Magic mountain w/RePost

Gallery: LandscapePosted February 11, 2011697 views29 comments

I apologize for low participation lately, but I will pick up in the coming months.

This one from a trip to India's southern state, Kerala's mountains. I generally dont process images like this, but Nik Software's new HDR Efex got my creative juices flowing and I like the artistic feel of this result. The actual scene was very dramatic as well and the more subtle processing was not satisfying me. May be there is a middle ground, but I will post this anyway to get your comments.

Top Staion in Kerala, D300 with 12-24 lens, 3 images merged for dynamic range

Comments

29 comments

Comment posted by James Fougère on February 11, 2011 at 11:38 PM

Nice Light! The sun rays and texture to the mountain range is great! I also like the warm colors and soft feel to this image. I will let the photoshop processing experts here give you their take on how you could improve the processing to this image

Registered on October 25, 2010, 41 Posts, 831 Comments

Comment posted by Jason Kim on February 12, 2011 at 3:48 AM

I think this is wonderful. So much drama in this image, it has some real impact. I think the processing works great, no need to be subtle here. That is some amazing light.

Registered on July 1, 2006, 60 Posts, 1233 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Bernabe on February 12, 2011 at 6:09 AM

Beautiful light here, Arnab. Amazing scene!

Registered on November 24, 2004, 180 Posts, 1545 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on February 12, 2011 at 6:54 AM

As you said, very dramatic! I feel the processing on the mountains is excellent; however, the sky still retains that HDR feel IMO with the overly dark clouds. A little more work on the processing for the clouds and this will be superb.

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

Comment posted by Eric Mannino on February 12, 2011 at 7:51 AM

Great lighting and I like the processing. Kind of surreal like with that darkened mountain in the BG. Good work.

Registered on November 16, 2009, 22 Posts, 65 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Cordes on February 12, 2011 at 8:05 AM

I love the dramatic light as well. The scene depicting the rugged mountains is beautiful. RE the HDR - I would prefer a bit less. While there are details in the mountains there could be a bit more deep shadows in those ridges. I also agree with Bill about the clouds needing a bit more work.

All of this is constructive input. The image is super as is, but could be a bit better.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 451 Posts, 3366 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Siggins on February 12, 2011 at 9:04 AM

Fantastic dramatic photo. Looks like you were in a great place when great light arrived. I really like the sun beams and the way the mountains are lit.

I assume this was a single image HDR. You can tone down the HDR effect in the clouds while not changing the rest of the image by using a control point in HDR Efex.

Registered on October 11, 2007, 115 Posts, 223 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Dayton on February 12, 2011 at 9:47 AM

This was worth the wait, Arnab, to see you posting again. I'm
not very familiar yet with HDR. Nevertheless, I really like this;
it's heavenly. Keep posting.

Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments

Comment posted by Arnab Banerjee on February 12, 2011 at 11:31 AM

Thanks for all the comments. Here is a repost with a more realist sky - I took the sky from one original frame and blended in with the 3-image HDR version. Also selectively toned down some area where HDR effect was little too strong.
Thanks again guys

Registered on January 3, 2007, 313 Posts, 2270 Comments

Comment posted by Raymond D Smith on February 12, 2011 at 12:08 PM

Looks like a tremendous moment to witness in person Arnab. Dramatic and bold conditions looks almost painterly in presentation. I am not a fan of the HDR processing though the repost looks better but I am no photoshop expert by any means. I have never been able to use the HDR process to get any where near a photolistic result for my taste. Beautiful scenery. Cheers

Registered on January 22, 2009, 12 Posts, 479 Comments

Comment posted by Matthew Goldsmith on February 12, 2011 at 2:29 PM

Beautiful light Arnab. It reminds me of an Albert Bierstadt painting.

Registered on June 29, 2010, 37 Posts, 286 Comments

Comment posted by Alex Mody on February 12, 2011 at 2:34 PM

You know, I wouldn't normally process this either, but man, it looks pretty good! Re-post is spot on. I might try to cool it down a tiny bit.

