Bud Ralston
February 2021 - Beartooth Range
About the Image(s)
I took this while on a trip to Yellowstone in the winter, there primarily to take wildlife photos. The temperature this day was -35°F. Heading towards the north entrance to the park and rounding a turn, we saw these mountains off to the right – the beginning of the Beartooth range. They took my breath away. At this temperature, the morning sun with a clear sky was providing just enough warmth to draw a slight mist off the mountain tops.
I made minor adjustments in Lightroom with a 4x6 crop. I like the diagonal lines that lead up to the sharp peaks and the light mist rising into the frigid blue sky.
Nikon D500, Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6, 1/800 sec @ f8, ISO 100, 320mm equiv. Taken 1/12/2017 @ 9:36 AM
This round’s discussion is now closed!
8 comments posted
The Beartooth range was my first experience of the Rocky Mountains and they took my breath away!! Compositionally you have two triangles that are appealing. The sugar coating on the far range is terrific.
Several suggestions for improvement. Suggest that you might have used a narrower aperture, like f18-22 so that the trees in the foreground and on the right edge are sharp. The other way to play it is to get close to an interesting foreground element like a =tree and let the background mountains go soft. You could deepen the blue of the sky by using a polarizer. Consider shooting landscapes during the first or last several hours of the day, when you get some interesting colors in the sky and longer shadow that help define the subject.
Posted: 02/08/2021 14:08:07
Several suggestions for improvement. Suggest that you might have used a narrower aperture, like f18-22 so that the trees in the foreground and on the right edge are sharp. The other way to play it is to get close to an interesting foreground element like a =tree and let the background mountains go soft. You could deepen the blue of the sky by using a polarizer. Consider shooting landscapes during the first or last several hours of the day, when you get some interesting colors in the sky and longer shadow that help define the subject.
Posted: 02/08/2021 14:08:07
You are absolutely right about the aperture David. I agree wholeheartedly but I was in a moving car on the passenger side and rolled the window down just long enough to fire off a couple of quick shots, forgetting to check the aperture. At -35 degrees my photo partners were not in the mood to stop for casual landscapes. Posted: 02/08/2021 18:02:12
Snow capped majestic peaks, framed by a forest of evergreens dusted with snow is certainly a formula for a beautiful image. The stunned brightness of the mountains contrasted with the forest create some impact, the story of wintery cold is quite evident and while these are strong positives the drive by shot lacks a feeling of orginality that I feel handicaps the image. I realize the conditions were against you but the result is still the same. For me the inclusion of the blurred foreground trees is the most disturbing part. I really hate suggesting the following but if this were mine, I would clone those out so that the eye does not linger on them.
In the end---what a bunch of wimps, not wanted to brave a "slight" chill in the air to capture an image! Where is the dedication??? :-)
Posted: 02/09/2021 10:29:59
In the end---what a bunch of wimps, not wanted to brave a "slight" chill in the air to capture an image! Where is the dedication??? :-)
Posted: 02/09/2021 10:29:59
Larry, you're right as always. I was in a hurry and committed the grave sin of rushing to submit. My bad. Here's another with the blurred trees gone.
We did spend hours outdoors in the chill photographing moose, elk, and bighorn rams. ;-) Posted: 02/10/2021 13:37:11
We did spend hours outdoors in the chill photographing moose, elk, and bighorn rams. ;-) Posted: 02/10/2021 13:37:11
I not sure about the always right thing. Just ask my wife! :-)
However the image looks much better without the blurred trees.
Posted: 02/10/2021 15:16:22
However the image looks much better without the blurred trees.
Posted: 02/10/2021 15:16:22
Hi Bud, I think you got a good image considering you were riding in a moving car. I like the suggestions made by others, but think this would make a great black and white image. You've got angles, peaks, shadows, bright areas, various textures and a kind of wispy cloudy sky that might look pretty cool in black and white. Posted: 02/17/2021 14:43:07
Im a bit late on the draw, but agreeing with Larry, the only thing that bothered me were the foreground trees that were blurry. Otherwise, what a glorious sight!
Posted: 02/19/2021 17:23:33
Posted: 02/19/2021 17:23:33
Beautiful image Bud. I can't add much to what the other folks have said except at those temp's I would have still been in the sleeping bag. If you will excuse me now I am going to get under the covers. Posted: 02/25/2021 19:21:06