Kieu-Hanh Vu  


Floating Avatar Mountains by Kieu-Hanh Vu

October 2026 - Floating Avatar Mountains

About the Image(s)

This image was captured in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan, China last year. Thousands of dramatic, misty peaks inspired the floating Hallelujah Mountains in James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi film “Avatar”. The 1,080-meter Southern Sky Column was officially renamed Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in 2010. Minor enhancements using Snapseed apps.


10 comments posted




Cindy Bilinsky   Cindy Bilinsky
You have captured an interesting image. The mist floating through the mountain adds mystery and makes me want to know what is behind the mist. The foreground adds interest and shows the beautiful texture of the mountains and trees.   Posted: 10/05/2026 01:42:16
Kieu-Hanh Vu   Kieu-Hanh Vu
Thanks for your comments, Cindy!   Posted: 10/10/2026 11:58:41



Andres Valdespino   Andres Valdespino
Kieu-Hanh, this is a very nice composition, with the towers in the foreground and the mountains in the clouds in the background. My overall sense, however is that it is a bit muted. I took the liberty of bringing it into Photoshop and using the Camera Raw Filter, increased contrast, shadows, and textures, and cropped the top to eliminate a bit of the sky. What do you think?   Posted: 10/08/2026 02:33:56
Comment Image



Kieu-Hanh Vu   Kieu-Hanh Vu
I appreciate your feedback and your edits, Andres! Your edits make the foreground very sharp. I've been thinking about the overall scene is a bit muted but I think that it matches with the dense fog in the high mountains. Will the sharp foreground contrast with the foggy scene? Let see what others think.   Posted: 10/10/2026 12:29:39



Ruth Sprain   Ruth Sprain
Kieu-Hanh, the columns of Avatar Hallelujah Mountain are certainly unique, and the fog gives the scene an unworldly look. I can see why they inspired the Avatar setting. The mist has muted the overall look as shown in your photo. I agree with Andres that more contrast helps define the peaks more. I wonder if the level of contrast could be between what your photo shows and what Andres displayed. That way, some of the mystery of the mist is retained while the details are shown more clearly.   Posted: 10/10/2026 20:02:20
Kieu-Hanh Vu   Kieu-Hanh Vu
Thanks for your comments, Ruth! Good suggestion to enhance the contrast a bit more to show the details but still retain the mist.   Posted: 10/10/2026 22:23:19



Robert Coleman   Robert Coleman
Another great shot. I like the contrast that Andres added   Posted: 10/11/2026 22:16:16
Kieu-Hanh Vu   Kieu-Hanh Vu
Thank you for your feedback, Robert!   Posted: 10/23/2026 04:04:18



Mary Ann Carrasco   Mary Ann Carrasco
Kieu-Hanh, I always like "misty" images and this is lovely with the sky, peaks, greenery and the fog running through. It can be a bit brought out, but I do think you want to retain the feel of the mist throughout the image. One way is to mask the areas you want to add contrast to and that way it is not a global edit. Beautiful image. And, thank you for the interesting facts about the location.   Posted: 10/16/2026 17:37:29
Kieu-Hanh Vu   Kieu-Hanh Vu
Thank you for those thoughtful remarks, Mary Ann!   Posted: 10/23/2026 04:07:23



 

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