Candlelight + Rework

Best of the lot as far as I am concerned.  A first class image.  I might just watch the strength of the cyan in the water it is starting to look a little too energetic there.  I would back it off a notch and then it will be perfect to my eyes.

Another beautiful image from here, Dave. These three images show very nicely the difference in light, even where all the light in all the images is all good. I actually prefer the previous version for the somewhat softer but still dramatic light and the interesting underwater foreground, but this is a very close 2d. 

I like this one, but I like Black Diamond more. Still, this has beautiful light and a sweet reflection. I like this far better than Afterglow. 

Think you will be thirsty for a Pure Order late Sat. afternoon? If so, drop me a line. 

I think I like this image better - the shadow is a bit disturbing but that's not a bad thing. 

Dave, I have enjoyed all three of the images in this series. I really like how they show us the difference in light makes on the same subject. This one is my favorite and especially when I view the large version. Your carefully composed composition works wonderfully showing the light and shadow here. The blue/cyan looks very natural on my monitor for this light and sky. Nice!!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI.

I like this the best because it looks to be the sharpest reflection. A truly minor nit (since it was carefully composed) is I wish the tip of the peak in the reflection was in a dark void instead of touching the visible rock. Really nitpicking......

Hands down better for me than Afterglow.  I liked the subdued presentation of Afterglow, but this as an entirely different presence. Black Diamond is still my favorite, but this is a very close second.  Nice work and congratulations on the GOTM selection.  Well deserved.

Certainly the best of the three for me with the sunlit diamond peak.  Maybe try a couple points of midtone contrast?
 

Although this image may actually look more realistic than the black diamond image it isn't quite as effective. I think that the biggest difference is that the shadows look flatter in this image where as in the other the objects in the shadow still glow. I'm not sure if the luminosity can be raised in the shadows here or if the shadows could be made a bit lighter and the luminosity raised. The highlights in the sunny area of the mountains are also a bit blown out. There are pure yellow sections with no detail which, I may be wrong, is caused when the original image is too bright and you try to recover the highlights but the data isn't there. I'm talking about the bright mountain on the right which has good detail in it's reflection but missing information on the peaks themselves. I had a similar situation in a baja image I posted a couple of months ago here, so it appears to be the same issue. Two shots exposed for dynamic range and combined would have probably been better imo. 

I prefer this one over Afterglow. I like the depth of the colors and the crisp reflection.  The shadow adds drama and a sense of changing, moving light, which adds interest for me.  I think I like Black Diamond the best, but this is a very close second.
ML

Igor,
Thanks for your input. The blown highlights are a result of pushing the Whites a bit too far in PP. The RAW is well exposed. I have backed off on the whites slider and re-worked the file with luminosity masks to attempt to lift the shadows. 

I prefer the darker shadows and extra contrast of the original post. It has more pop to my eye. 

Hi Dave,
Love your photos of the Sierras, and these 3 in the series remind me of so many high elevation lakes I have seen over the years. I think I like this version best, mostly because the jagged skyline is repeated so well in the mid and foreground. I like the increased contrast, though the color in the last one is so nice and warm. For some reason in the repost of this one the snow looks a little pink in the shadows on my monitor. I like the original post a little better, because the contrast does increase the dramatic lines better. In any case, this is a classic. I also like the largest peak placed the way you have here, as opposed to right in the center in the last post. Which lake is this, by the way?

Hard to pick which of this trio I like best because each portrays a different mood for me, Dave. Afterglow is peaceful and serene with the subdued colors while Black Diamond has a little more drama with the bolder colors and contrast and Candlelight ramps it up a bit more. I think I am going to go with Candlelight because of the bold colors along with your placement of the FG rocks and the reflection. You can not go wrong with any of these three images.

Ed

Kathy,
Thanks for your comments. These were taken at the unnamed lakes in Dusy Basin.

The best of the series in my opinion.