Reflection (Please critique)

[Richard51]

I took this in Colorado. I've looked at it and looked at it, and something is amiss. Any comments, positive or otherwise ok.

[eastcoast909]

Richard:

I've looked and looked but other than a slight softness ( I like sharp!)(personal preference) on the mountains and slightly dark (time of day ..... Doh!) I really like it.

The composition and cropping is just fine in my eyes.

[MattyB]

wow/woah/woaaawwww! ! !
love it, if somethings a miss, try cropping a bit more of the bottom out and see how it looks? i dunno. maybe crop the right.. that underexposed tree might be putting you off.

no mean words from me, i love it!

[Radtech1]

For me there is just a couple issues (and one of those is sub-microscopic). First, the colors just don’t quite pop. Especially the muddy brown expanse of the hills. I wonder if the sun in such a position that the hillface is in the shade? Would you have the opportunity to reshoot when there is sunshine on the hills? Or just perhaps some post processing would help.

The second, little, tiny, speck of an issue is that bit of fur on the left side of the frame. Either clone or crop out the bit of tree trying to get in the frame.

Rad

[lomond]

I like this, nice composition and colours.
I'll tell you what I find strange......the contrast of the reflected mountains is greater than the actual mountains.

[dancad]

I agree about the tree peeking out on the top left. I'd maybe also try to add some sky as I feel the tallest tree on the right is too close to touching the top of the photo. Otherwise it's pretty much a winner!

[Richard51]

Thanks everyone for your kind words and sound advice. I think my problem is with the actual mountains and the reflection also Cameron. There is just something a little out of focus or something on the actual mountains, ....or they are soft? I can't really put my finger on it. I'll keep working with it. And thanks again.

[Hellashot]

Is it slightly crooked or is that an optical illusion?

[csondagar]

I like the photo and its sharpness. There is one thing that just look right to me or on my monitor. In the reflection the whites of snow looks whiter than on the real mountain. Any selective processing done on reflection area?

[Richard51]

I like the photo and its sharpness. There is one thing that just look right to me or on my monitor. In the reflection the whites of snow looks whiter than on the real mountain. Any selective processing done on reflection area?

I've done no post processing other than a small crop at the top, which I now know I should have cropped from the sides as well and left a little more sky on top. Otherwise, the pic is just as it came from the camera. I think the reason for the problem you mentioned is that the sky right above the mountais appears a little blown out. I don't know if the snow cap causes that or not. Also, there was a lot of wind on the mountains that day and the snow was blowing off the tops. Look at the mountain on the left and you will see what I mean. I just purchased JASC Pro 9 photoshop and have not yet received my instructions for operation, so I'm very limited in what I can do at the moment.
Thanks to all for your observations and advice. I appreciate it.

[Radtech1]

I hope that you don't mind. I took the liberty of boosing the intensity, with an emphasis on the area above the lake. When I did that, it blew out the snow on the mountian, so to retun the local contrast, I copied and flipped the reflection of the mountian and then nudged the contrast a bit. I also cloned out the tree on the left.

Please don't take this as a "this is how you SHOULD", but rather, as "this is what I would do if it were mine."

Rad