Watershed Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

This photo was taken on the opposite side of the hill from yesterday's image of Mount Tamalpais. I was facing north as I took this shot, with heavy clouds moving overhead, in this instance giving us shadows in the foreground and sunlight on the distant hill. For those folks who've seen with Nicasio Valley series, these hill forms will look familiar. Here are links to a couple of those images.

Yellow Tractor
Country Parish

You will note the dull golden color on the hills that marks the end of summer. Within the next month or so the hills will begin to turn green. The rains that brighten the slopes will also be captured by reservoirs that are strung out between these hills. These clouds didn't dump any rain but as I write this note, the rain is falling on the roof. Winter is on its way! Enjoy the view.

Galeota, Rinie_Hoff, jhm, Burnham, carper, michel_r, pamastro has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Galeota (10334) 2004-11-10 3:19

Hi Curtis, I'm glad I've just taken a glance into the gallery and found your picture. Didn't have much time lately to browse and comment photographs on TE.

You have caught a magical effect of sunlight, filtering through the clouds, on those hills. The way you composed this landscape is very appealing.

I guess you used here the Shadows/Highlights adjustment tool in PS, to get the details coming from the midtones, and have that almost 3D effect on the clouds. Personally I would have used the burn tool in the highlights to hide a bit those overexposed areas in the sky.

Nice photograph overall.

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2004-11-10 3:27

Hi Curtis, very nice vista here on those hills I like the greens and the dim distances very much, and the dull golden glow more looks like sand to me.
But most of all, you got a great sky, with lots of details, excellen PP work again, although there are some parts that are still overcast a bit.
A perfect sky IMO, to play with the 'clarify' tool in Paint Shop PRO. I made a WS

[workshop] [compare]

naxius (16679) 2004-11-10 4:17

I like the background of your composition with a good light and the hill being lightened by the sun, but I think that the foreground is less interesting and less beautiful.

Alexandre

jhm (82201) 2004-11-10 7:10

Another a great mountain landscape Curtis, it game of lighting is wonderful, the lovely colours of the stones on the for ground and in the middle the sand mountain and everything between the green trees, above the imminent sky, excellent composition.

wilkinsonsg (8646) 2004-11-10 11:42

I like the progression from dull to bright light and the cloud detail :)

Burnham (2426) 2004-11-10 12:48

Oh yes, I DO love those clouds. The light is spectacular. There´s so much movement in the clouds, I guess that´s what Gal refers to as the 3D effect. Beautiful scene and capture.

carper (64546) 2004-11-11 6:07

Very nice one Curtis,
I like the good lines in the photo, the colours are good and the depth is nice. Maybe a little cropping on the left side, but thats personal, good job

sn00zie (2384) 2004-11-11 10:25

beautiful capture Curtis.. nice and sharp image. the hills at the back are the highpoint of the picture i think, and you do have some interesting activity inthe sky too :)

pamastro (7213) 2004-11-12 0:25

Great sky, Curtis. There is so much movement and energy packed into it. It's easy to imagine them moving and changing shape across the sky over this landscape. The ground matches the hard, energetic, feel of the sky, I think. Perhaps the way you captured the cloud shadows so well. Especially on that dull golden hill top. The way the trees seem to spill into the crack in the middle also adds a great touch. The amount of foreground works as it moves the eye into the shot, though it is a bit dark. But it does provide a good roll into the shot for the eye. It is a nice view, though and a different view from the other two shots.

Photo Information

Copyright: Curtis Grindahl (cgrindahl) (6109)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-10-27
Categories: Nature
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Canon 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS, SanDisk Ultra II, Hoya Super HMC 72mm UV
Exposure: f/8, 1/200 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2004-11-10 2:20