Deadman's Butte

Gallery: LandscapePosted July 26, 2012150 views7 comments

A landmark along the red walls in central Wyoming. I'm struggling with clouds this month. I never find them this white and fluffy in favorable light. They seem to be reserved for mid-day. (I have a polarizer but rarely use it as the effect is overpowering and I don't like the vignette it creates. If I'm using it wrong or need to look for a better brand, please clue me in.) I'm hoping I did a better job taming the highlights in this scene that my last post. Critiques, suggestions random thoughts welcome. Thanks for looking

Canon T1i
1/500sec f/14 37mm
tripod, no polarizer

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Nicolaus Wegner on July 26, 2012 at 10:16 PM

Is this Roughlock Hill? Hmmm...maybe not. Had an interesting encounter with an angry rancher on his 4 wheeler along the Red Wall on some blm land once...

Anyways, best bet if you are having trouble capturing it all in a single exposure, I'd recommend two shots and blend it, or control the top by using a soft edge GND filter. This will allow you to control the highlights in the clouds a bit more.

Registered on February 21, 2010, 133 Posts, 1509 Comments

Comment posted by John Mumaw on July 26, 2012 at 10:27 PM

Large areas of the clouds are overexposed. Consider using your on-camera histogram and/or 'blinking' areas on the image in your LCD screen that indicate overexposure, and then adjust exposure accordingly.

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

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on July 27, 2012 at 11:47 AM

Colors can really get saturated in mid-day light and this is a great example of that. Your sky here is dark enough that you probably don't want a polarizer. To keep the white clouds from blowing out in a scene like this, I usually use -1 exposure compensation (and occasionally as much as -2 EV) and then possible lighten the darker regions during RAW conversion. John's comment on watching your "blinkies" is right on target. BTW, This butte looks familiar, is it along the back country byway between Shell and Worland?

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Haxby on July 27, 2012 at 1:13 PM

We get the same clouds during the daytime around the Great Lakes, and I agree, it would be great to have these with better light. Unfortunately, the afternoon heating is what creates these, and as soon as the sun starts to set they go poof. Maybe these types of shots would be better in B&W. Thanks for sharing a part of the country I have yet to explore.

Registered on July 6, 2006, 126 Posts, 647 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on July 27, 2012 at 7:27 PM

Hi Nancy Lea, Good comments and suggestions on this. I enjoy the feel you caught here. Nice color and I just love looking at big white fluffy clouds in a blue sky. They make me feel good!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on July 28, 2012 at 9:47 PM

Good comments above Sandy. The photo has a lot going for it, but the loss of dynamic control does distract from the good stuff.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on July 29, 2012 at 11:25 AM

I like the comp, and the colors are very vibrant. Maybe a touch too much. And, I agree about checking your exposures on your histogram as John suggested. Try using the polarizer, but not to full strength. Just watch the sky areas for uneven darkening.

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