Easter Sunrise over the Calif. Bay Area

[TylerW]

Been a long time since I've posted in here. Took this one yesterday from the peak of Mt. Tamalpais. I would very much like to know what your cruelest critiques have to say about it.

http://www.tylerwinegarner.com/photos/142651544-L-1.jpg

http://www.tylerwinegarner.com/photos/142403612-L-1.jpg

[DucCat]

I am glad you made the ride with me up there, having done this ride for over 15 years, this was by far the best sunrise ever. I hope it made up for last year:rofl
Very nice shot!:thumb

[mmroden]

This is a fantastic shot, but it's also the whipping post, so here's my critique (based off of what I'd say to myself):

First, I'd crop out the sky except for the sun. Sure, there are clouds up there, but they aren't too interesting compared to the fog burning off, which is, I think, the point of the shot.

Second, is there a way to get this as an HDR shot? I feel like there's some detail in the back of the rock or in the ground below that would be very nicely preserved. Maybe there's still some lights on down there, or something else, that would be a nice contrast of sunrise to night to show the transition.

[TylerW]

its not an HDR, but I was able to scavenge a bit moreforeground detail, and I applied a slitgly tighter crop per your suggestion. Obviously I still need to clean up the lens flare in this version, but I'm on the fence about the changes. I feel like the highlights in the foreground kill some of the mysterious nature of the original, as well as some of the cooler blue tones that balance the warmth o fthe rising sun, but I feel that it does make the image more inviting overall - and that's a good thing.

http://www.tylerwinegarner.com/photos/142441537-L.jpg

[mmroden]

Maybe it's my monitor (which is calibrated), but I really like the second shot better than the first. I think it gives the fog a really interesting texture to it, and the rock as well. Of course, now we're in the realm of personal taste, since there's nothing technically wrong here beyond what you've already mentioned.

[quark]

I like it - great photo. I would crop a little off the left to get rid of the sun-spot. I think you should keep the rock and the tree in the foreground and try to keep the sun off center (of course) but it might make it a bit stronger.

[jdryan3]

Hmmm. I like the shot very much. Having climbed Mt Tam with my son on my back I know this view. Buut it never looked like that! :thumb

However I agree with mmroden. I think you need to crop out even more of the top than you did in #2- maybe all the clouds. On the rock I like the detail you brought in, but I don't like what you did to the foreground bushes and the light on the fog.

I'm not sure what program you use, but I would mask out all the corrections except to the rock. Maybe do a duplicate layer, screen blending mode, lower opacity to 50% or so, and mask out all but the rock.

[Marc Muench]

The incredible light striking the fog below makes this image, creating a blended division between the foreground and background something difficult to accomplish in nature. Aside from a few changes I feel could be made to the processing, I believe this image should have been taken with more room on the right. I believe one inch off the left and one on the right would suffice. However, It looks like you would have to move the camera position left too keep the bush from taking over. I find that composition must be second nature during moments as fleeting as this must have been. You were close enough to make a exceptional image:thumb:thumb

[Gary Glass]

2nd version is better. Crop the top to give the shot a stronger horizontal format and clone away those lens flares!