Jeffrey Huo
May 2023 - Imperial Pen Peaks
Original
About the Image(s)
The photo was taken in ZhangJiaJie, China in the morning of 19th April 2023. ISO 100, 276mm, F11, 1/80 Sec.
Imperial pen peaks is one of the most well known iconic spots in ZhangJiaJie. It rained the day before. So I was lucky I got the misty, foggy morning. The best condition for photograph in ZhangJiaJie is the rainy day. The mist and fog/cloud start to rise after the rain. Then photographers wishes come true. So pray for rain if you go to ZhangJiaJie.
9 comments posted
This must be an amazing place!
The narrow, vertical format works well to accentuate the striking verticality of the rock formations. I find the color palette very pleasing, with the warmer tones of the stone contrasting against the softer blue. I like the way the trees are darker and stand out. While the stone formations are certainly very unusual, I find that is the trees that most engage my interest.
These matters are always a question of personal taste, but I find that rain/fog/mist conditions work best in an image when the haze is localized, so that there are crisp portions of the image that the eye can rest on and explore. With fog or mist, I find it also helps if there is a sense of shape and place about the fog, so that it becomes a distinct character in the story and not just an environmental setting.
It's difficult to work with these highly compressed images, rather than the raw files, but I took a stab at trying to bring out a sense of what I'm describing. First I took the file over to Topaz DeNoise, where I also applied a little sharpening. Back in LrC, I aggressively raised the dehaze (+10). I then worked to spread out and balance the distribution of tones: contrast -18; highlights -42; shadows +19; whites +65; and blacks -80. I felt I still wanted a bigt more contrast, so I went over to the HSL panel and dropped the limunance of the oranges (-23) and the blues (-18).
I limited myself to global edits in LrC to show just how much impact one can achieve without getting particularly technical.
Posted: 05/07/2023 08:25:37
The narrow, vertical format works well to accentuate the striking verticality of the rock formations. I find the color palette very pleasing, with the warmer tones of the stone contrasting against the softer blue. I like the way the trees are darker and stand out. While the stone formations are certainly very unusual, I find that is the trees that most engage my interest.
These matters are always a question of personal taste, but I find that rain/fog/mist conditions work best in an image when the haze is localized, so that there are crisp portions of the image that the eye can rest on and explore. With fog or mist, I find it also helps if there is a sense of shape and place about the fog, so that it becomes a distinct character in the story and not just an environmental setting.
It's difficult to work with these highly compressed images, rather than the raw files, but I took a stab at trying to bring out a sense of what I'm describing. First I took the file over to Topaz DeNoise, where I also applied a little sharpening. Back in LrC, I aggressively raised the dehaze (+10). I then worked to spread out and balance the distribution of tones: contrast -18; highlights -42; shadows +19; whites +65; and blacks -80. I felt I still wanted a bigt more contrast, so I went over to the HSL panel and dropped the limunance of the oranges (-23) and the blues (-18).
I limited myself to global edits in LrC to show just how much impact one can achieve without getting particularly technical.
Posted: 05/07/2023 08:25:37
Jeffrey Huo
Hi Mark
Thanks very much to spend time to edit this photo. I like your editing. It did make a big difference. It definitely more striking and eye grabbing. Your comment is very informatic and worth studying. I have been reading your editing technique and tried to understand and learn from it. I also saved your version and will show it with mine to my local club friends to see what they say. Posted: 05/22/2023 07:20:38
Thanks very much to spend time to edit this photo. I like your editing. It did make a big difference. It definitely more striking and eye grabbing. Your comment is very informatic and worth studying. I have been reading your editing technique and tried to understand and learn from it. I also saved your version and will show it with mine to my local club friends to see what they say. Posted: 05/22/2023 07:20:38
Neil Bellenie
The peaks rising from the mist makes a great composition. The mottled clouds in the sky creates an interesting texture that contrasts in form to the angular rocks themselves. The trees clinging to apparently nothing add some tension. I really like this image. Posted: 05/17/2023 18:26:44
Jeffrey Huo
Hi Neil
Thanks very much for the comment. Posted: 05/22/2023 07:24:35
Thanks very much for the comment. Posted: 05/22/2023 07:24:35
I find this image very intriguing as I had never seen a landscape like this before. It raises lots of questions in my mind; like how did those tall narrow spires develop, and how do those trees survive in that location; and for me the more a photo makes me think the better I believe the photo to be - with that in mind this is a great photo. I think the composition is well done and choosing to use a portrait orientation helps, in my opinion, to accentuate the narrowness of the spires. I also like the color contrast with the browns of the rocks against the scattered green of the trees.
At first I had a negative reaction to the haze/mist in the photo until I read your description and then following up on the internet where it highlighted the spires coming up from the mist. Now that I'm informed I'm glad that you kept the mist as an important part of the image.
Posted: 05/21/2023 15:39:13
At first I had a negative reaction to the haze/mist in the photo until I read your description and then following up on the internet where it highlighted the spires coming up from the mist. Now that I'm informed I'm glad that you kept the mist as an important part of the image.
Posted: 05/21/2023 15:39:13
Jeffrey Huo
Hi Ed
Thanks very much for your comment.
Mist surely helped a lot for this image. It seperated the subject from the background mountains. Posted: 05/22/2023 07:30:46
Thanks very much for your comment.
Mist surely helped a lot for this image. It seperated the subject from the background mountains. Posted: 05/22/2023 07:30:46
For someone who has not seen this scene, I think the mist "clouds" (forgive me) the total picture. But the more I view it, the more important the mist becomes. With help of Mark's edit, I now better understand the forest in the background. Nice capture! Posted: 05/24/2023 12:12:58
Jeffrey
I am sorry for the late review. I love this picture. What I find interesting is both your photo and Mark's edit evoke two different feelings.
Your photo emits gloomy but some hope. The spires are shrouded in mystery. Mark's edit brings out hope after the rain. So basically it depends on what audience you are trying to reach. Posted: 05/24/2023 12:46:09
I am sorry for the late review. I love this picture. What I find interesting is both your photo and Mark's edit evoke two different feelings.
Your photo emits gloomy but some hope. The spires are shrouded in mystery. Mark's edit brings out hope after the rain. So basically it depends on what audience you are trying to reach. Posted: 05/24/2023 12:46:09
Dawn Gulino
Really interesting image and looks like an amazing location. I like your edits and I like Marks as well. For me, I think his gets too much of the mist out, but is a completely different look. I agree with Darcy and you might ask 10 people what one they prefer and it might go 50/50. Posted: 05/29/2023 19:13:28