Registered on December 25, 2007, 163 Posts, 1896 Comments

Comment posted by Marc Adamus on February 12, 2011 at 2:44 PM

Arnab using HDR effects?! Gasp! What is the world coming to!

The second version does not look like sunset in the middle of the day, so I prefer it. I think in that version you've managed to retain the drama but in a more natural way. The lighting looks more even too.

Registered on September 17, 2005, 780 Posts, 8091 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Wegemann on February 12, 2011 at 4:08 PM

This looks like a beautiful landscape painting. I too prefer the 2nd version. A minor point; in the LLC there are some bright lines (branches perhaps?) intruding. Wonderful image, Arnab.

Registered on December 14, 2006, 58 Posts, 1888 Comments

Comment posted by Durwood Edwards on February 12, 2011 at 4:44 PM

They are both powerful images, but you got it just right with the re-post.
Excellent!

Registered on December 8, 2006, 116 Posts, 394 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on February 12, 2011 at 6:10 PM

I prefer your repost Arnab. Stunning image.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Andrius Pašukonis on February 12, 2011 at 6:36 PM

Very strong and dramatic picture. I thought that the first post was amazing already but the repost is even better.

Registered on July 23, 2005, 111 Posts, 408 Comments

Comment posted by dean hebert on February 12, 2011 at 7:09 PM

Beautiful! I love the light on the ridgelines! The re-post is better but there seems to be a tad less saturation.

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

Comment posted by Daniel Rappaport on February 12, 2011 at 7:30 PM

The clouds in the first version didn't work for me, otherwise this doesn't jump out as being HDR. It's hard to intensify the rays any other way and the light on the mountain is magnificent. The second version is much better.

Registered on September 9, 2009, 294 Posts, 2006 Comments

Comment posted by Jimmy Gekas on February 12, 2011 at 8:38 PM

Very dramatic scene! The repost makes this work well for me.

Registered on July 26, 2007, 244 Posts, 2807 Comments

Comment posted by John Mumaw on February 12, 2011 at 9:08 PM

Now that's good HDR processing.
Beautiful scene well rendered. The repost looks just fine to me.

Registered on September 9, 2005, 62 Posts, 2289 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on February 13, 2011 at 1:37 AM

Yea the second is much better. Though not sure my thoughts on the strong magenta in the clouds at that time of day? Unreal light though. Well done :)

aF

Registered on October 26, 2009, 399 Posts, 2789 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on February 13, 2011 at 2:13 AM

Incredible drama and phenomenal image, Arnab. The second post nails it. Gorgeous.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on February 13, 2011 at 3:36 AM

Usually I do not like HDR processing, and even if this "qualifies" as HDR - not just because of your commentary, but because of the "look", I must say I really like the effect here. A scene where such processing really fits well. Strong composition too!

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

Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on February 13, 2011 at 5:58 PM

Arnab - This must have been an inspiring view. The sky does look a bit funky in the orig - something I might get when using a Grad ND filter. You handled it well in the repost . Aside from that, I might consider cropping/cloning the twigs out of the bottom left. A beauty!

Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on February 13, 2011 at 8:26 PM

AS hdr's go, I really like the original! maybe a little too warm in the lower left corner, so the repost is even better IMO. Dramatic capture, and nice processing.

Chris

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

Comment posted by Yan Zhang on February 14, 2011 at 4:29 AM

The sun rays above the cloud provide a unique feature for this image. The high light on the left foreground hill is very nice.

Registered on April 10, 2010, 28 Posts, 292 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on February 15, 2011 at 12:38 AM

I prefer the repost. A heavenly presentation Arnab!

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Roman Kurywczak on February 18, 2011 at 4:46 PM

Hey Arnab,
Repost took care of any issues I may have had.....but that light is absolutely fantastic!!! Supe job on this!

Registered on November 20, 2009, 56 Posts, 748 Comments