Reign of Fire

This taken back in July 2006 during a backpacking trip with Rick Lundh. I had to reprocess it today for an upcoming issue of Outdoor Photographer. I've never posted it to NPN for some reason. I think the rework turned out a bit more dramatic, but no doubt I'll loose some color depth with the CYMK version in the magazine. I never considered it among my very best work, but that's life in the magazine business. I always thought it was a bit too split half and half horizontally. I'd like your thoughts on it. Thanks.

A 50/50 split is a small price to pay for a scene like this. There isn't really anything I would want to cut off the top or the bottom in terms of a different comp. Maybe a slight tilt upward trading water for sky? I think it is a fine choice for publishing in OP, but I agree that I'm often baffled when one image is chosen while another is overlooked. When is magazine printing technology going to catch up with RGB printing? The CMYK colorspace can really wreak havoc on good images.

Marc, I am probably in the minority but I am never fully opposed to 50/50 split images. Depends completely on the scene IMO. I completely agree with Sean in that there is nothing I would want to loose from the top or bottom. And with that said it's great image. Yes, maybe not your best work but sure is real nice to the rest of us.

I'm fine with the split also. It does seem a little over saturated on my monitor. I remember Rick telling me the conditions weren't stellar but he was pleased with some of his images.

Ditto on the 50/50 split. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken and this is a case in point. Nice work! I like the color, reflection and composition.

That said I would also like to see other compositions of this same scene. It looks you had excellent conditions that day. And in seeing how your style has evolved over time I would be interested to see how you might capture this same scene today.

Works well here.....the angle of the mountain actually makes it look like its point up to the right...

even though it was 2 years ago....I still think this is a top notch image....Ill be looking for it in an upcoming issue

I'm weird, Marc. I look at the half real/half reflection image and think that it shouldn't be any other way than a 50/50 split, based on the way you've framed this. There's also a 50/50 split vertically between darker sky/fiery sky which also completely works for me. I also think the 50/50 horizontal is appropriate because you didn't draw a perfectly straight line across, it starts low and gently curves up a bit which I LIKE. Almost like the weight of the mountain is tilting it.

Anyway, just some thoughts on what I see. This shot is a classic, really nice. And I'm glad you posted it so we could eat up the richness... the mag CMYK is evil.

Actually I've always loved this image Marc. I saw it on your site right after your trip in 2006. The 50/50 doesn't bother me either, the light on the mountain is spectacular.

With a scene as beautiful and well captured as this one, a split doesn't have much significance, imo. By the time the mind recognizes the symmetry, its already processing so much other information that it barely registers. With weaker images - especially 50/50 reflection shots - it can be problematic.

I, too, would have aimed a little higher, depending on how well the image remained balanced as the reflection neared the bottom of the frame. But there's no arguing with the impact of this shot - superb all around.

I'd take this 50/50 split anytime. The light here supercedes any composition concerns, not that there is anything wrong with the comp in the first place.

See Rick? Your explanation makes more sense. Told you I was weird.

It's not the 50/50 vertical split that bugs me, it's the 50/50 horizontal split with strong clouds on one half and a strong peak on the other. At least it's not a 2-page spread....well, I don't think it is anyway. If that were the case you'd feel like you would be looking at two separate images.

This is a very nice image, but you are right about the 50/50 horizontal split. To integrate the left/right halves of the image, you might try warming up the snow on the mountain peak's right side so that it matches the snow in its reflection.

Interesting - the top/bottom split was more evident to me than a right/left split. A two-page spread might change that perception, but as it appears here, it's a non-issue for me.

I think the Horizontal 50/50 works nicely too, as it adds some sort of tensionto the shot, sort of like a face-off...as if the mountain is staring at the sky, who is firing back at it.

Marc, in all the hub-bub, I forgot to mention a congrats for another magazine printing! It's always great for us to see, hope it never gets routine for you (although the hair yanking to get the thing to print decently in the mag probably gets old...).

-PD

Marc,
Personally, I like the composition of this shot. At first glance it may feel a bit unbalanced, but there is a nice quadrant formation that reveals itself. Its not for everyone but something different than the norm. My favorite part of this image is the very subtle lake-bed that adds some awesome depth to the foreground.

The right half and the mountain (and it's reflection) in the left are fantastic. That leaves a bit of dead space in the left corners. Optimally the sky fire would have extended behind the mountain a bit more, but I don't think its a big deal.

Works for me as a whole - bummer if it goes two pages. I agree that printing is still 30 years behind in terms of quality compared to the advances everywhere else - including personal printing on little desktop printers. A very productive trip this turned out to be for ya. You won the EPI award last year from this same trip, yes ??