Five in a Row - my eclectic mix

It does have a satisfying sense of recession. The foreground is brighter and it naturally lets our eye take in the background as a backdrop to that. I find these quite compelling, solid granite peaks (I presume) with weight and a sense of grandeur.

I love the lighting in this, the detail in the rocks and the almost 'Red Filter' sky (for those who remember using film :wink
Of course a couple of climbers would give it scale but for me it's about those towering peaks and the light

David/Simon - I take your point about the limited perspective with this approach. However, without the longer lens you wouldn't be able to see the cross on the top of the mountain!

Joe - I use a variety of the presets as a starting point, for this one I started with Full Spectrum and then tweaked until I got to where I wanted to be.

I find it has good depth also, a very striking image, great clarity and the wispy snow drifts on the to give motion and drama. Great 2nd shot!

A great image with wonderful detail and texture, as others have said. I do find my eye dwelling in the foreground, I assume because it's the brightest.

Would toning down the foreground highlights and lifting the shadows of the background help to lead you through the image and give it a sense of depth?

I don't know!!

Barrie - Thanks for the suggestion - it's not something that i had thought of doing.

All - thanks for the comments. the Dolomites are are a stunning mountain range, and if you haven't visited them, then I would recommend it - summer or winter, the local food's not bad either!

Phil

#3 - Stove Vineyard




Sticking with Italy, but this time in Tuscany. We see lots of images of Tuscany (no surprise there), normally in colour, but I happen to like B&W. I found this vineyard close to where I stayed, and was struck by the potential for a B&W image because of the way the light reflected off the vines according to how they were laid out. I was also influenced by some great clouds overhead.

Taken in June with K-5iiS and A50mm f1.7 at f16 and 1/100th.

I'm not completely convinced by this one, but it has something that appeals to me - maybe it's just the memory?

Phil

Cracking shot, this one, I don't think I would have taken it any different.
There are many layers in this, the foreground vines with their stems followed by the section of leaves then the sweeping lines of the rows of vines, trees and then that wonderful sky, it makes me want to see more, for example a panorama

I love this, Phil - the clashing curves and contours create an interesting whole and I think it's very nicely balanced. I'm lucky enough to have visited Tuscany on several occasions - albeit not since 1997 (the last time I covered a motor racing event at Mugello) - and stupid enough not to have taken any photos...

I would like to see a colour rendition, just out of interest, but its mono charms are ample.

it leads you back and forth in a zig zag from the faint curves to the right in the grass bottom left across to the right back up to the left then right again with that huge expanse of pattern and finally that sky , terrific.

Its good but as a landscape it doesn't excite as much as your mountain picture. The lines and textures are all there but I can't help thinking that in an image such as this colour might have been a better choice than black and white.
David

PPG: http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/artists/davidtrout

Simon/David

Here's the colour version.




It's probably in need of a little more work as a colour image as I went to B&W fairly quickly with this one.

Phil

Now that , to me , is better !

Just look at the variations of green you have there - from the very dark green of the trees to the light yellowy of the vines where the sun hits them.

Not for me I'm afraid, this just looks dull and flat, maybe a 'levels' tweak would help but for me the picture is about patterns textures and the sky

The B&W is more punchy but I prefer the colour