Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Landscape & Nature Photography => Topic started by: maddogmurph on April 18, 2016, 10:01:23 pm

Title: Pastel Calmness
Post by: maddogmurph on April 18, 2016, 10:01:23 pm
It's actually quite incredible the lengths photographers go to in order to obtain an image. I think many people take short dabbles into the arts of photography. Everyone has a camera attached to their smart phone these days, and those cameras are capable of incredible results. One of the photographers I admire greatly shoots nothing but a Samsung phone but always with interesting perspective, technique, and you could say he has an eye for it. I think many people want to have an eye for it, but then developing this creative talent is actually quite hard work. It's just like gardening, as you plant creative ideas, they grow, and then they change, and take on a life of their own.

Part of the frustrating art of photography is when the shots I thought were sure to be great, don't end up that way. The thing with photography is failure is much more common than success. Out of maybe 500 images I hope for one or two photographs that are worth showing to the world.

This photograph is a panoramic stitch, and it's the only way to accomplish extraordinarily high resolution. The image is about 1GB total, and could be printed extremely large with fantastic sharp results. It's four photographs combined, and each of these photographs is actually quite amazing and beautiful in itself.

To get to this location I needed a high clearance off roading vehicle. It's a special remote place, that few are fortunate to get to, and requires incredible resources, and timing to accomplish. Error here can result in death, or thousands of dollars in towing expenses. Fortunately the sand was hardened by rain less than a few days earlier, and even so my vehicle lost traction, and there were moments of fear of getting stuck. The thing is at the end of the day being in the place is spiritual. The photograph really doesn't do the experience justice, but I try my best to share what these beautiful places are like.

I was contemplating a crop here. And one of the unfortunate things is that the far left frame I stitched in, is about 80% sharp. Of course you can't tell on the small file, or a web file, but if I printed this large, I'd probably have to crop that frame out, or work on balancing the sharpness somehow. The small file doesn't really do this justice, but that's nearly always the case.
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on April 18, 2016, 11:57:56 pm
Beautiful image. Calmness is not the emotion it evokes in me. What a wondrous place that must be.
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: stamper on April 19, 2016, 03:23:12 am
My first thought was ... wow! Definitely worth the effort because the image is first class.
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on April 19, 2016, 03:42:17 am
It's a lovely photograph of an amazing place. Will you tell us where you were?

Jeremy
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Paulo Bizarro on April 19, 2016, 04:00:30 am
Very good photo. Looks like the Badlands?
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Miles on April 19, 2016, 08:47:56 am
Quite nice!
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Bob_B on April 19, 2016, 08:54:11 am
Beautiful and so serene. Those rose-colored tints on the gray stone surfaces are a real treat to the eye.
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: RKAMARI on April 19, 2016, 09:00:49 am
Great scene. Dark mood is impressive!
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: MattBurt on April 19, 2016, 11:25:32 am
Lovely image. Looks like a place I'd like.
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Arlen on April 19, 2016, 01:25:52 pm
It's grand. I would try everything to avoid cropping out the left side. Balancing the sharpness on the right side would seem to be a small price to pay to preserve the full image.
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: DaveRichardson on April 19, 2016, 03:48:33 pm
Very nice image.

Dave
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Chairman Bill on April 19, 2016, 04:14:02 pm
Pretty spectacular, rather than calm.
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: biker on April 19, 2016, 04:14:44 pm
Looks like a fairy tale country from Walt Disney studios. But it's true. Very nice!
I also like the story. Strange you didn't reshoot the panorama several times. A few spoiled panoramas because of one miscfocused shot have taught me to do so.
Was there that light just for a few seconds?
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on April 19, 2016, 04:27:56 pm
It's great. Don't crop. Just limit the print size to one in which any blur inconsequential.
Don't pander to the pixel-peepers!
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Jens Peermann on April 19, 2016, 10:35:24 pm
Glad you didn't crop it. Wonderful image!
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: luxborealis on April 20, 2016, 07:40:35 am
Not sure what to add, maddog - it's a spectacular photograph that would only improve with size. I could see it wrapping around a whole room!
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Colorado David on April 20, 2016, 08:17:59 am
Lovely image. Looks like a place I'd like.

It looks like remote parts of North Africa to me.
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: MattBurt on April 20, 2016, 05:11:10 pm
It looks like remote parts of North Africa to me.
It reminds me of the area between Grand Junction and Moab.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: chuckn on April 20, 2016, 05:12:47 pm
Very nice image. White Pocket in South Coyote Butte right? I have a trip planned there next week.

Chuck
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: muralin on April 20, 2016, 10:52:47 pm
OMG!!! Just an amazing image. Painted Hill in Oregon, perhaps?
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: Walt Roycraft on April 21, 2016, 07:34:09 am
Thank you for sharing this superb image! I agree with the others about not cropping out the left frame. I enjoyed your blow by blow story of getting to the location. I guess some people will go to extremes to avoid having other shooters around ::)
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: maddogmurph on April 21, 2016, 12:11:26 pm
I guess some people will go to extremes to avoid having other shooters around ::)
...No one particularly likes getting shot ;)
Title: Re: Pastel Calmness
Post by: muntanela on April 21, 2016, 01:48:53 pm
Rocks like clouds and clouds like rocks.