land of the big sky, a photo from Utah, West

Photographer's Note

even though it's Montana that is supposed to be the "big sky State", so far Utah tops my list of big sky places. last year I already posted a photo with sky falling down in southwestern Utah, here's a minimalistic prelude to that performance. we were the only people in sight on top of a plateau near Zion National Park, so I like to think this performance was meant just for us.

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RAW, ISO 100, NDgrad filter, 20mm focal length, spot metering.

sevy, pauloog, jimkil, Sistercosmo, feather, Pascale, Gerrit, bostankorkulugu, archimatica, Charo, delpeoples, riclopes, gunbud, Angshu, patdeph has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

yquem46 (38752) 2010-01-05 6:37

hello Kristine
As far as Big Sky is concerned, it's true that Utah must be pretty much alike Montana!
Though i prefer to keep this logo for Montana where the sky is big big big... like in the following post: http://www.trekearth.com/viewphotos.php?l=5&p=1078309
A nice compo here where the green land just underlines the main subject
Best wishes for 2010
patrick

sevy (58) 2010-01-05 6:58

Hello Kristine,

Good start for 2010 and the year of tiger (my year also). What a sky! Exactly the kind of wide and wild landscape I like to live.
I see you used a ND grad filter. I am using it more and more. It helps a lot to get details and good light rendering in the sky.

Yves.

Greg1949 (9011) 2010-01-05 7:03

You have a steady hand Kristine, I doubt I could hold as steady as this without my tripod. Great color and I love how the feeling of BIG comes across as a result of your framing. Great work.

Greg

LOOOK13 (19046) 2010-01-05 7:22

Salut Kristine.
Ces nuages sont fantastiques et merveilleux, le contraste entre ces couleurs est tr廥 beau, le petit bois est tr廥 bien plac�, du tr廥 bon travail.
Bravo.

Infamous (119) 2010-01-05 7:47

excellent light!

rlrad (1845) 2010-01-05 8:13

Hi Kristine,

Nice exposure of that sky! The polarizer really helped bring out the clouds. I like the composition, too, your photo looks like it should be hanging on a wall.

Happy New Year!
Reed

supi4u (601) 2010-01-05 9:53

Hi Kristine

You play wonderful with light and shadow. Stunning cloud. Good exposure and lighting and gr8 sharpness.
TFS
-Supriya

dkeus31 (27739) 2010-01-05 10:55

Hi Kristine
that's agreat and terrific sky, photogenic!
also some remaining colors on the foreground and the row of trees makes it to a winner
congrats
didier

manudautriche (4348) 2010-01-05 11:32

Hi Kristine,
Superbe ciel charg� et inqui彋ant avec des couleurs sombre tr鋊 r徼ssi,bravo.
Bye
Manu

jimkil (1706) 2010-01-05 12:36

One word for this cloud formation - superb
HNY
Jim

vasilpro (41801) 2010-01-05 12:38

Hello Kristine,
Wonderful natural composition with great cloudy sky, lovely colors and light management, picturesque landscape, beautiful atmosphere. TFS!
Have a nice evening, Vasilis.

Sistercosmo (242) 2010-01-05 13:37

Hi Kristine,

WHOA!! What can I say about this fabulous shot? I'm glad that you got it. Really well done, Kristine, I love it!

Take good care,
Linda

Bartleby (13552) 2010-01-05 14:47

Hi Kristine,

I'm amazed how much detail there is in those clouds. Makes it all the more impressive.

All the best for the new year!

Philippe

Wandering_Dan (3449) 2010-01-05 16:43

Hi, Kristine -

Have you been to Montana? It's the combination of huge open plains and the high altitude (4,000 feet) that makes it feel like big sky country.

Still, this shot qualifies as a "big sky" for the clouds and the drama in the sky. Good capture and well framed.

Best,
Dan

Waylim (25436) 2010-01-05 18:38

Hi Kristine,
What a fantastic display of drama in the sky. I love the 3 dimensional quality of the clouds. Though is seem a rather simple and minimalist composition, there is so much details and element to appreciate. Good choice to include so much of the sky the slim layer of land give a essence of panoramic view of wide open without cropping it. It works wonderfully here. I love it. Thanks.

In response to your planned trip.
I would have love to be in South/Central America again, but I guess my next trip will be in Asia somewhere, not sure yet. Peru is just wonderful. I would love to go back one day. So little time and Money.
Way

delkoo (68) 2010-01-06 4:00

hi kristine
what an awesome shot! Great cloudy sky...and such a beautiful scenary.
Well done,

didier

dta (98848) 2010-01-06 6:35

Hello Kristine ,
Wow ! What a sky ! I like a lot clouds , and these ones are wonderful . They are perfectly polarized in this shot .
Bravo

claudio74 (7263) 2010-01-06 9:58

Hello Kristine
Simple view but well managed, the sky is nice with beautiful clouds.
Well done
regards
Claude

PixelTerror (0) 2010-01-06 10:04

Hi Kristine
A nice landscape with some light at ground level and a superb dramatic sky over it, image gains lots of volume from it
Happy New Year !
JY

baba_flies (8829) 2010-01-06 11:34

Hello Kristine! THESE skies, they both "have" it and should put it on their number plates. You have done such a wonderful job showing us SPACE. I am not saying that I could live here and I guess it is nothing for a free mind if you had to put up with living in one of these strange villages but it is wonderful to breathe in some of this land, heaven for your eyes. A beautiful beautiful photo. Bye for now, Barbara.

