Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: bretedge on February 23, 2009, 05:02:55 am

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: bretedge on February 23, 2009, 05:02:55 am

I made this image a couple weeks ago, shortly after sunset in the White Pocket area of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.  The sandstone had a nice glow to it after sunset, and I liked how these angular rocks in the foreground led the eye back to the unusual and colorful formation.  I do wish the sky were more evenly blue but with the light coming from the left there wasn't much I could do.

Thanks for having a look and leaving a comment.

5D2, 17-40mm lens, f/16, 2 stop GND

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: NikoJorj on February 23, 2009, 07:03:56 am

In a word : great!  

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: mattpallante on February 23, 2009, 09:08:49 am

I really like this image, Bret. I think I might play with a small crop at the top, to me it makes the perspective a little more interesting. It looks like a large format shot. What a great area to photograph in! A totally different world than here in the midwest. Nice work! Excuse my ignorance, but what does the 2 stop gnd refer to?

                          Matt

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: bretedge on February 23, 2009, 09:14:07 am

Thank you for the comments.

A 2 stop GND is a graduated neutral density filter with 2 stops of density at the top of the filter.  They're used to hold back a bright part of an image during the exposure to balance out the contrast.  I held this one over the sky.

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on February 23, 2009, 09:31:30 am

Very nice image. The uneven sky doesn't bother me at all; it's realistic. The direction of shadows on the rocks confirms that the light is coming from the left. An evenly blue sky would look hoky, IMHO. I like it just the way it is.

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: fike on February 23, 2009, 11:29:24 am

I agree with EricM on the sky.  Skies are uneven.  Celebrate that fact.  Use that fact.  It looks great!

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: dalethorn on February 23, 2009, 02:07:09 pm

Great photo, except the Rolling Stones-esque tongue at the bottom. Some change of shape would help.

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: LoisWakeman on February 24, 2009, 05:11:31 am

Quote from: dalethorn

Great photo, except the Rolling Stones-esque tongue at the bottom. Some change of shape would help.

Ah - someone else saw that too! (Oh dear, showing my age...)

Title: White Pocket Sunset
Post by: bellimages on February 25, 2009, 11:11:54 am

It's hard to give useful input, unless I know what you're after. Are you creating a piece of art? If so, what's wrong with even-ing out the sky tone?

I shot for a couple of days at White Pocket in the fall of 2007 -- a truly WONDERFUL place. Not a week goes by but what I think of it. It's the most remote place that I've ever been -- two hours from any paved road (by vehicle). God knows how long it would take to hike out of White Pocket -- days and days!

If you care to discuss your experience at White Pocket, email me. I'd love to share .... and show you some of my images. Thus far, I've converted them to black and white.

Jan Bell (a male "jan")


bellimages@mac.com