Hi Al, I think that your camera angle captures beautifully the feeling of a city in the cove sheltered by the mountain. I think that the bright dramatic clouds make a nice balancing element for the dark cliff that dominates the right part of the image, and the layered foreground brings it even more depth. - I wonder if the horizon may be slightly tilted to the right, and if it would be possible to show some more detail in the dark areas?   Posted: 03/09/2025 01:58:01

Hi Al - What a beautiful scene you've captured. The sky you added really helps make this image impactful as does the imposing mountain, looming over the city. When I look at this image my eye does tend to linger on the dark foliage in the foreground. You may want to consider increasing the exposure a bit in that area. Regardless, a beautiful scene!   Posted: 03/10/2025 21:21:47

Hi Al. The image is nicely composed with the blending of the city, mountain, and sky. I particularly like the flow between the lightest parts of the city and the clouds in the sky. The darker mountains provide a nice balance to the scene. I agree with the others that the almost black foliage in the foreground could be improved. I would suggest either lightening it or possibly removing it to enhance the overall visual appeal. Additionally, the image appears to lean slightly down to the right. Very nice.   Posted: 03/11/2025 10:52:33

Thanks for to all for your comments. This is the compositional problem I had. The cacti in the foregrounds have interesting shapes However, if I lightened the cacti the textures would have been, I thought, distracting. The other issue was the curve of the shoreline. I used the vertical I think the curve edges of the more prominent buildings as leveling guides. In a rural landscape I could deal with the appearance by adjusting the leveling off parallel a lttile bit., but with so many vertical objects that didn't work for me.   Posted: 03/11/2025 11:40:34

I like the tonal range, especially the whites in the buildings.
Maybe a little more opening of the shadows on the face of the cliff?
I like the arcing coastline, it provides some drama to the photo.
Sometimes it's hard to know whether to straighten an image or not; it may look awkward or it may work out -I guess you can play around with that part.
I too was imediately drawn to the dark shapes in the foreground and agree they could be lightened up or removed.
It's a very beautiful scene.   Posted: 03/14/2025 15:45:02