Care to help a beginner? - Doi Chiang Dao

I've decided it's time for me to learn to take better landscape photos, and I'd love to have the help of those of you who are good at it. Comments/critiques/sug​gestions please.

This was a rather overcast day (just my luck?) and I had no tripod with me, so had to stay within handheld limits.
The foot of Doi Chiang Dao in northern Thailand.

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I think the picture is quite nice. It definately would have worked out better had you been able to use a tripod. You would have been able to take a longer shot so that you got more detail in the actual landscape. I do like the sky though in this picture, very dark and forboading. Perhaps a GND filter would allow you to keep that sky while allowing a brighter landscape, not sure.

None the less, its a good picture. I think you're off to a great start for your landscapes. Hope to see more of them.

Thank you very much for your comments Geoff.

I realized I'd fogotten to put the tripod in the car about 30 minutes out. If I'd been alone I would have gone back for it. Quite frustrating.

I definitely want a GND filter. I asked about them in this forum several weeks back and got great responses. I have been looking all over this little town for what I want to no avail. I think I will have to order from abroad...

Thanks again for your comments. I hope I'll have more to share soon.

There's enough detail in that shot to bring up the shadows and make it a very pleasing photo. As is its just too dark in my opinion.

Keep up the work ...

Thanks for that. I struggled with this very problem. I've actually darkened the foreground a bit because it looked quite yellow. I'll try again with it lighter.

On that subject - I had a lot of trouble with yellow/green saturation in this image. When I got it just right to my eye and saved it, the jpg file was a different color even though both were sRGB. What causes that? Eventually I set it to proof monitor RGB, readjusted it and saved again to get it "right".

Most likely has to do with the Color Parameter your editing application is set at. I use No Color Management in Photoshop Elements 4.0.

Hi Athena
I've had a look at your web site. You're a pro!
Won't be long before we're being taught by you.
Your learning curve will be very shallow.
All the best from the chilly, wet and windy Highlands of Scotland.
Paul

Its awefully dark on my monitor...

Having seen much of your macro work I know you can take superb images, Athena. The main reason this isn't one of them is the huge difference in light levels you had to contend with. Until you get your ND grads this kind of subject will challenge even you.

Compositionally, you could have used the road to better effect...to draw the eye up and across a bit through the scene, rather than merely upwards. Maybe a different camera angle, to allow the road to travel thru some of the shot and still keeping some of the framing effect of the tree.

Looks nice.

PM sent

I really like it. It fixes real easy in Photoshop with Shadow/highlight but I understand getting it they way you want out of the camera. Nice work, good composition IMO.

Wow - a bunch of excellent responses. Thanks guys.

Seaboarder and Mike - couple of charmers, hey? thanks for the ego boost. After looking through my latest landscape attempts, I needed that! I'm working on the grads. Anyone want to send me some from the 1st world? lol

Wilt - I was hoping someone would hit on that road. I wanted badly to make it work. I can see this is going to take some practice.

Dimitri - thank you for the PM, will respond there.

Titus and Superdiver - I think I will have another play with this in PS. Definitely does need to be lightened. Throughout or selectively?

Hi Athena
I have a calibrated monitor and I never adjust brightness to suit any image.
If it is too dark or too light that is the way it is.
On my screen your shot is way too dark, however, in PS I'm sure there is a lot of colour and detail to be extracted.
Have fun fiddling.
Paul