Lou McLove
August 2026 - Late Afternoon from Steptoe Butte
Original
About the Image(s)
This is one of many photos I took on my recent trip to Eastern Washington. I captured this image with a Canon R5, Canon RF 200-800 lens at 220 mm, 1/500 second, f 18, ISO 2000. I could have lowered the ISO and used a slower shutter speed since I was using a tripod; not sure why I did not. In Lightroom I increased the clarity and contrast and also dehazed the image somewhat. I increased the saturation a bit and used a linear gradient mask to slightly darken the top part of the image. Almost all my landscapes from this trip where taken between 200mm and 600mm, haze was somewhat of an issue.
8 comments posted
Lovely image! I like the changes that you made. Image is sharp throughout. Would love to see this in person someday. Posted: 08/03/2026 23:24:10
Hi Lou,
I am intrigued by your vertical crop, and I wonder if the haze might have been wildfire smoke. The light is so important when shooting the Palouse, and I think you've done a very nice job capturing the many shadows that define the amazing curves of the area.
The image is sharp, and the colors are great. I do have a couple of crop considerations for you, though. I see a nice "Z" shape or reverse "S," from the top of the image that might become more prominent by cropping some from the bottom. Just another possible look to consider.
I agree that the top could benefit from being darkened a bit. Posted: 08/14/2026 14:53:38
I am intrigued by your vertical crop, and I wonder if the haze might have been wildfire smoke. The light is so important when shooting the Palouse, and I think you've done a very nice job capturing the many shadows that define the amazing curves of the area.
The image is sharp, and the colors are great. I do have a couple of crop considerations for you, though. I see a nice "Z" shape or reverse "S," from the top of the image that might become more prominent by cropping some from the bottom. Just another possible look to consider.
I agree that the top could benefit from being darkened a bit. Posted: 08/14/2026 14:53:38
This is a more standard landscape crop. I also increased some texture and colors, but not sure if that is necessary, or in your style. Even though the yellow at the bottom may not have been rapeseed, I increased the yellow to look that way. Posted: 08/14/2026 14:56:19
Last is just minor modifications to your original vertical crop. I'm interested in your choice to go vertical. What is it you wish us to see? Posted: 08/14/2026 15:00:20
Hi Bob, thanks for all the comments. It could have been smoke but I don't think the smoke was an issue while I was there. As you might expect I have images of this in numerous configurations. I like this on for the leading lines and I what I think of as the perception of great distance. Posted: 08/20/2026 13:01:30
Thanks, Lou. It is very hard for me not to play with your images and make a few useless comments. The Palouse is no longer available to me-the drive is simply too far. But the memories are still clear, vivid, and exciting.
I hope your trip brings back some wonderful memories for you and gives you many new ones to enjoy. Posted: 08/21/2026 21:13:52
I hope your trip brings back some wonderful memories for you and gives you many new ones to enjoy. Posted: 08/21/2026 21:13:52
Hi Bob, I appreciate your comments and suggestions. I seem to often overlook the problem areas in my images. Posted: 08/24/2026 22:00:51
We all tend to miss stuff in our images, which to me is a huge advantage of participating in study groups. Posted: 08/24/2026 22:40:55