A Place in the Clouds, a photo from North-West Frontier, West

Photographer's Note

Army Rest House, Mallam Jabba, situated at 9000 feet above sea level in North-West Pakistan. It is a Ski resort and a popular summer destination.
Photo was processed using The GIMP ver. 2.0.5 as follows :
1. A second layer was added to the original image.
2. Brightness and contrast adjusted on the second layer to give it an overexposed look highliting details in the dark areas using the Levels tool.
3. A gradient layer mask was added to the second layer masking the clouds.
4. Second layer was set as Overlay with an opacity of 75%.
5. Image was flattened.
6. Unsharp mask was applied. (radius : 75, amount:40%, threshold:0)
Plz compare with the original snap available in workshops. commments and suggestions are welcome. Thanx

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Critiques | Translate

klima (11) 2004-12-04 18:59

Hello Dr Azarhayat. Yes, I agree that you did the right thing with the workshop because the sky is so dramatic. The details of the compound, the stairs, and the people on the stairs are now all visible and so now they command an appropriate focus of attention.

I think your composition is excellent.
I find that the sky and the main building work well together. There is a dramatic contrast between invitation and danger, in both the buildings and the sky. The sky has a menacing quality to it as well as bits of blue. The main entrance is inviting, contrasted with the tower at the top, which looks like a defensive guard tower.

There is also an interesting flow created by the horizontal lines separating the garden, the vertical of the stairs, and the tower reaching into the circulating clouds.