Distant observations: Babia Gora mnt seen from Krakow
Our visit to Zakrzowek area in Krakow, at the top of the most prominent climbing rock Baba Yaga's Nose, aimed to capture the Wawel Castle from a rare perspective, as the distance from Zakrzowek to Wawel in a straight line is about 2.1 km. However, after climbing the rock, we noticed that mountain Babia Gora is towering over our district... and yet, Babia is 59 km away! The result of this photo walk is therefore my first recorded distant observation, and from the area where I live, surprisngly. Now, looking at this photo, I even feel like saying that I live and work at the foot of Babia mountain. And speaking of living at the foot of the Babia, this is a reason for property prices in the area to double. However, I reserve the exclusive right to this manipulation and will sue any appartment builders who uses it in their advertising! ;)
Distant observations require not only perfectly clear air, but also relatively low temperatures. Air quality is an obvious factor, as air pollution and humidity reduce color intensity and the photos appear somewhat gray and washed out. Polluted air also results in loss of detail. When it's too warm, the image details become distorted. This is due to the varying refractive indices of air at different temperatures. The photo below is indeed somewhat ragged and washed out, with a lack of detail that makes it appear somewhat unsharp. However, on the other hand, Babia is more visible due to the snow that still covers its northern slopes. In a few months, during winter, I'll be waiting for a cold and windy day to photograph not only a clearer Babia, but also Tatra Mountains.