Sunrise at Mesa Arch - Canyonlands NP

[ljh34465]

I am a total beginner with PP - would appreciate your critique and comments on this one. I can post original if anyone wants to compare.
Thanks

[Padre]

Yes, post the original. This seems a little over processed to me.

[ljh34465]

Thanks for looking, Padre.

Here is the original jpeg:

[Deiussum]

Looks like you were up against some pretty tough lighting. In trying to get details in the foreground, the sky became overly bright. Did you happen to shoot this in RAW mode so you could pull a few more stops of data out of it?

I do like the red glow on the underside of the arch, and the layered effect of those needle-like rock formations you can see in the distance at the lower right.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the composition on this one. I find myself wanting to turn to the right some to see more of that layered background under the arch.

[ljh34465]

Here is the other side of the arch. With about 18 photographers, it was difficult to get the ideal POV and especially for me, a total novice. And this is out of the camera, no PP at all. Did not do these in Raw - played with it a little later - since I am a total newbie, did not want to try something ELSE new

[New England Moments]

Wow Larry , you really tried to take on Nature here, this is ONE difficult shot to pull off...

what I see here is exposure problem , all the way from the get go..

I think what you tried to do here is use the arch for a frame... and in doing so , you put your lens, at your POV, level with the sun for one, and for two, you are shooting pretty much right at that big ball... Two no Win Situations... this alone exposure nightmare... they always say, when shooting into the light , add more light.... some even say flash... well perhaps flash might highlight the rocks more , but you would still have no sky... This lighting is just to Harsh...

I really think spot metering could have helped , along with some bracketing... You could have started by Spot metering the sky, near the sun, ( NOT AT IT ) , this might have rendered the arch darker than norm, but PP , might have pulled it out..but , you also would have had a sky...it also probably would have silhouetted the arch... You really needed to spot meter different areas of this scene, and shoot , shoot and shoot again...

or, lol... looking at this POV, You can see the blue in the left of the frame...but you actually shot towards the sun.... if you would have moved to the right , and shot more to the left, using the sun more as a side light, think this would have helped... but I believe you were going for a framing effect with the arch, to showcase those peaks in background The Blue Sky in that corner , tells me, ( HINDSIGHT ) that this is the direction to point that lens...

also... if you had your polarizer on?? you could first aim , as you have the shot now, see the effect of the sky, and rotate camera position counter clockwise until sky begins to blue---> BINGO!

ok , hope this doesn't sound like a Harsh Critique... to you or anyone else, but 9 times out of 10 shooting toward that Big Ball Don't Work,,,,, Know when to Hold Em, Know when to Fold Them..and know when to walk away.... butttttttttttt had I been there or anyone else, I damn sure would try!!!

I do think your second shot without any PP , is much better than the one you posted.. this is not a disaster shot, and quite good for what you were facing, and what you were facing , was Mr. Sun, and the Harsh Light it provides, and being level with it is a real killer!!

Soooooo Hold that head up some, you pulled off a decent shot!! keep the PS away from this one...

[New England Moments]

Damnnnnn ya posted the second one while I was writing my book lol... ok real quick... THIS IS MUCH BETTER, WHY ? Because you used the arch itself to block the sun, could have blocked it just a weeeee bit more by getting a little higher , but that looks impossible... now had you spot metered the sky, and tripped a flash, a possible bingo here,,,, but what you have with this second pic, is nice..... and I can see, I was right on about that Lens being level with the sun in the first pic.... really surprised no Flares anywhere in that first pic.....

this is Nice !!

[ljh34465]

you want flares - I can give 'em to you - lol

[JuDiThA]

In your non PS version, i think you did quite well under the lighting conditions. What a beautiful place.
==Judy

[ljh34465]

Thanks for stopping by, Judy - appreciate it

[Deiussum]

I like that last shot. The sky is still very bright, but it actually works out well in this shot, though I can't quite say why.

[KMA Dakota]

Larry my Dear Friend,

Wow!! OK, everyone has made their comments and they are hve the technical experience and were still positive on this wonderful shot!!

I would have killed to have been there with you on this shot!! Heck, 2 grasshoppers would ahve been too much for the rest of those interlopers trying to steal your shot!! Hey, this X paratrooper, sniper, and cop could have covered your back and run off the riff rafe.

Ok, now for us humans.. I like that shot and the colors under the rocks are a killer!!

Nicely done Grasshopper, Yep her!! nicely done!

GH1

[ljh34465]

Thanks, Ken - always appreciate your comments - might have to recruit you - the best POVs were gone when I got there about 40 minutes before sunrise - might need someone with your experience!!

[Goofup]

The second one is nice! Little sharpening and bring down the highlights a bit to accent the hills in the background and you got it!

[ljh34465]

Thanks, Goofup. I posted another thread where I tried what you suggested. Appreciate the input - might just learn this PP thing