Cape Town

This photo of Cape Town was taken on 2009-10-29 from the top of Table Mountain, near Maclear's Beacon. I've taken many photos from the top of Table Mountain, but this one stands out for me. The things I like about it are:

* Composition: the bright white clouds (top) and mountain rocks (bottom) frame the city. The blue of Table Bay forms an arc beyond the city. 

* Lines: Lion's Head and Signal Hill form an upward-slanting line to the right. The middle mountain rock, Signal Hill, and Robben Island form a center vertical line. The boundaries of the city appear as a diamond here.

* Colors: My polarizing filter brought out the deepness of the ocean blue, the brightness of the clouds, and the richness of the many greens in the photo. 

* Masking: I like the way the clouds blend into and slightly obscure the shore beyond. I'm not a Photoshop user, but the clouds remind me of how a feathered-edge mask interacts with the rest of its image.