Virgin Versions

Back from Zion; hiked the Narrows last week with Kalin and spent the last couple days shooting with Rene. WIll be posting some of my better shots on ESS in the weeks to come. Here's a couple im unsure of, non-standard shots of the Watchman in Zion, before and after sunset. Am curious if either of these work for you.

Heres about 15 min after sunset.

Hey Stan looks like you had a nice trip! The first grabs me. I like the glow on the canyon peaks,the reflection in the stream, the tree in the upper right and the sage blosoms(?) in the lower right. The moon gets lost a bit in the popcorn clouds and I am not sure what that cage or frame is in the middle. The empty space in the lower right corner is a bit troublesome for me, visualy I get trapped there. In the second the rocks in the lower left redirect my eyes into the center of the photo up to the Watchman and then the moon, nice!. They each present a different mood with much to enjoy comp wise.
John

Stan, these are both really nice. In version 1 I really like the last light on the peaks and the tree on the right. In v2 I really like the foreground bushes, rocks, and trees. The soft glow of light on the peaks is very appealing too. Some of the empty spots on the foreground in v1 bother me a bit. I think v2 would benefit from having the moon higher. Maybe a crop from the top. I keep finding elements of both images that I want to combine into one. BTW, the one you put on E,S,&S is wonderful too. No nits on that one. Looks like you had a great trip. I look forward to seeing more.

The light on the first one is sweet, but I prefer the comp of the second one, yeah the foreground is a little dark for my taste, but I still like it. I like comps of the Watchman without the river.

I prefer the second one, Stan. I like the quiet mood in it much more, and the moon seems more prominent without the bright cliffs competing. Both are superb, though.

Guy

Stan.... second one is the best I think. That one has a great impact on the viewer I think and it creates a strong sense of the place. Light there is amazing...great exposure control which is usually seen in all of your recent posts...great job Stan, regards, Rajeev.

I think I like the first one best but there are elements in both that I like. The second one feels a little dark to me, I think that is why #1 wins overall. I like the reflection and glow in #1 also.

It was fun meeting up. I saw Rene at Canyon Junction bridge the last night I was there. Did you get into the subway? I hope the rest of the week was great!

#2 gets my vote, but then...I always like a good #2

Sounds like a great time Stan! Nice images and #2 gets my vote.

Thanks folks, i appreciate the input! Kalin--i heard the leaves were mainly gone at the subway, so i decided on saving it for another trip. That gave me an extra day to stop in the Paria area with Rene. Also hit monument valley on the last day.

I am not going to make a choice as i really like both of these. Very nice job Stan!

RichieV

Both of these are very nice Stan, and both have their own merit. If I had to pick one, it'd be #2 though, I like the softer light and the moon being more predominant!.

Both are great...the second one is fantastic...love the colors.

Great shots Stan,
Tough to choose from, But #1 gets my vote I like #1 better because of the reflections in the water. It was great meeting up with you and Kalin and doing the Narrows hike.
Kurt

I definitely prefer #2. The detractor in #1 is the dark tree on the right - I think it takes up too much of the frame.

John