p.1 #1 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Two more from my recent trip to Namibia. Both with the D800E. First is at Sossusvlei, second in the NamibRand Nature Reserve. Both are wonderful areas to visit and, at that time of year, very quiet.
Any thoughts welcome, as always. Thanks for looking! Lizzie
p.1 #2 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Ok - I've never done this before but have seen others do so - a little bump - I had a funny feeling these might fall a bit flat after my storms and lightning bolt but, as a general rule, I prefer these quieter scenes... ;-)
p.1 #3 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
I like the second image because of the tree; my suggestion would be to make that same tree a larger element in the photo. In the first image, you needed a small windstorm to blow the sand and give your photo an added element (but, as you know, most of us can't control the wind). Gregg
p.1 #4 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
The first one looks a little low-contrast to me... I downloaded it and opened it in CS6. It looked a bit better to me when I opened it than it does on the forum, but I played a bit with highlights / shadows and brightness / contrast; I don't want to post that without your saying ahead of time that you wouldn't mind. By the way, it makes me wish it was a wider panorama so I could see what's to the left and right of that view as well...
p.1 #5 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Lizzie - both show the country nicely, love the dune shot, if I may suggest, pushing the saturation in the sky a bit to bring out the pinks...
Of the two I find the second more interesting with the solidarity tree and that light on the mountain is awesome. My only distraction is the smaller tree (?) on the left, it's to dark and messes with the otherwise balanced view.
p.1 #6 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Gregg, Ernie & Zeph - I really appreciate your comments and thoughts and it's very interesting to see how different images are received in different places...
Just to answer a few things:
Regarding the processing - I know I could bring out contrast and colours to a greater degree but I have deliberately portrayed what I saw - at least I hope I have - which was very gentle colours and light - after the sun has gone down. I love drama and contrast as well, when it is present, but these scenes were all about the reverse.
Regarding composition - they are both deliberate, though I do have both wider and tighter scenes of the 2nd - this was my favourite because of the red and blue light on the mountains. Of course nature rarely gives us everything we want - but this was the closest I could get with that landscape and for my tastes. Zeph - I quite see what you mean about that smaller tree yet, strangely, it had not struck me, nor others who've commented elsewhere. Yet now you've mentioned it, I wish it wasn't there ;-)
Ernie - I don't have a wider version of this view of the dunes but can see where you are coming from. There is a danger that the detail and feel can get lost in the endless dunes if you go too wide but I can't now remember if this could have worked as such.. As always, you have to choose a cut-off point and often it represents some kind of compromise.
Anyway, many thanks for taking the time and trouble to give feedback, Lizzie
p.1 #8 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Lizzie, I find both photo's very pleasing to view and beautifully done. In the first I love the intricate ripples in the dunes giving way to the sharper lines and shifting colors of the hills. It appears to me the muted sky enhances the clear demarcation between it and the "skyline" of the hills. The results cause my eye to linger on the incredible detail while still having a sense of vastness and solitude and draws me in from front to back. The second affects me differently. My eye is drawn to the red light on the mountains and then follows a panoramic flow across the middle of the scene. The foreground and sloping landscape adds to the sense of vastness and panorama but does not cause my eye to stop and linger on it itself. So this photo draws my eye from left to right. Fascinating...
p.1 #11 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Rick, John, Helenica and Lee - thanks very much for your comments. It's always fascinating to see how different images appeal to different people - I think that's probably one of the lovely things about photography and anything creative. I appreciate the feedback, Lizzie
p.1 #12 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
I love the quality of light, especially in the 1st, with the subtle pastel sky, contrasting beautifully with the hues in the land and flora.
Very nice!
p.1 #14 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Hey Liz,
You have two very nice scenes here, I like the quietness in them. For me, I wouldn't add a thing. I think you handled the soft light so well, both are a joy to look at. You did great having an element in each, the brush in #1 and the tree in #2 that really anchor the shot very.
p.1 #16 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Lizzie, I like both and they do not seem "too quiet" to me. In fact, I'd rather have something more tranquil on a wall, and guess that most people are the same way, too.
May be a bit too much sky in both, to my taste, but colors and composition are perfect.
p.1 #17 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Barry, Ed, Jim, Aleksandra and 'sozypozy' - many thanks for your comments - glad to find there's quite a few who enjoy the quietness ;-) I added the 'too quiet?' bit to the title a few days back as I was interested to see if these had just slipped through the net or something else...
Plenty more from Namibia to post - Ed you'd love it - well I think you all would!
Lizzie
p.1 #20 · A couple of dusky Namibian landscapes - too quiet??
Absolutely beautiful, both of them. The first one immediately think I was looking at a Freeman Patterson image.
The soft light, great range of tonality and colour and your choice of presenting them in a panoramic format is just sublime. A couple of the nicest photos I have seen in a long time, thanks for sharing!
Gregg