Jose Cartas
April 2026 - Top of Innsbruck
About the Image(s)
While in Innsbruck (Austria) last October, we took the cable car from the center of the city to the summit of the mountains surrounding it, at an altitude of 7,700 feet. From there, you have a panorama of the city and the mountains. This image is a composite pano of five frames, each produced with three photos in HDR (0, -2, +2), for a total of 15 shots. I had to correct some perspective after the stitching. I also increased contrast and worked with curves in the B&W version. Additionally, I selected the sky and darkened it. Technical specifications for the first shot: 14mm. lens, 1/500 sec. at f/16, ISO 400, tripod.
6 comments posted
A dramatic image with good blacks and whites. I find the sky merges with the mountains. Not sure about your darkening of the sky, but I would like to see a little more separation between the mountains and the sky. I might have tried to crop up a little from the bottom although the darker corners do help to frame the image Posted: 04/10/2026 14:03:59
Hi Jose, a panorama is probably the only way to show the splendor! I like the way the valley leads the viewer into the image. I agree with Terry about the sky although the darkening does bring the clouds out beautifully. Posted: 04/10/2026 20:25:57
Have you tried to present this image in colour? As already mentioned, I would try to dodge and burn. However, not sure whether this image works in BW. Posted: 04/11/2026 23:40:51
Your technical work is commendable, Jose. Lots of work to create this masterpiece vista. Maybe it is this lower resolution version, but it looks like the focus is soft. I agree with others about the darkening of the sky. Surprising, it doesn't look like you have many blacks in the whole picture. Maybe darken the lower right corner. The sweep of the snow at the bottom brings your eyes into the picture. Posted: 04/14/2026 23:38:48
I agree with the suggestion to vignette the bottom right corner for balance. Although the sky treatment is technically correct, I agree that the sky does not quite fit in, actually perhaps due to all the clouds. (Usually having a cloudless sky would be a big no-no in landscapes.) Posted: 04/15/2026 20:28:55
The wave like mountains look attractive and beautiful. There are already a lot of texture in the mountains and valleys, so making the backdrop, that is the sky, more homogenous by darkening it or blurring it might improve the composition. Posted: 04/17/2026 16:04:27