Critique Welcomed Greetings From Calgary Alberta

[Keith Hedges]

Here in Calgary, I'm just a short drive from the Canadian Rockies & the foothills. These 2 photos were taken on Oct 28, the day after a large snow fall. I particularly like to get these kind shots before the lakes & ponds freeze over so that the water gives some contras to the snow, but I think the sky is a little boring. I added some vignetting to try to draw attention away from the sky, but then I think it looks too dark & unnatural. Is there a better way to handle this kind of sky?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Hi Keith, and welcome to the forum. Great images to introduce yourself with! Looks a heavenly place.

 

[Pete Askew]

Welcome to RPF Keith, I sure you enjoy yourself here. And what a gorgeous place you live - nice shots! Sadly there is no easy way to improve an uninteresting sky although I do not think it detracts from these two images at all. Some people composite skies in but I find tis is rarely that convincing especially when there are reflections.

 

[Peter McCullough]

Beautiful images Keith, welcome...!

I'm not sure which editing programme you are using.

As a virgin user of 'Adobe Lightroom 5' editing suite I'm pretty sure you could make the sky lighter/brighter, there's a tool for that ok the menu setting at the top.

 

[Beth Anthony]

welcome to rpf. i like the blue sky, though i think the vignetting is a little too much in these. you could frame the shot a little lower to include more foreground and less sky, but honestly i don't think the plain blue sky detracts from the image. you have so much going on in the snow, trees and water that a little blue sky at the top is fine.

in photoshop you could bring in another sky and layer it over your blue sky using a blending mode like lighten, but i don't think it would make the image any better.

 

[Paul Lange]

Welcome and what a wonderful part of the world you live in. I think the photos are OK as they are and their is plenty of interest in both of them.

 

[Kev Pugh]

Welcome Keith I echoe the other posts, as for the sky, you could always try a typical English dull overcast grey one, only joking give me a deep blue one any day, I think they are just fine as they are. And I am very jealous of your location as this is somewhere my parents were going to emigrate to when I was very young after dad was offered work there....

 

[Lesley Jones]

I agree. We've had nothing but gloom for ages now and these are a delight to look at

 

[Brian Moore]

Welcome, Keith. Nice shots. What's wrong with that lovely blue sky? (I wouldn't use the vignetting if it was me.)

 

[Aldous Lau]

Welcome Keith and nice shots

 

[Keith Hollister]

Welcome - I'm sure you're a great guy and awesome photographer with the name Keith

I like the compositions a lot, and the exposures are excellent, although a little low in contrast to my eye based on what I'm seeing here (almost like a color profile mismatch, i.e. viewing an AdobeRGB image in sRGB color space). The black level looks a bit high to me.

As to the skies, I think a nice deep blue sky is not a problem if the rest of the landscape provides the interest (as it does here). I would suggest a variation on what you did - instead of vignetting, try a gradient (virtual grad filter) to provide a saturation and lightness gradient. You got some of that here, but also darkened the corners, which is not particularly effective on expansive landscapes like these. This is really easy in LR 5, not sure about Aperture or whatever you might be using. The second image is perfect in this regard - a nice gradual fade from deep azure down to the mountains. The first one could use a bit more drama with a stronger gradient IMHO.

Great shots, though and beautiful scenery. I'm cold just viewing these though

 

[Dan Cattermole]

I agree. We've had nothing but gloom for ages now and these are a delight to look at

Gloom?? I wouldn't of said its that bad here at RPF Lesley...

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Welcome by the way Keith.... Lovely shots

 

[Julian de'Courcy]

Keith welcome. Beautiful clarity in the light. I think the sky is pretty good, any advise if there was some? need to know the software. I sometimes take Tiff's into camera raw to use the graduated filter.
Same can be done in Light room.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Welcome Keith - wonderful part of the world you live in!

Looking forward to seeing more.

Agree with Keith H - ND grad would work here for a more natural look

 

[Keith Hedges]

Thanks for your comments everyone, I appreciate it. I think I`ll try an ND grad next time & see how it works.

 

[Keith Hedges]

Thanks again for all the comments. I use Capture One for editing and I've been playing around with all the suggestions. I've changed the cropping (less sky), the black level, contract, brightened the sky and took away the vignetting. I think the result is much better. Thanks again everyone.

 

[Pete Askew]

I lik this version a lot more (and I liked the original). Glad you found the feedback useful and seem to be enjoying RPF.