A few shots from a recent backpacking trip

I've got a few more edits done from a recent backpacking trip I took into the Mount Rainier National Park here in WA a few weeks ago. I'd be curious to get some opinions on the shots in general or the editing, etc.. It is not very often that I process my photos this way, so it is kind of new to me. Usually I just get them processed/cleaned up asap to share with family and friends and don't spend much time trying to make them more "art" rather than "snapshot".

These were all shot with my Tamron 17-50

1 - Sun sets on camp
Canon EOS 70D, f/8 @ 17 mm, 1/60, ISO 100

Stunning ! Just stunning .........

no 2 , love it.

All of these are just fantastic. Color and composition are great! Are any of these HDR? If not you did great job and nailed the exposure. Great set!

Hey thanks guys. No HDR on any of these. Wish I could say that I got the exposure right during the shot, but I rely on RAW and post processing to fix. I generally purposely under expose so I don't blow out the sky and even still on #2 it was close, I think. I still mostly shoot in aperture priority (Av).

Either way, I'm glad you like the final images!

Beautiful work; #2 is my fav but they are all really above average.

Dude... #2... Seriously want that on my wall...

Agreed #2 is sweet and the curving trail just puts icing on the cake for me.

I can't see anything else I would do with that shot.

The others are OK (well they are actually nice, but OK compared with #2 and the previous shot you posted), I don't seen anything that screams at me, but I would tilt the first one 1-1.5 deg to the right. You may well have had the camera level, but with the trees leaning to the left and clouds billowing on the right I think is could use the tilt.

The last one I would have shot much tighter on the mountain and hut or crop it tighter. The composition is nice in that you managed to not line up any 'features' vertically (including light grass areas etc..).

Processing overall looks good to me. Any differences are in the 'personal' opinion category.

I definitely think it is worth your time processing these 'properly'. They are not 'snapshot' quality, neither the light or the compositions.

I want to see more of your shots - you don't have a link to Flickr or anything. I guess you should go back to some previous trips photos and start processing them too and put them up somewhere.

EDIT: the more I look at #3 the more I like it with a tighter crop.

These are very nice!

2 is really eyecatching.

No biggie, but I think you have over darkened the sky - looks like you applied an exposure reducing gradient filter at the top?

ejenner wrote in post #17149322
I want to see more of your shots - you don't have a link to Flickr or anything. I guess you should go back to some previous trips photos and start processing them too and put them up somewhere.

ejenner, I appreciate your detailed reviews/responses, thank you! I'll take a look at the tilt on #1 and while I like the crop you suggested for #3 I don't know if I like it more than the original. Something seems missing to me, I'm going to look at it some more.

This happened to be my first backpacking trip and getting sun rise/set shots really made it different and special.

You are right, I don't have flickr, but I can share my zenfolio site with you. It is mostly used for family stuff, but I have an open part ("Post-Processing" section) with some more of my shots: http://bmaps.zenfolio.​com, thanks for looking!

Also, I do share some of my other stuff, but mainly only to share with family and with friends on FB. I share here when I'm not sure that I'm doing something right, I'm trying something new or I feel like I've got something kind of unique. I very much consider myself a novice...

Yes definitely exposure gradient on the skies. Do you think all are too dark or just the one in particular? I thought maybe I went a little too dark on 1 or 3, but not 2.

Thank you everyone else for the compliments!

I think a bit dark at the top in all 3 - more noticeable in 2 as it is such a good photo!

great shots and what a gorgeous area!

Print #2 and hang it on the wall. Just stunning!!!

I like 1 the best. Maybe pan to the right a smidgeon so that the sun is about 1/2" more to the left.

#2 I feel like I'd like to see the rest of the pond that got cut off at the bottom, so maybe zoom out a little.

Brandon
I like all three but #2 is Awesome.