Buttermilk Morning

I just returned from a weekend in Bishop. Decided to try the Buttermilks on this morning, and came away with this. I woke up late so it was a mad scramble to find a composition. Does this work?

it works wonderfully for me, Anish. If i were to nit pick a bit, I would point out 2 things
1. the middle sky seems a bit dark, i usually don't notice it but it caught my eye
2. maybe you could work out the grad transition on the distant mountains ?

these are all minor things, but what I like most in the image is the comp. i have a feeling that I am standing right there. excellent.

I like it! I could technical nitpick but I won't. I just like that area very much. I know this spot. Next time camp on top of the hill and you'll be there for sunrise. Uh, you'll need low range...

Yes! I like the deep shadows on the FG rocks, and those shapes work well together. The subtle pastel clouds are beautiful -- not every image calls for extreme saturation. The grad line on the rocks on the right does bother me a bit though.

Jeffrey/Anish

Is this the 4x4 road that goes off the right of Hwy 168 or is it a different place ? I have seen beautiful pictures of this place before but never been able to find the right spot myself.

debjit

the fg rocks feel like a barrier to me and seem to clash w/ the wide open land beyond. I'm wondering if that was your intent?

As Jeffrey said, the view from up top is pretty nice. Though you will need a low range transfer case, unless you are adventurous. ;)

Thanks for the feedbaks so far, guys.

Debjit - I actually didn't apply any tone adjustments to the sky, nor did I use a polarizer. So any gradation you see is natural, but probably accentuated by the extreme wide angle. The distant mountains on the left are the Wheeler Crest. The steepest slopes on the right are exposed granite while the gentler slopes on top are tree covered, so what you're seeing as a grad line is partly the natural transition from the light granite to the forested slopes above. And yes, this area is accessed off Buttermilk Rd, which is one of the 4x4 roads splitting off of 168.

Mat - Thanks for pointing out the poor transition on the right hand rocks. I'll have to improve that.

Cory - I agree with you about the placement of the FG rocks. I wanted to get a little higher to create a little space, but I simply didn't have anything to climb onto to get a higher perspective.

Actually, Buttermilk Road (clearly signed) is not a 4x4 requirement, but is rather washboard and dusty. Once that road enters the more open area beyond the rockpiles, there is a right turn and then another right that leads up this hill. That's a steep climb, requiring 4x4 low. I've camped on top numerous times, and it is a glorious experience.

You're right, Jeffrey. 4x4 is not required, but I would recommend it. I punished my poor Civic too many times down that road! I have an XTerra now which makes getting around effortless. I look forward to getting all the way up that hill and exploring (hopefully camping, too!).

Anish, although the rocks do seem a bit of a barrier, it also can lend toward a peering affect of looking over them toward the open terrain. As always there are various composition options out there, I find this a bit different and as such it works in that respect.

Anish, nice scene from the area. I like the subtleness. Looks like of would of been a tough choice between more sky or more foreground. The 50/50 split sure works out just fine.

I certainly know the point where the clearance changes and you can't go on a/out the4x4

Nice use of that cloud formation. I like the way my eye flows down the fg rocks and sweeps up and around the main cloud formation. Very similar to the subtle "u" shaped line in your other image. Not sure if the pattern is intentional but I like it. Well done!