Crater Lake Sunrise

That definitely does look like one of those mornings that make every hardship worth it. Nice place for a tent for sure! The air does look too bright for my taste, but I still like it!

This looks like a perfect morning. Beautil colors and light for sure. The image is a bit too bright for my taste and especially the sky over the horizon is much to bright. I love the snow patterns in the foreground. Beautiful comp.

Awesome view to wake up to! I agree with the comments on the brightness, but this one does it for me, irrespective of this little flaw.

Really nice, Thomas. I hope you had some good company in that tent for two days. Beautiful scene, if it were mine I'd try to tone down the brightness a couple of notches but pretty sweet as is.

Thanks for the comments you all, it seems there's a consensus! I think I might have blown it on the exposure, no pun intended, but i'll try lowering the brightness and see how that looks. Thanks again!

Very nice capture - I hope that the wait was worth it...

Tim!

Fantastic scene Thomas, crippled by the highlights. I wanted to check out your new version, but that doesn't look like a valid link.

I found a set of images from the same morning with less blown highlights and am curious if you all like this any better.

I am cheering the second version! The sunburst and darker tones throughout please my eye. Never to let an opinion go unsaid, “Perhaps removing the barrel distortion … not seen in the original … would apply to the repost.” Overall this is a winner.

That's what I call a view well worth waiting two days on, Thomas. I love warmth in the scene and your POV along with the detail in the FG patch of snow. My only suggestion would be to tone down the highlights in the sky if possible.

Ed

Hey Thomas... I think the second version sans the distortion works. You can try cloning in some color at low opacity to see if you can recover (in illusion) the highlights

The repost is also very nice, but I still prefer the original because of its colors and tranquility....

I gotta vote for the original because of the the light and color. But like everyone mentioned, the highlight do need some attention. Squeeze it out of raw, add a few multiply layers then balance it with some curves? Or try Navin's suggestion.

Love it! Crater Lake in bright metallica. Worth braving the weather for a shot like this. Glad you are safe and shared this beauty with us.

I know that experience, stuck in a tent for a few days then suddenly you get the killer shot, it can be quite emotional, I bet you were jumping and shouting for joy after getting this. I once hiked past Crater Lake whilst 'thru hiking' the Pacific Crest Trail and I definitely want to return. It's a magical place and you got a magical shot.

Thanks Andrew, what you did you do the PCT? I hiked 4000 miles on it over the summers of 04,05, and 07.

Thomas, kudos for sticking it out in your tent. I have a similar trip, hopefully sans the stormy weather, planned for March.

Both images have their strengths. The overall tone in the first is really pleasing. Maybe you can pull detail in the highlights--or enough detail--back with Lightroom?

I really enjoy the second image, as well, and agree that removing the distortion will help it. I also think balancing the exposure--particularly in the left hand portion of the image along the rim, and the sky highlights above the sunstar, would help the image.

Great shots all in all. Glad you got to experience this after enduring the bad weather.

Great comp and light, although I wish the sky wasn't blown out.