feather (51130) 2010-01-06 11:45

Truly amazing sky! The detail in the clouds has been captured the best it could be. With a sky like this who needs vast tracts of land!? You added just enough to give the image a base. Excellent!
Kath

Pascale (10456) 2010-01-07 9:07

Bonjour Kristine
Une composition parfaitement r徼ssie pour honorer ce fantastique ciel.Juste ce qu'il faut de terre color嶪 pour le mettre en valeur .Bravo c'est superbe
Amiti廥
pascale

rikko77 (10861) 2010-01-07 9:11

Kristine
what I like the most in this pic is the sky: impressive, enhanced by the good use of your 20mm lens with filter. Great technique, great pic!
Have a good day
Rikk

BeBeHooker (0) 2010-01-07 9:54

Hi Kristine!
Wonderful low horizon. Superb clouds. Fantastic lightness. Good shot. Nice frame.
Cheers!

Gerrit (62042) 2010-01-08 12:59

Hi Kristine,
what a fantastic sky and light and what a beautiful landscape and photo.
Excellent.
regards, Gerrit

siam2005 (1566) 2010-01-08 13:28

Incredible clouds in this shot. There are a lot of spectacular storms.
The light is excellent.
Great work!
Ciao
Anna

gneufeld (15890) 2010-01-08 19:24

Hi Kristine,
Beautiful big sky country - love the prominence you gave to the sky with minimal land perspective to give balance and depth. Awesome colors too. Well done and TFS. Gerald

bostankorkulugu (42866) 2010-01-08 23:27

well thanks for sharing this performance with us then... looks like a special one indeed... the stormy weather, the 3D clouds and the group of trees out there, they all rule together, in perfect harmony...

kisses

K

archimatica (20648) 2010-01-09 2:35

Hi, Avene.
Your photos are pure emotion.
This picture, despite the simplicity of the subject, is magic. Great technique and skills.
Congrats
Renzo

ciakgiak (30) 2010-01-09 9:27

Hello Kristine,
really superb, no more words, what a landscape and a superb sky! I like a lot how you composed the scene, with a great part of sky!
Congratulations, have a great WE.
Giorgio

serp2000 (47063) 2010-01-12 3:48

Hi, Kristine,
Superb! I like your shot of the clouds! Excellent sharpness, very interesting structure. Good capture!
All the best wishes,
Serghei

Charo (51290) 2010-01-12 16:45

Hello Kristine,
Impressive sky with clouds threatening very well defined. At the bottom of the image seems to already raining. Excellent perspective and wonderful light.
Best regards,
Charo

delpeoples (60342) 2010-01-13 1:17

Hi Kristine, this composition and framing are so original. The sky is huge and you have brought that home to us so stunningly. I also like the parts you can see where the sky has opened up and rain is falling. Excellent metering, use of the grad filter to achieve this artistic and very dramatic shot. And happy new year my dear girl! Hugs, Lisa

riclopes (35577) 2010-01-13 4:22

Ol� Kristine, for a 95% city person you have a big amount of wonderful landscape pictures in your gallery ;-) This is an amazing cloudy sky indeed. Superb minimalist composition, the show of clouds performing a nice 3D effect of explosion. I believe it's rainning in the distance. Great clarity of image, excellent exposure on those white clouds.
best,
ric

eversmile (11636) 2010-01-13 9:01

Hi Kristina!
An amazing compo, with a glorious light, really impressive with this large portion of sky filled of threatening clouds. I like very much the contrasts of colors, the dramatic mood. Great work!
Regards
Marine

gunbud (34066) 2010-01-13 15:01

Hi Kristine,
Wonderfully dramatic sky looming over the vast western plains.
The shape, thickness and textures to these giant is magnificent.
Love the bits of blue peaking through and the rich gold and green grasses below.
Regards, Tom

Angshu (56760) 2010-01-14 6:59

Hello Kristine
What clouds...what a sky! Justifies your action of filling almost 4/5 of the frame height with the dramatic sky. Fine contrast with the slice of land and yes, the line of trees in the distance adds a lot to the beauty. It does look that the clouds are breaking in the far distance poring the water over the distant earth. Excellent shot!
Best,
Angshu

patdeph (35750) 2010-01-14 12:19

hello Kristine
Woooow!What a fantastic sky!Absolutly marvelous!With such a sky,impossible to say that it's a minimalist picture,there are so many things see inside : the light,the colors ,the different clouds,their relief!I also love the curve of the landscape and it's decentered forest!Superb!
Regards
Pascale

Longroute (19600) 2010-01-15 3:50

Very fine clouds which give a special inprint to the image.
I like that thin stripe of land with warm colours which contrast with the sy.
Clear and incisive.

Regards,
Donato

batalay (41261) 2010-01-25 13:18

Hello Kristina,

This is an extraordinary image. You do indeed see the big sky in Montana, and several other Western States. As for the small group of trees, they are reminiscent of the "clumps" dotting England, would you agree?

Warm regards,

Bulent

Vanessa132 (94) 2011-02-26 1:17

Hello Kristine,
very impressive sky ...really like it!
the contrast between the sky and the land is very beautiful.Nice atmosphere...
regards,
Vanessa