Lone Pine Peak from M.R.

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 19, 20172,002 views11 comments

Hey Everyone,
Thanks so much for all of your thoughtful feedback on my preceding posts from the Eastern Sierra. I have a few more I plan to share over the next week or so. This one was taken the morning after the Alabama Hills image shared here previously. Realistically, the morning light on the eastern flank is more photogenic and created this warm light show in the image. It was taken from the Moffat Ranch Rd. area where the rabbit brush, willows (a possibly Hawthorne trees?) make for some cool abstracts of color and texture layers. I did a lot of that on this trip, but none of it is really holding my interest now. I'm just a mountain nut at heart, I suppose.

I have tried two crops of this (one 4x6 aspect and this 12x20), and I'm not sure which works best. My concerns is that my lack of familiarity with the peaks leaves me unsure whether the right-most peak is significant enough (geographically, etc.) to be included, or whether Lone Pine Peak should really be the subject. I have one really long lens shot of just the tip of Lone Pine with spindrifting snow/fog, but I'll save that for another post altogether.

Let me know what you think about this stretch of range itself, and of course, I'm open to your suggestions, as always. I have been out of processing shape for a while, and was doing B/W almost exclusively last Fall, so I'm finding myself lost in possibilties here. In other words, all feedback is welcome.
ML

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on August 19, 2017 at 6:22 PM

Marylynne,

Of your recent Eastside images, this one is my favorite. I have been in that country many times, and know it well.

The light on Lone Pine Peak and Mount Irvine is wonderful, and I love the low-hanging cloud decks. The grasses in the foreground add a lot of interest, and are a nice anchor for the mountains.

I think you could crop to eliminate the large tree on the right. Doing so would put the emphasis on the two prominent mountains. One minor adjustment to make: There is a cyan cast between the cloud deck and the foreground on the very left side.

You did a nice job processing this one: The light has a wonderful quality that you captured very nicely.
--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on August 19, 2017 at 7:53 PM

This is very nice, Marylynne. I like the light and color on the peaks and clouds and I think the low clouds beneath the peaks add a lot to the image as well.

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by Allen Brooks on August 20, 2017 at 11:03 AM

You caught some nice light on the peaks and background clouds, but I especially like the layer of clouds in the middle. The foreground grasses are nice as well. Overall, a very pleasing composition.

Registered on July 27, 2011, 262 Posts, 2597 Comments

Comment posted by Igor Doncov on August 20, 2017 at 11:58 AM

This image is considerably stronger than the previous one. The layered comp gives good structure but I think it's the presence of the yellow grass layer that makes this strong (together with the trees). I like the wide format because it emphasizes the layers and would not recommend a crop from either side. I don't know how to improve this really. I might darken the blue in the sky and I might add more definition to the upper mountains judiciously. I don't know if that would help or hurt without seeing it but those areas seem to be the weakest in the image. Overall I think this is a fine image as is.

Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on August 20, 2017 at 12:33 PM

Marylynne,

Wonderful Eastern Sierra image. The contrast in warm and cool tones works very well here. I'm not sure about the importance of the peak on the right, but now that you mention it, it does feel slightly cut off. However, the clouds, color and light on the peaks to the left more than compensate. Then you've got the classic Eastern Sierra vegetation of grasses, rabbit brush (I think) and cottonwoods. the combo of all the elements comes together beautifully. No nits or suggestions from me.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by gary phillips on August 20, 2017 at 6:43 PM

This is very nice, Marylynne. Love the layers and the early morning light on the Sierras. I absolutely love the cloud banks and hope you have some images where they figure more prominently. Otherwise no nits from me,

Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on August 20, 2017 at 9:19 PM

This is gorgeous, Marylynne, and so evocative of the eastern Sierras. You caught them at a beautiful moment (sunrise?). Grasses in the foreground don't steal the show from the mountain tops and pink clouds, and in the large view I can easily see the bare trees. The right peak does look a little crowded compared to the left one, but that is very minor. This is beautiful as is.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on August 20, 2017 at 10:10 PM

The details in the large version are outstanding, Marylynne. The layers work beautifully together with the FG grass to the MG trees and on to the gorgeous light on the mountain peaks. Those clouds drifting across the mountains finish this image off beautifully.

Ed

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hansen on August 20, 2017 at 11:14 PM

This is beautiful Marylynne. Love the layers of you have included in this one. I particularly like the grasses and those low lying clouds. I believe I would agree with the suggestion of cropping out the right-most tree, which also simplifies things to two major peaks. Maybe a bit more detail in the sunlit portion of the peaks, but really fine as is. Have been going to this area for around 60 years now, and always great to see nice images from there. Very nice.

Registered on May 5, 2011, 161 Posts, 908 Comments

Comment posted by Marylynne Diggs on August 22, 2017 at 12:55 AM

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement, everyone. Here is another version, with a little more space on the right and some adjustments to the peaks and the cyan in the mid-ground left. I wasn't really able to darken the sky without having it looks strange. it was indeed sunrise, and kind of a late and quick one, if I remember correctly. It was the day after torrential rains and I think the clouds in the eastern sky made for a high sunrise, if you know what I mean.

I will share below the same image but with the rightmost mountain cropped out. Coming from Oregon, where our mountains are singular volcanoes easily isolated from nearby peaks it was difficult for me to frame carefully with a distinct focus on a peak or pair or three or.... It's just a very different kind of range for me.

ML

Registered on December 14, 2010, 122 Posts, 1034 Comments

Comment posted by Marylynne Diggs on August 22, 2017 at 12:59 AM

And here is the 4x6 aspect.
Appreciate your preferences if you have them.

Registered on December 14, 2010, 122 Posts, 1034 Comments