The Wasatch Front, Utah
by Lori Arnold
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
This shows the east mountains of Salt Lake Valley, from North Salt Lake all the way to the point of the South mountain (which goes into the Utah Valley, Provo area)
The clouds on this day were intense as I could certainly feel a temperature or season's change in the air.
Taken on February 28, 2009.
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What a wonderful shot – I can almost feel the change in the air from where I sit!
This is an interesting shot from the point of view of the photography tutorial section.
On the face of it, it's a good photo. But there are a couple of aspects that could elevate this good photo to greatness!
But first, some of the good stuff. The vantage point Lori has used here is good. There are some 'lead in lines' running from the foreground into the distance.
Lead in lines like this always add some depth to landscapes – seek them out!
The drama in the sky is good too. Lots of clouds. Pure blue sky might be great for sunbathers, but not so great for photographers. A few clouds here and there almost always improve a scene like this.
So what could be done to make this even better?
The first thing that springs to mind is the positioning of the clouds. Maybe Lori arrived too late (or too early?) but the clouds are covering some of the mountain peaks.
When photographing scenes like this with mountains, always try to get the peaks in. Here, waiting a few minutes might have allowed the clouds to clear a little (or maybe they were going the other way?!).
Admittedly there isn't always a way to avoid this and I'd recommend taking the shot anyway. It's just something to bear in mind for the future.
The other way this picture could be improved is in the detail in the clouds. Some of the clouds are pure white and lack detail. This is a result of blown highlights.
Blown highlights are areas of a photo where all detail is lost and pure white is all that can be seen.
The only way to avoid it is to underexpose photos a little when taking them, and then make adjustments using software afterwards.
Apart from those two suggestions, I don't have much more to add. Hope these tips have been useful, and thanks Lori for the submission.
Ed.
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My son (that's him below) loves F1. He's started his own YouTube channel and would love it if you could take a look at one or two of his videos.
Or, if it hurts your ears as much as it does mine, pass the link on to someone who'll really appreciate it.
Or, if it hurts your ears as much as it does mine, pass the link on to someone who'll really appreciate it.
(probably someone a lot younger than I am!)
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