Transitions 2 + ALT

Here's the full frame.

Beautiful colors and scene! I prefer the wider view, but both work. I am not fining that there is too much tundra in the wide view. 

Bill,

Despite your limited time at these locations, I'd say you maximized your opportunities and came away with some fabulous images.

I know from your description, you didn't want to lose the river and so I think your second post is grander and a better comp. The original, the river just seems either cut off, or just not important enough to include.  My old saying, if you're going to include something, include enough so that it's obvious you meant to include it.

My favorite part of this are the colors and the fascinating transition of the tundra through the first "foothill," that main, triangle shaped mountain(with no snow.) The patterns and colors are just amazing.  I could see a crop of your top post that excludes the river, so some off the bottom and about 15% off the left, which also removes the big peak in the ULC; but for me that's ok because that's not the main story, at least to my eye.  Of course, what matters most is your vision and experience.

Like you said, there are multiples of valid crops I think, so you did well to capture the big view.

Lon

Thank you for showing the original image. I think your decisions in cropping were well made - the OP is better to my mind. I think you could have brought the colors in the bg mountains more if there had been no snow. This came out really well as a whole. For those interested - the purple near the bottom are all blueberry bushes. 

Yes those shuttles are a pain for the serious photographer because you need time for the right conditions for an image. We wanted to shoot Wonder Lake but never got that far. 

A beautiful scene Bill, and very well captured.  The variety of colors and the mountains, the lines and patterns make for a beautiful image.  For me, I think I like the full frame image best.  I like how the flow of the river mirrors the path of the upper ridge.  Very nice!

I like the second image much better. Even the processing is a little more pleasing. The river gives you a nice curving line. The color is the most striking part of the image and the transition of texture and color as you move into the image.

That is some crazy beautiful scenery, Bill. I would back off the sat just a bit, but as no one else has suggested it, I may be off base on this. As to the two comps, I prefer the original, uncropped version for the very reason Lon mentioned - i.e., I like seeing more of the river. It's just too cut off in the cropped version. However, I think a further crop off the left, to eliminate the river in the cropped version, would also work really well. 

You did a fabulous job of capturing  the polychromatic nature of polychrome pass, especially given the time constraints.  I loke both compositions, and I see a middle ground between the two that might work.  The river leading out of the frame (or into our feet?) is a challenge.  I don’t think the image needs the river, so a comp without is a worthy print on its own.  However, cropping just the very bottom narrow curve, and staring the bottom edge with the first wide spot, works well too.  I like the ide of a tish more clarity on the darker mountains to bring out the gradations in color, but I also like it as you presented here wherein those mountains and their multicolored ridge lines take on an ethereal quality.

Any way you look at it, this is one (ore two) to be proud of.
ML

What a colorful scene.  Reminds me a lot of the rhyolite mnts of Iceland, but much more rounded peaks there than in AK.  I think I prefer the full image vs the OP.  I like the river as a lead in.  From a processing standpoint, I might try adjusting the cyan in the high mountain areas - looks a bit strong.  Maybe desat, or just less cyan or more yellows.  Would love to hike along those rivers, say hello to some bears!

Bill, This is really a great looking scene. It is an awesome view and the colors are wonderful. I prefer the wider view by a slight amount but both are very nice. I do like seeing a little more of the river in that wider view. Nice work on this!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.

I recognized this as Polychrome Pass in the thumbnail.  I love the color and ominous sky Bill but think I like the alternative version best.  What time of year did you go/  I was there in August 1983 and definitely want to get back there maybe this year or next.  Did you get to see Denali?

Your color is brilliant compared to my meager effort in 1983.  Ektachrome film.  Same deal with the shuttle.  We actually got a flat tire not far from here which really slowed down our progress.
 

Bill, the colors, the lighting and the drama of those high ridges look great.  I prefer the cropped version with it's emphasis on that center group of rising ridges.  I'd hang this in a heartbeat.