Just a Hint

Gallery: LandscapePosted January 7, 2011421 views22 comments

Hey all. Haven't posted over here in a long time, or anywhere for that matter. I took a long break from shooting to focus on music engagements and some personal life crisis crap... I'm sure we all know how that goes. However I have been checking out the work here almost everyday and have been blown away by so many humbling photographers.

Anyways, this is a shot I took in the legendary Logan Pass area of Glacier Park while scrambling around in the pre dawn light with my friend and fellow photographer Haley Buffman. I was quite sick at this point and ended up spending the next week in the hospital, but had a GREAT time and got some decent light to boot.

This consisted of 4 exposures, 2 for dynamic range and 2 for DOF. Also included in the processing were a few of TK's luminosity masks (you rock Tony) for contrast work and to aid in some of the dodging and burning. Color work was mostly done in ACR with some selective follow up stuff done in PS. Then just some selective texture increases and decreases here and there. It was last summer, so I don't recall all of it.

Anyways, just wanted to throw this up here to get some feedback. I really appreciate the opinions of the amazing talents here on npn. So thanks in advance for any words.

1ds3
16-35 @ 22mm
f16, 2.5 sec, iso 250 plus an under exposed image (don't recall the exposure time) to blend for the highlights, and then two matching exposures with a more distant focal point.
Singh-Ray Warming Polarizer

Comments

22 comments

Comment posted by Zack Clothier on January 7, 2011 at 2:51 AM

Wonderful comp, really like how the water leads you off and into the beautiful light on and above the mountain. The subtle orton effect works nicely here.

Registered on January 28, 2010, 343 Posts, 2257 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Tal on January 7, 2011 at 7:39 AM

Beautiful image! Glad you found your way back and I hope the personal crisis is behind you.

Guy

Registered on November 1, 2003, 566 Posts, 15507 Comments

Comment posted by Darren Huski on January 7, 2011 at 7:58 AM

Good image with great comp and light.

My only thought is I'd maybe want it a bit brighter in the grass.

Registered on August 17, 2008, 61 Posts, 340 Comments

Comment posted by dean hebert on January 7, 2011 at 10:07 AM

Great band of light on the mountain.

Registered on August 4, 2010, 70 Posts, 1132 Comments

Comment posted by Michael J Greene, on January 7, 2011 at 10:15 AM

I am so sorry to hear about your illness Ryan. I hope you are feeling better. Another classic Glacier shot from you. Gorgeous as presented and if you care too...I believe this image could hold slightly more saturation. Wonderful work. I am glad to see you posting again.

Michael

Registered on June 18, 2009, 86 Posts, 2317 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on January 7, 2011 at 11:14 AM

Wonderful comp and processing. This is all about the light, and it looks great. Excellent work Ryan.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Miles Morgan on January 7, 2011 at 11:21 AM

I know him! I know him!

Registered on November 23, 2009, 6 Posts, 185 Comments

Comment posted by Koveh Tavakkol on January 7, 2011 at 12:20 PM

Welcome back Ryan and hope everything is going well. Looking forward to seeing more of your posts on here.

Registered on September 1, 2009, 41 Posts, 608 Comments

Comment posted by Jared Atencio on January 7, 2011 at 12:27 PM

Great to see you posting here again Ryan! I think by the time I joined NPN, you had kind of wandered elsewhere, so it's great to see you back and hope you're now past summer events and on to sunnier days with camera in hand.

As for the shot, it has many interesting elements. The foreground is almost a great image in and of itself, as is the peak spotlight with clouds, but I kind of lose interest in the midground here? Also, the path of the stream kind of leads my eye off the frame to the left. Those are the few nits, but I've always been a fan of your processing and your "textures" always add a great feel to the images, and this is no different.

Good to see your work again, looking forward to more of it

Registered on June 23, 2009, 21 Posts, 422 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Sieren on January 7, 2011 at 1:32 PM

Nice band of light there Ryan

Registered on January 2, 2008, 360 Posts, 5321 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on January 7, 2011 at 2:13 PM

Welcome back! I like the image. The composition is nicely balanced. In particularly the fg with that waterfall and the sky look pretty good. The light on the landscape as such is a bit dull which means the scene does not present itself here to the maximum aesthetic potential imo, but that's not a deal breaker.

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Ryan Dyar on January 7, 2011 at 2:17 PM

Thanks Dietrich.

I tried to keep the land areas looking like they were under a dark and stormy sky (which they were) and let the focus be the light on the peak.

Maybe I should give this another go to help bring foreground and background together?

Registered on November 8, 2008, 22 Posts, 129 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on January 7, 2011 at 2:22 PM

Hi Ryan, thanks for your response to my post. I appreciate it. If you can go back, I would say you should definitely try to do this. The scene has tremendous potential imo. Some sweet light to make it radiate will help. Indeed connecting the fg with bg could be what is a bit missing here.

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Kyle L. Krause on January 7, 2011 at 2:58 PM

You definitely caught some nice light. I agree with Dietrich, It's a bit dull, but the image as alot of potential. Glad to see you back.

Registered on June 15, 2010, 29 Posts, 605 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on January 7, 2011 at 4:35 PM

Excellent Ryan.

Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments

Comment posted by Anthony Vincent on January 7, 2011 at 6:07 PM

Awesome view Ryan. Keep your head up on life stuff

Great light up top yet the bottom half seems a touch on the dark side.

THanks for sharing

Registered on February 5, 2009, 199 Posts, 2775 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on January 7, 2011 at 9:05 PM

Nice to see something from you, glad you are feeling better, and getting on top of life's challenges. I love the light on the peak. It's subtle, but powerful. The foreground is real nice too. I wouldn't say the midground is a void, but it is a little plain compared to the rest of the scene.

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Luis Argerich on January 7, 2011 at 9:59 PM

Hi Ryan,
Beautiful image, looks like a magical place and your photo is really terrific.

Registered on December 22, 2009, 91 Posts, 1349 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on January 8, 2011 at 12:39 AM

This is really nice, Ryan. You certainly nailed the light. That band of light on the mountain is a perfect complement the color in the clouds.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Anderson on January 8, 2011 at 10:00 AM

Great leading elements, and I really like the color palette on this one. A great harmony of pattern and color.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 346 Posts, 2696 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on January 8, 2011 at 4:49 PM

Ryan,

This is simply a beautiful mountain landscape from Glacier. No nits or suggestions.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on January 8, 2011 at 5:50 PM

Ah, that's so good it's sick! That light band makes this one special.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments