Red Rock Quarry

[RSL]

.

[luxborealis]

Beautiful rock, but the photo comes across as a snap from the roadside as opposed to the work you usually share with us.

[RSL]

You're right, Terry. It's exactly that, a snap from the roadside. But the road is a path and a long climb, especially with a camera and tripod., and I've been up there again and again waiting for an open sky behind me and a reasonably good cloud formation in front of me. So let's look at the Ansel version of the picture. That better?

[petermfiore]

It feels a bit uninspired, either way.

Peter

[luxborealis]

It feels a bit uninspired, either way.

Peter

Agreed.

[RSL]

Well, after all, it's landscape, Terry.

[luxborealis]

Well, after all, it's landscape, Terry.

"Them's fighting' words!"

[William Walker]

It feels a bit uninspired, either way.

Peter

Hi Russ - I much prefer the B&W version, it certainly adds to what otherwise, as the other guys have said, a not too interesting subject.

I always found the "medium size" landscapes the most difficult. The grand big ones and the intimate small ones seem easier to take. I would bet that there must be something really interesting much closer to all those cut rock surfaces...

William

[petermfiore]

Well, after all, it's landscape, Terry.

From the hand of RSL...

Peter

[RSL]

I always found the "medium size" landscapes the most difficult. The grand big ones and the intimate small ones seem easier to take.

Right, William. The big stuff is always easier, and you also can make life easier by concentrating on a very well-defined subject. If I take the trouble to walk in close to that quarry face on the left, with the short flight of steps carved into the rock, I'll end up with at least the equivalent of Ansel's El Capitan, provided I can increase the contrast enough.

In the meantime, here's some big stuff. This one got put on a local tourist brochure.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... a not too interesting subject...

The subject is interesting. After all, it's a Half Dome. The interpretation, however...

[mal mcilwraith]

Some subjects are easy to make look good - this subject is more difficult and yet it's a subject that is fundamentally interesting from where I sit.

I have never been there so won't hazard a guess at how to do it better Russ.

Guess it is good to get us thinking about some of these more challenging motifs.



Mal

[RSL]

Let's hear from Slobodan. I gather from what he said that he knows how to improve the "interpretation."

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Let's hear from Slobodan. I gather from what he said that he knows how to improve the "interpretation."

Russ, as you often state, a photograph is made at the moment of pressing the shutter. Whether it can be improved in post is a matter of debate (I think it can), but as you often say as well, no amount of post processing "magic" can save a blah photo.

Interpretation - the one I am talking about, however, starts even before you press the shutter, with a choice of subject, standpoint, lens, exposure, weather, lighting, etc. None of which can be significantly improved in post.

A road-side snapshot of landscape is no better than a "tourist" shot of street.

[RSL]

A road-side snapshot of landscape is no better than a "tourist" shot of street.

Of course! Why didn't I think of that? That explains why "Moonrise Over Hernandez" is so bad. Ansel shot it from the roadside. Even worse, he shot it from his vehicle.

[petermfiore]

Of course! Why didn't I think of that? That explains why "Moonrise Over Hernandez" is so bad. Ansel shot it from the roadside. Even worse, he shot it from his vehicle.

Not Quite!!! Because something is shot from a roadside doesn't make it automatically bad. Adams is an inspired work for all the right reasons and your example was not.

Peter

[RSL]

Thanks, Peter. You may not like this picture, but you made my point. "Roadside" has nothing to do with it.

[James Clark]

Thanks, Peter. You may not like this picture, but you made my point. "Roadside" has nothing to do with it.

This is about the Winogrand/monkey cam thread, eh?    I'm not sure that snapping one of the same vistas as Adams did, and incurring the minimal amount of work possible to do so, is really the final word in the debate

[RSL]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say, James. Sounds as if you're suggesting this is something Adams shot?

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Of course! Why didn't I think of that? That explains why "Moonrise Over Hernandez" is so bad. Ansel shot it from the roadside. Even worse, he shot it from his vehicle.

To shoot like HCB all one needs is to buy a Leica. To shoot like AA all one needs is to shoot roadside from a vehicle. Duh! Why didn't I think of that earlier?