Really amazing how different the shots look of the same subject due to light and clouds.
#1 This is my favorite, it has a powerful draw to the distant cloud and mountain. The golden hue works well in the foreground with the frost on the frozen earth, it seems to strengthen the blues and contrast of the distant views. I could almost enjoy this image without as much foreground, there is a little battle for me that brings me to front of this image but my eyes want to go back in the distance so a bit of a bounce both ways. A really rich enjoyable shot!
#2 honestly doesn't work for me, too much of a middle tone in the mid-part of this image.
#3 certainly sets the mood for that early morning cool chill and whisper of the sunrising. This image is a bit more relaxed and soothing overall. I enjoyed it
Love the third image Ben. Nice.. but simple and effective foreground with soft pre dawn colors. I still think that it's hard to beat a well exposed sheet of 8x10" film. I admire your efforts and understanding of large format photography in this digital age.
Brings back many memories when I used to nearly split my spleen carrying a Wisner 8x10" Expedition around the Southwest.
Thank you everyone for the EXCELLENT feedback. I read each and every comment, and I loved getting your honest take on the photos. Let's do this again sometime. :-)
Ben: 1 and 3 for me. I love the colors in each, and I think they lend for fully to the beautiful comps; each with different mood; equally attractive. Well done as always.
I like the third image although the foreground area is underexposed. This is where a touch of flash can help when taking the shot or it can be adjusted in post processing by blending.
For what it's worth, I feel that #1 is an all-timer for you. I think it does an excellent job of capturing the expansive feeling of DV. I think this comes from the inclusion of so much mid ground and the fact that we can't see the mountain peaks. This gives the illusion of making them larger than they actually are because they are shrouded by clouds. The perspective on this is ideal; I really get the feeling that I'm looking out a window into Death Valley.
#3 is really nice as well with the complementary blue in the sky and yellow grass. It's second here because I like the drama in the sky of the first image. It does a good job conveying the early morning mood though.
#2 is a good monochrome image, but for me it lacks in comparison to the other two b/c of the sand in the mid ground. This creates a large, bright area of uniform texture/tone that takes my eye away from the other parts of the image. Honestly at this point that's just splitting hairs though because the first image is so good.
To me #1 is the best by far. It really conveys a sense of depth. The detail in the mountains just below the cloud deck is impressive. I really like how the light is hitting the scene in that particular area, filtering through the clouds, makes the image memorable imho. Otherwise its just a conventional snap of a distant scene. The colors are also very rich which is nice. Much rather see this than the typical (nowadays) Sony/Nikon ultra HDR look.
