Critique Watching storms go by on the Devil's Point, Cairngorms

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Alastair
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Recently back from a three day trip in the Cairngorms where we were staying in Bothys. This isn't my usual style of photo, but the moody light from the storm with the sunlight on the river really caught my eye.

Would love some critique about alternative editing styles, there is plenty of shadow detail that I could use. However, personally I feel that the darkness adds to the drama, and is what I was going for when I took the photo.


Moody light around the storms
by Alastair Begley, on Flickr

Thanks in advance

Al
 
I think a touch of detail in the black hill at the right hand edge would work too. I would also be interested in trying it as a mono. I find the blue top right also draws my eye and I wonder how it would be if you lost that. Lots of potential in this shot.
 
I think a touch of detail in the black hill at the right hand edge would work too. I would also be interested in trying it as a mono. I find the blue top right also draws my eye and I wonder how it would be if you lost that. Lots of potential in this shot.
I hadn't even considered mono, that's a great idea! I will also see if I can add a bit of detail back in on the right.

thanks for the critique
 
I think a touch of detail in the black hill at the right hand edge would work too. I would also be interested in trying it as a mono. I find the blue top right also draws my eye and I wonder how it would be if you lost that. Lots of potential in this shot.
Here is an attempt at both of your suggestions. I think I prefer this version.

Moody light around the storms
by Alastair Begley, on Flickr
 
Looks grand... how's about a thin stroke line to hold in the clouds?
 
If you add a thin line of 2 or 4 pixels around the whole image, it would hold the image in at the top.
 
The colour image is superb, really gives the feel of a big mountain storm. I'd just give a little detail in front left and right - not enough to pull the eye from the river - and darken the sky at top above the river, and desaturate the blue in the top rh corner.
 
I really like the top image, especially the transition from colour to effectively monochrome and the blackness of the hills. The colourfulness of the sky works for me too, because it's where the eye starts instead of the bottom as normal, then as you look down through the image it gets better and better.
 
Works well in colour and mono but for the mono a slight darkening of the midtones in the sky to pull more details would be great
 
If you add a thin line of 2 or 4 pixels around the whole image, it would hold the image in at the top.

The colour image is superb, really gives the feel of a big mountain storm. I'd just give a little detail in front left and right - not enough to pull the eye from the river - and darken the sky at top above the river, and desaturate the blue in the top rh corner.

I really like the top image, especially the transition from colour to effectively monochrome and the blackness of the hills. The colourfulness of the sky works for me too, because it's where the eye starts instead of the bottom as normal, then as you look down through the image it gets better and better.

Works well in colour and mono but for the mono a slight darkening of the midtones in the sky to pull more details would be great

thank you all for your help. Have combined some of the bits of advice for my final image. Really appreciate you all taking the time to help.
 
I really like the shot, personally though I would crop away a shed load of the sky and a fraction from the left hand side. See what you think.
 
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