B.E.A.Utiful! :-) My new favourite desktop! Wish I could take such a great shot!

Improve it? Take more shots at different times of day and keep submitting. Great stuff! :-)

Great landscape shot. Timing would have been critical with cloud movement.

Would have worked a treat with a bracketed Exposure Fusion, or even with the dreaded HDR, (as long as the tone mapping was kept in check).

The exposure gives this image a kind of day-break feel, as if the sun was just peeking over another mountain to the right of the picture and a small beam of light is penetrating through the darkness. I believe that is what the author was aiming for. The composition is the only thing that makes this photograph acceptable.

However, the sky gives away the fact that it isn't dawn. The image is way too under-exposed, and the contrast is way too over-extenuated to the point where I can't even tell if this image is real or not. My suggestion: Don't rely too heavily on image editing software. Photos can be beautiful without enhancing the features digitally.

There's something very cool about tucking the water down at the bottom like that. Gives the composition a wide, grandiose vibe.

I do sort of agree with Jareed's criticism, though. The image feels a bit dark. Maybe bringing out some of the details in the mountain could give this one a little extra balance?

Other than that, nice work. I love those subtle sun rays.

Thank you. I agree its a bit dark, especially on my work monitor.

The original exposure is brighter and has more details in the mountain.

I love this picture. I'm from Colorado, Colorado Springs, and this is just beautiful.

This is the image I think of now when I hear the words "sweeping vista". Absolutely majestic.