some.  Energetic b/w and a nice representation of Death Valley.

Scott: For me the clouds are the main attraction so I would crop pretty aggressively from the bottom as Igor suggested. I like the FG but don't think it is worthy of 50% of the frame. A touch more contrast there would also suit me a bit better. >=))>