Machhapuchhre

[crashmaster]

6399 m - 23,000 ft. In the Annapurna region of the Nepal Himalayas also known as Fishtail Peak. Its a sacred mountain on which climbing is now forbidden. The peak has seen one unsucessful attempt in the 1950's. It remains unclimbed today do to Nepalese law. Its really impossible to appreciate the scale of these mountains in a photo, you have to experience them close up and personal.

This was taken with a P&S digital elph from the glacier above Annapurna north basecamp at 16,000 ft around sunset. I consider it one of my better mountainscape shots despite the low quality camera.

C&C most welcome! Thanks.


http://www.rattlesnakeobservatory.com/Fishtail.jpg

[Awais Yaqub]

Wow this is heaven ! beautiful picture i think there is little room for PS ?

[crashmaster]

Thank you Awais! Yes Nepal is a very beautiful country, much like the mountain areas of Pakistan. I cleaned up the rock that was darkening the lower corner with a little clone and stamp, and did a little NN to the noisy areas of the clouds. thanks!

Now, if I could be just half as good at taking landscapes as you are I would be very happy indeed.:D

[schmoo]

If there is one place I must go and photograph before I die, it is the Himalyas. :bow

Needless to say I am extremely envious of your opportunity, and I thank you for sharing it with us!

That said, I do think that Awais is right - a bit of processing could make this great shot a fantastic one. There is a lot of potential in the clouds and you caught a moment of great light on the peaks. I can only imagine how wonderful it must be seeing mountains of this size up close and in person. :thumb

[crashmaster]

Thanks schmoo. Even I get a lucky shot once in a while.:rofl I was not a photography buff when I took this in 2005. Now it makes me ill that I didnt haul some good camera gear on the trip.

Yes, you must go to the Himalayas! I can guarantee that your first glimpse of the far away high peaks while you are trudging up a wet jungle river valley will stop you in your tracks and make your eyes bug out. It will be the trip of a lifetime and you will see jawdropping vistas that stick in your mind's eye for many years. I have traveled in Nepal, India, and Pakistan and I want to go back as soon as I have the means. The Indian, Nepali and Pakistani people are extremely gracious to travelers, no matter where you are from. I was treated so well in those countries, it was awesome! People who are subsistance farmers would invite me into their home for tea and meals. You wont find that kind of hospitality many places in the world. I must say that I've had my best experiences traveling in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. You MUST go!

OK, if you can, educate me a little on this image. How should I proceed with futher post processing? I boosted saturation a slight bit to show more of the yellowish evening alpenglow, adjust curves slightly, and previously cleaned up an unsightly boulder that was invading the lower corner, but thats it.

Bear in mind that this is an 8 bit image from a cheap P&S so its not taking kindly to curves adjustments that stretch the lower end of the histogram. Liberal use of NN was necessary.

This version has a little more pop to it. What do you think?

http://www.rattlesnakeobservatory.com/Fishtail2.jpg

[schmoo]

Seriously. I might forgo all travel for a year or two just to go on a trip through those countries. The rural, rough, wild lands around the Himalayas have always called me -- not to mention the generosity and raw nature of the cultures around there. I think I really am due for a visit before I get too bogged down at home. :D

I understand not having anything but a P&S for some shots, and I think you did really well. I'd have to sit and think on this because the limited flexibility of the shot is tricky. I love the warm light on the peaks but also think maybe a b/w conversion could bring out the clouds. Hmmm. Perhaps cropping some sky out to bring the shot in tighter? So many possibilities.

[crashmaster]

Understand, thanks! I'll play around with it a bit in PS and see what I come up with.