Andres Valdespino
February 2025 - Mount Etna Above the Clouds
About the Image(s)
On a trip to Sicily went to Mount Etna. It is an active volcano so the top is mostly volcanic rock from eruptions. We went in October and it had snowed a few weeks earlier. I liked the contrast between the lava rocks and the snow as well as the clouds in the background.
I shot this with my Canon EOS Digital Rebel, an 18.0-55.0 mm lens, f/14 at 1/400 sec.
8 comments posted
Hi Andres
Your image forms an intriguing abstract with nice diagonals and textures. To my eye it has the appearance of waves and had you not included the slope and background I would have assumed it was water.
I'm curious why you chose to present the scene in color, since the bulk of the frame is in blacks and whites...so perhaps a all monochrome rendition would work better? Posted: 02/04/2025 18:30:33
Your image forms an intriguing abstract with nice diagonals and textures. To my eye it has the appearance of waves and had you not included the slope and background I would have assumed it was water.
I'm curious why you chose to present the scene in color, since the bulk of the frame is in blacks and whites...so perhaps a all monochrome rendition would work better? Posted: 02/04/2025 18:30:33
I actually did a monochrome version. (Attached.) I thought the slight blue in the sky on the top right made the color version more interesting. But not sure. Monochrome might make a better photo. Posted: 02/06/2025 01:45:05
I like what you did with the monochrome better than mine. The clouds and other mountain are more defined. Posted: 02/06/2025 02:19:50
Andres, the snow on the lava rocks creates amazing lines and shapes. I agree with Michael that monochrome emphasizes these lines and shapes. I have found that increasing the contrast as well as adjusting the whites and blacks can make a monochrome more dramatic. Your trip to Sicily sounds fantastic. Posted: 02/06/2025 16:28:06
Your composition is excellent the diagonal lines of Etna against the cloud bank with a part of te mountain. sticking up out of the clouds makes a nice balance. When I first looked at it I thought it was B Y W, but that's my bad eyesight. First impression was a wonderful felling of molten silvery streams, which is lovely. I think that darkening the rock sticking up helps balance it even better. Glad you told us what it is. I had been to Etna many years ago and also appreciated the great volcano. Posted: 02/09/2025 01:06:22
Great shot. At first, I thought it was waves... Posted: 02/10/2025 20:05:33
Hi Andres,
The angle of your shot of Mount Etna gives me a conflicting feeling. The visual elements presented in the image do not give me a sense of the mountain nor the volcanoe, probably they lack of the rise and fall of slopes and peaks. I think the same as Michael and Robert that it looks more like a wave captured at a diagonal than the volcanoe.
I agree with other comments that the B&W will be best since the major elements already have the monochrome color. Posted: 02/15/2025 14:24:35
The angle of your shot of Mount Etna gives me a conflicting feeling. The visual elements presented in the image do not give me a sense of the mountain nor the volcanoe, probably they lack of the rise and fall of slopes and peaks. I think the same as Michael and Robert that it looks more like a wave captured at a diagonal than the volcanoe.
I agree with other comments that the B&W will be best since the major elements already have the monochrome color. Posted: 02/15/2025 14:24:35
Hi Andres, I like the look of waves that the lead the eye up to the right and then into the clouds. There is various textures here too between the mountain and sky. It does have a very abstract feel to it. I agree with others that this works better in monochrome. Posted: 02/19/2025 14:04:46