Evening On The Lake

I camped out on the Alvord Playa for a night earlier this week. The conditions weren't prime as a lot of the winter moisture has yet to dry up. I did come back with an image I am happy with though. Please let me know what you guys think, thanks!

1ds3
16-35
30sec @ f18
iso100
2stop rev. gnd

Nice Job.

I like the differing levels of lightness in the lakebed. The B&W conversion suits this well.

What do you think about cropping out the top 2/3 of the sky (maybe right above where the patch of clear sky on the right hits the edge) ? You'd miss out on some of that texture, but I think the mountains might compete a little better for attention.

Sean

Thanks Sean.

I actually think that crop might draw back from the balance of the image. Part of what I think makes this image is the contrast between sharply detailed texture and the soft movement of the clouds. I also think that having so little sky would put to much emphasis on the fg, which I don't think is strong enough to carry the image on its own. Just my opinion.

Nice and moody conversion, Ryan. I like the details of the playa and the light on the distant hills. The sky seems to have a little less focus than I would like to see, but the exposure required at the time probably posed limitations.

This lake looks like it would be ideal for kayaking.

Thanks Trevor. What you are seeing on the distant mountains isn't actually light, but unmelted snow on the north facing slopes. And could you elaborate on "less focus" in the sky? If you mean the softness, that was intentional. I liked the contrast between the detailed fg and the soft sky.

This is nice Ryan. I really like the similarity in texture between the sky and playa floor. The conversion is well done. Wouldn't change a thing.

-Bryan

I've wanted to get out to the Alvord for a few years now and everytime I see these shots, I get jealous. It's a good comp with good sky to compliment the scene. The winter conditions dont reflect so badly here... good shot!

Ryan, the softness of the sky does accentuate the details of the playa, but the sky seems to be in that transition zone between fully detailed and fully emphasizing motion; perhaps it just seems a bit unusual to my eye initially having been more accustomed to the two aforementioned states, and maybe it is something my eye could adjust to with prolonged viewing. Either way it doesn't break the shot for me.

Nice B&W of the Alvord, Ryan. I'm a bit of trouble with the dark, heavy sky. I would do a 1/3 crop from the top.

This is really sweet. If it was mine I might play with making the mountains a hair brighter and the extreme top and bottom a hair darker. It might add impact, it might not. I'd take it as it is though.

This is a great shot Ryan. I'd prefer to see the cloud action stopped as well, but I think it works this way fine. The composition is spot-on with the light coming through the clouds.

My first thought was that the sky is oppressively dark and heavy looking. Overall, it is a dramatic scene, but the elements that dominate the scene don't hold my interest that much. Maybe in color? I'd like to see the color one for comparison to see how the sky looks in that version.

Great shot ryan, the B&W really works for this one and adds drama to the scene especially that ominous winter sky. I love the texture in the foreground and I think it adds enough interest so the composition doesn't require any foreground objects to add interest to the scene. In fact I think anything else in the foreground would actually distract from the beauty of this landscape. If I could use a level to measure the tilt on the horizon I think it would come out perfectly level. I would have to say this is a simple yet perfect composition, and in photography simpler is usually better. It could just be my un-calibrated monitor here at work but it seems just a tad dark. Otherwise I can't find anything else wrong with this one and everything about it is great.

I really want to go to the Alvord desert sometime. When is the best time of year to go? I've only lived in Portland for a year now and since I'm limited to weekend trips for the most part I haven't made it much farther than the Bend area for photography yet. Google maps says the Alvord desert is about 9 hours from Portland do you know if that is correct? I guess I may have to make at least a 4 day trip out of it to make it worth the drive. I suppose I could also visit the steens while i'm in the area. If I got even one shot as good as this one it would be worth the trip though.

Very nice black and white. Nicely composed and exposed.

I love the clarity and the varied moisture in the playa... still blows me away that this is part of Oregon. From the greenest to deep browns in one state....

Nice shot, I'd be proud of that one if it was mine!