Bob Legg  


 Denali-D767074. by Bob Legg

January 2020 - Denali-D767074.

About the Image(s)

Taken from the Alaskan RR going North. If you have not taken the Alaska RR then you might not of seen this view and if you were in the 50%+ who never see Denali here is what you missed. Image taken on 9/8/2018. Processed in Luminar using AI Enhance, Details Enhancer and of course Saturation and Vibrance. Nikon D750, ISO 560 1/3000 sec, f8 and 190mm on Nikon 24-300.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
14 comments posted




Karen Harris   Karen Harris
This is beautiful. The tone seems a little purple to be natural but I still like it. I played with it a bit and cropped a little and took a little of the purple out. Not sure if is an improvement or not but I couldn't keep myself of playing with it.   Posted: 01/05/2020 14:28:14
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Bob Wills   Bob Wills
The bluish color is caused by an optical effect called Rayleigh scattering. Distant mountains can and will take on the blue/purple hue of the sky.
The lighter blue above higher mountains is caused by the colder air at higher altitudes.
While water in small quantities appears colorless, the thicker the water sample, the deeper the blue caused by selective absorption and scattering of white light.
That is the sum of my color theory knowledge. I'm going back to my room now.   Posted: 01/06/2020 11:53:30



Bob Legg   Bob Legg
Thanks Karen. The lower mountains were definitely purple and the water did not have than much aqua in it so it's difficult to settle on all of the blues in the image. No problem with your cropping. I was just so excited to get the shot and others like it that my brain was on overload. Very little processing was needed, I did brighten the whites and noticed the purple in the white if I went to far. In the whites, Is that where you saw the purple?   Posted: 01/05/2020 14:47:03



Judy Burr   Judy Burr
What a great view you got. We saw it multiple times on our first trip to Alaska which is rare. I agree the color seems a bit off and I changed it in Color Efex Pro. We have not taken the train there, but have been 6 times! It is a beautiful park and well worth multiple visits.   Posted: 01/06/2020 11:14:55
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Bob Wills   Bob Wills
Looks like a perfect image to me. Sharp, excellent color and clarity, and the composition is good. The only thing I'd consider in the future is using a ND filter to extend the exposure to blur the water, and maybe order a cloud or two from Mother Nature. Judges love smooth, silky water.   Posted: 01/08/2020 12:37:55



Bob Legg   Bob Legg
Thanks Bob, I agree with judges preferences, but you missed a hidden point in my description. The train was moving. They slowed down, but still moving and brush along the shore just out of view and popping into your frame without notice. I have some clouds that I could put in with sky replacement, but reflections are not possible at this time. Sooo, this is the result.   Posted: 01/08/2020 12:59:43
Bob Wills   Bob Wills
I did miss that part (Taken from the RR)! Never mind.   Posted: 01/10/2020 21:53:52
Bob Legg   Bob Legg
And since the tracks were laid in the early 1920's on Permafrost, it is not quite as smooth as Amtrak or any other track for that matter. The views kept switching from left to right and vice versa and it wasn't safe in some locations to stick your head out to see ahead. So staying on my feet and hopping from one composition to the other, I made decision that composition was most important and many of the other things could be fixed in post processing.   Posted: 01/10/2020 22:07:41



 
Nice image, I have a similar issue with colors with a photo of Mt Fuji I shot about a month ago so that is interesting education. I will have to post it as I seldom do nature shots. I am curious to why you had the ISO so high and such a high speed? I actually find the colors fine, the snow has a warm tone? taken late afternoon?   Posted: 01/10/2020 20:37:43



Bob Legg   Bob Legg
Stephan, I had the iso set to the 560 for most of the 6-7 hours we were on the moving train. One of my thoughts was to freeze movements and the other was to get in as many shots as I could before trees and brush were in the foreground. I used Aperture priority for all of my shots (generally f8 or 11) and let the shutter speed fall where it may. We went from woods to open shots like this. I believe that shot was taken in late morning. The warm color on the snow was probably from trying to bring out the small amount of fall colors at the shoreline. Thanks   Posted: 01/10/2020 21:59:08
 
Makes sense now being on a train, very nice shot! I often use AP during wedding ceremonies, I find it is more important to not miss the moment than fiddling with the speed, plus the light can change quickly due to clouds we always tend to have here. I like the warmth of the image:-) . Was the window open?   Posted: 01/11/2020 15:07:51
Bob Legg   Bob Legg
I find that most visitors to Alaska do not take the train from Anchorage to Denali so here is a self portrait of sorts. Level above is complete glass dome but reflections are a killer for photography in my opinion. At the back of the car there was a covered section that was open on both sides and to the back. We did not have a car behind us. Regarding AP, my Nikon is setup so that the back dial controls aperture and the front dial controls the ISO. I can therefore control the shutter speed by moving that front dial. I also used back button focus. It's my normal setup for no tripod action landscape shots. Hopes this helps you all.   Posted: 01/11/2020 15:41:40
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Terrific image. After reading all the other comments/replies the only thing I'd do would be to crop some of the water at the bottom which doesn't add anything to the image and wouldn't be missed IMHO.   Posted: 01/12/2020 21:37:08



 
Very beautiful landscape picture.As for me, I like to crop a little the bottom to show up the nice snow mountains.   Posted: 01/12/2020 21:50:03