Red Rock Canyon Redux

[RSL]

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[Jeremy Roussak]

I much prefer the second, Russ, but there's something wrong with my monitor: it doesn't look red at all.

Jeremy

[owenn01]

Hi Russ,

Definitely the second for me - the first has too blown a sky, though if you could loose that it would tighten the composition up and give a much more pleasing tonal balance I feel.

The second just rocks (excuse the pun) - the gap in the quarry and that cloud formation it frames is just a wonderful combination and, whilst I would like to see it in colour, I suspect the B&W has much more overall balance and impact for that. Great location and great image - like this a lot!

Best regards, N.

[RSL]

Thanks Jeremy, I'd show the color version too, but it tends to be fairly blah. The thing needs B&W and some serious Anseling in post to bring out the clouds. Here's a half dome from the same shoot that illustrates the problem with a color version.

And Owen, thanks. Actually, the first one is the one from which I made a 13 x 19 print and framed it. The sky isn't really blown, but there was enough haze that day to soften it a great deal. Yes, it's a wonderful location in which to shoot. I've been out there at least five times in the past two weeks and I'm not finished yet.

[David Eckels]

Quarry: Escher. Wow!

[William Walker]

I really like the first one, I like the composition and the toning. Lovely.

The second stuffs my brain up! The cut rock centre-right has a tendency to "reverse" and trick the eye.

[RSL]

Thanks David, and thanks William. Here's what it looked like before I Anseled it. In its natural red form the quarry wall on the right doesn't flip around in your vision.

[James Clark]

To me the first one stands out because of the greater tonal variation and the way the water and then the darker shadows in and under the trees allows me to work through the image better.  One of the issues with western landscapes in B&W is that the red of the rocks and the blue of the sky are so close in tone that without very careful composition and post it can be hard to find a cohesive path or focal point in the image.   

[RSL]

Right you are, James. And that's why #1 is now hanging on a wall.