McDonald Sunrise

I'd like to get some critiques on this one(I still have faith in this board! ) as I'm not sure if it is as strong as the other image from this particular morning, some may have seen it in ESS.

Honest feedback would be greatly appreciated! If you like it, tell me why... If you don't like it, please explain that as well. Thanks guys!

Ryan, I really like this. The pastel colors colors in the sky complement the colors in the rocks. The way you have the rocks sweeping into the image draws me right in. I think the sky could use a little more contrast and make the mountain reflection and down into the foreground should be slightly darker than it is.

This is great Ryan. Lots of elements that work very well together. Soft muted colors of the sky and rocks give a strong feeling of calmness to the scene. Composition is good as well. I might prefer a crop with more sky and a little less rock foreground, but i'm not sure what that would do to the overall balance of the image. Nice capture!
-Bryan

Ryan,
As far as I cam concerned there is zero wrong with this... very very nice

yep, i agree with everyone's feedback. I really like the foreground colours and shape. The low cloud/mist makes it more of a surreal landscape then a classic, but i think that's what makes it cool! Where was it shot?
andy

Thanks everyone. Laurie, I do agree the reflection needs to be a tad darker. Viewed large on my screen the difference between refelction and mountain/sky seemed more obvious, I'll definately go back and pull it down a hair.

Brian, I did play around with a few different crops and ended up on this one. In the original file there isn't anymore color in the top of the sky that would benefit the image. I feel this one with less sky and more FG helped to keep the mountain dominant and the colorful rocks a more powerful fg. I don't know if that makes sense?

Andy, this was shot at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. I guess I forgot to put that in my original post.


Any Battle Ground or Vancouver locals, I'm working at the Cupola Gallery today on Main street in Battle Ground if you want to stop by and say hi... I also have prints for sale

This shot has a lot of cool stuff in it. My only nit might be the far trees on the right. I'd like to not see them but that might put the mountains too close to that side of the frame. I love the colored rocks and that bit of snow.
Ya know, maybe more of that treed area would be better than none.

How's this? Go totally weird, go horizontal, move up a bit, get the rocks, the snow and only the reflection of the mountain?

Eh?

Thanks Mark. I actually have 2 other versions of this on my flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/ryandyar One is vertical with the rocks more centered but pretty much the same mountain and tree placement, the other is horizontal with a little more trees. They both have better color in the sky.

I tried to place the trees to where they weren't too much or too little, but they were kind of unavoidable from this location unless I were to throw on the 70-200 and get just the mountain and reflection. And there were a few other FG distractions that were being hidden(I was already shin-deep in the lake) so there weren't too many options. But I do really understand your opinion on the trees. They were quite an obstical!

Great shot Ryan I like the cool soft colors in this one. Based on the title I almost expected to open this up and see the golden arches of Mc Donalds with a brilliant sunrise backdrop. I like that you tried to include a C-curve as a compositional element in the bottom but I feel like it would be better if it was curved the other direction leading the eye up into the mountain. I guess that would be beyond your control there since that just happens to be the way the landscape was set up. Based on your last response it sounds like you were already trying to eliminate foreground distractions so this is the composition you had to work with. I might consider cropping a large portion of the bottom of the frame eliminating that pool of water in the lower right side of the frame, it may make for a better composition.

Overall a great shot and well executed. After looking at your flickr though I might actually prefer the colors of the other 2 photos even more. Great gallery over there by the way!

Thanks Austin. I actually have already cropped quite a bit off of the bottom of this shot. I'm reluctant to do anymore cropping to it or I'm gonna end up with a tiny file, haha! I definately understand having the curve to the other direction, but, unless I had magical powers...

I really love this shot - that pure white snow on the mountains is just magical with the colors and interesting shapes around it. I wouldn't touch a thing if this was mine...... well done, Ryan.

BTW, I also believe for the most part in the people here but the policies and limitations for such a high profile photography based web site are very off-putting to wanting to contribute more actively, at least for me......

Thanks John, the comments are much appreciated.

While I do believe there are things that could be improved, I try not to get consumed with it like some people around the boards. I try to remember that I'm doing photography for the love of the art and outdoors, and really just try not to take the internet too seriously. Which is a problem on any kind of "niche specific" forum. It eventually becomes less about the said subject and more about ego and internet. I CHOOSE to pay and if comes a time it's no longer worth it, I will not renew my membership.

Anyways, back on topic... Who thinks I should clone out the mountain and put Everest back there??!!

I must have missed the ESS version, but this is excellent. Lots of cool elements to work with. If even a pinch more contrast could be coaxed out of the sky it would be a bonus. The only other thing that I can come up with as far as an improvement would to have stepped forward a few feet You would end up with essentially the same comp, but would be closer to the FG snow allowing more detail there. It would also put a little more space between the mtn reflection and the gravel bar. That's a real picky observation though.

Everest is kind of a big ugly hunk of a mountain. If you are going to clone, I'd pick something with a little more style. Oh, and don't forget to clone the reflection as well!

Really nice Ryan. You came away with some great shots from Glacier. This composition has a lot going for it, and a lot of areas to explore to keep me interested. A lot of my thoughts are noted above, but I'll add that I would be tempted to darken the foreground more with a vignetting or gradient effect to focus more attention on the mountain.

I got your note too late to swing by the gallery (I work longer shifts twice a week, and tonight was one of the late nights), will you be there this weekend at all?

Thanks John! Appreciate the feedback!

I won't be there this weekend, I'm actually heading down to Crater Lake for the weeknd, but email at dyar.photography@gmail.com and we can plan to get together sometime!

This beautiful image has a pristine, pure feeling about it. It's hard to find fault with it, for sure. You might try lowering the sky slightly, but maybe not. Near perfection!

Beautiful shot. I like the way the finger of snow underlines the mountains' reflections, but then I think it's a bit too bold of an underline and too close to the mountain tops in the refection. Sure doesn't kill the shot- at all!- but to me it interferes more with the enjoyment of the other elements in the shot. The colorful rocks in the fg with the pool is such a nice touch.

Wow Ryan, this is VERY nice. I wouldn't change a thing.

This is a beautiful shot in many ways...in terms of color, the glass like reflection etc. One issue I have is that the foreground curve leads my eye out of the photo. It may compounded by the mass of snow on the edge. The result is a disjointed effect that is not as visually pleasing as if the curve led my eye to the main subject.

The one on ESS was stonger IMO. The almost circular enclosure in the LRC of this one holds my eye down a bit more, rather than leading me towards the background.

Not sure... Technically it's excellent.

But when asking "what's the point here," I'm not sure. It's like there's three photos in one.

Edward. Thanks for the feedback. Could you be a little more specific on the "three photos in one" comment? I'm not following you on that one...

A beautiful shot Ryan, one of my faves of yours...I would love to see this printed big!!!!! the colored textured rocks in the foreground leading the viewer to the mountains is really nice!!!

A jaw dropping image Ryan. Love the dynamic range of this capture. Very nice work

Ray Still

Great image... I like the light colored rocks and good detail of the mountain.

Very nice Ryan, but your ESS shot had more impact, IMO. As Marc mentioned, the almost circular foreground doesn't lead the eye into the scene as effectively as your ESS version.
Still a beautiful shot though, with subtle delicate colors.