Rorschach at North Lake

I think we have a winner here. Lots to like in this image. I'm sure more and more North Lake images will come floating in and this may be up there with some of the best. Nice lighting all around and great color. That water is as still as can be. I think I was here at this time as I have a couple images with a similar band of light. Glad you got such a nice image amongst the army of photographers!

very very nice Chris!!

Outstanding, Chris. Enough interest all along the horizon to overcome any weakness of centered horizon. like you said, great balance.

Chris,

With all the images coming out from North Lake now, I must say that none of them have been alike! This is one gorgeous capture. Of course the streak of light adds a tremendous amount to this autumn landscape. But I'm so glad you chose to emphasize the symmetry here as this is working beautifully. I also think you nailed the light balance between the reflection and the "real" part of the scene. Excellent capture and and wonderful addition to your already outstanding portfolio.

Lon

This has so much appeal to it. Centered comp - who cares, rules are made to be broken! Great autumn color draw your eye to the rugged mountain with that great swath of diagonal light. Add the dramatic clouds and you have a real winner. Great reflection too. You don't find that all the conditions come together so nicely very often, and you certainly made the most of it.

I'm with Bill - this is outstanding! Who wrote the "rules" anyway - isn't this suppopsed to be art? You went with your feeling, said to hell with the rules and it worked great.

You are one sick puppy Chris, agree with all the previous comments. Very dramatic image that speaks so well with great balance. Oh, where do you Some GND lloks like it works real well and I like to get one? Just kidding it worked to perfection here.

Paul

Excellent capture with this one, Chris.

Just perfect, Chris--the band of light and peak colors really make the shot!

FWIW, theres nothing weak about a centered comp with a lake reflection--in fact in most cases id say it is the rule for these comps, the symmetry trumps any value in thirds. I would say you followed the rules, not broke them. Rules are made to be followed unless there's a good reason not too, people who break them without reason end up with 'art' that is only pleasing to their eyes. End o' rant.

Perfect comp, no need to worry about the centered horizon. It's fun to compare this with your prior post from here. I love them both, but give the nod to this one.

This is awesome, Chris! I really enjoy the symmetry that the reflections provide. The entire image is just so sweet to stare at and I am digging the streaky light on the peaks.

Works on every level Chris! Iconic and symmetric, and yet you have managed to make an interesting image that does not look forced or contrived. There is a certain subtle-ness in this composition which I really appreciate.

Fantastic Chris. Love the symmetry and the band of light is awesome. Gorgeous.

Very nice colours in the trees around the lake. I have to admit that the reflection of the clouds and peaks it is more appealing to me with its darker treatment. The real peaks and clouds look less dramatic to me.

gio

Beautiful! Rules are meant to be broken! Think this works well with the "horizon" centered. Love the details on that mountain and the colours on those trees.

This is absolutely gorgeous! I would just add a tad of contrast on the upper half - the real thing - and call it perfect.


Paolo

Really nice, Chris. The fall color and band of light look wonderful in the reflection. A nice scene to sit back and enjoy.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

This is probably the best North Lake image I have seen. Great stuff, Chris.

Chris - sorry to use your image as a "how to" forum on composition, but I think Stan's comments need to be addressed (he obviously felt the need to address mine). I wasn't aware of the rule on centered reflections, if Stan says it's a rule I'll give him that.I think all of the "rules" of composition are very good guidelines that help bring the elements of an image together and usually work quite well. There are, however, many times that you just need to go with your gut feeling because you think the comp is better with a centered horizon or a critical element in the center third (either horizontally or vertically) - there are hundreds of quality images that I could use as examples. The fact of the matter is that this IS art and that the goal of any landscape photgrapher should be not just to present the scenery of a location, but to try to convey the emotion that they felt when they were there. Any photographer that ignores their instincts will have a portfolio that is filled with "art" that is technically proficient but fails to convey that emotion!

As for the picture - like I said before, it's outstanding, whether it breaks or follows the rules!

Don't you just love storm lighting! I think I remember when you took this, we were talking on the other side of the lake and just snapping the ocasional photo as the strips of light changed on the peaks. The clouds are creating an opitcal illusion of a hallow on the far left where the trees are, I might consider darkening this slightly but not that necessary. Outstanding photograph Chris!

Hard to find something not to like here, Chris. Excellent image. The large version kicks ass.

Great reflection!

Has all of the elements of a great landscape image, nicely doneChris

Thanks for including the larger version Chris, the detail is fantastic! The symmetrical comp is a good (and probably the only) choice here and works just great. Excellent work!

Just beautiful, Chris! You guys sure got some fantastic light at the right time of the year!

What a beauty Chris. Superb comp and the colors make it all the better. Its nice that the sun was able to break through and highlight the mountains. Very nice!

Chris - Wonderful shot. The centered comp works, as would some off the top since the reflection is so good. The light streaking across the peaks top things off. Looks like a great time to be inthe Sierra.

Congrats, Harry

Wow that is a stunning landscape. Nothing much I can add to what's been said above but I'm sure glad you posted a large version to really appreciate the sheer beauty.

Beautiful, Chris! I can't think of anyway to improve this. Thanks for
shairng.

This is fantastic! Glad to see you were able to take advantage of that dramatic light, no wind and those wonderful fall colors. I don't enjoy shooting shoulder to shoulder with other photogs, but I wouldn't mind having this shot in my portfolio. Very nice work!

Love it, Chris! The only minor tiny nit, that I hesitate to mention it's so trivial, is the skyline, especially in the reflection seems a little too sharp, with a tad of haloing. I generally mask out my sharpening on a skyline so it doesn't look too much like a cut-out. But hey, this is an awesome image and the symmetrical comp was made for this!

Wow, gorgeous
Ill leave it at that

A gorgeous compo in every way. However, the contrast is a bit flat. Tweak that and you have a real winner here.

This one's out of the park. It has everything you want in a landscape image.
Oh, and for the test, I see beauty!

Beautiful! Colors, mountains and the clear reflexion in the lake... wow. Spectacular shot! Congrats, Chris.

The spotlighting on the mountain is such a strong element. The fact that it is reflecting in the water only magnifies the effect. The symmetry is very nice and the processing appears very natural. :)

Outstanding mountain scenery that has been perfectly captured and presented. The contrast is so perfect. I also love the cloudy sky because it provide some lovely texture.

Killer shot Chris, wonderful light, comp, and a great reflection. Classic fall mountain/lake scene. Nice work.

Well, I see you took care of putting the horizon off-center :)

Wonderful shot!

D&L

This image works very well as presented. Excellent job at handling the light, sky and reflection. This scene is more difficult to process than you made it look. Very well done Chris

Michael