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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Lower Antelope Canyon - PLEASE give me your opinions as follows | |
Camperjim wrote:
Shooting in deep canyons automatically imparts deep purples and other colors which have nothing to do with the actual color of the rock
+1
Slot canyon wall color can essentially be a blank palette of sandy textures residing @ various angles of orientation to the angle of light being allowed to reflect off of them. The deeper the slot, the more narrow the angle of light to be received from ambient, and thus the more restrictive spectrum of light being cast onto our subject. Other slots can have more inherent rock coloring, but the primary attribute of influence to slot canyons is the restriction of available spectral light.
White light from the sun is spectral divided by spherical prismatic refraction through the atmosphere, based on the angles involved. Normally, that separation occurs into the cyan / blue / cool and warmer red / yellow / warm that we typically see throughout the day. The combination of those amounts equate to white = warm + cool in some combination(s) of R+G+B = White Balance. When we are in a position to re-assemble (most) of that separation, we get close to White light. Depending on orientation and time of day that % of warm + % of cool varies and we get the different colors of light being cast upon our subjects.
When we are in cool blue light (as in the shadows), we are absent of the warm light, such that White - Warm = Cool. When we are in warm light (as in golden hour), we are absent of (or reduced amounts of) cool light, such that White - Cool = Warm.
In the case of slot canyons, the amounts of Warm + Cool that normally equate to White (balance) are further reduced, as the amounts of R+G+B are restricted based on the time of day for the light able to enter through the slot. We are not able to "re-assemble" the full spectrum of light as we are with a full complement of light received from an larger sky area that normally affords a "fuller" re-assembly of the light. As such, we get different amounts of spectral response reflecting off of our subject (which in the case of AC is largely a uniform sandy color).
By splaying light from differing angles of reflection, they correspondingly occur from the accompanying restricted angle of entry through the slot that restricts the amount of direct warm and indirect cool components. Those restrictions then render different colors of lighting @ W - %R -%G -%B = %R+%G+%B remaining to create the variations of color that are then reflecting off of the (relatively) uniform wall color, yet revealing / reflecting different angles / colors of light based on the depth / angle orientation to the slot and time of day.
It is akin to having three spotlights of R,G,B shining on a stage to create a single white spot. Then, when you turn off the G light, you are left with R+B=M or, turn off the B light and your are left with R+G=Y, etc. Adjust the % of contribution from each spot, and the colors combinations can be infinite.
Of the images above, #3 seems to be the easiest one to see how the color changes with the depth / angle of restriction. The wamer top section tells us that the slot restriction is limiting the open sky (cool) more than the direct sunlight (warm). As we move farther down, the direct sunlight is further reduced, and the relationship of %warm + %cool is then altered to render a different color.
In #4, we can see that the sunbeam is providing the most available direct warm light possible to be received through the slot at that time of day, and we can get a closer approximation to typical daylight balance as we have essentially a full complement of direct warm light, coupled with a somewhat reduced amount of open cool skylight. But, in the "shadow areas" we see the lack of direct warm light reaching those areas of the canyon walls render the absence direct warm light much differently than the sandy color which abounds. It's all about the angle of light coming through the slot @ reaching / not reaching the various areas which dictates what the reflected spectral response will be.
Here's a rendering that (crudely) emulates what I remember seeing "as seen" (also a testament to eye / brain accommodation to WB) at a relatively uniform sandy color ... which is of course different from the recorded spectrum. The debate of "as seen" vs. "as recorded" is probably represented as well in Antelope Canyon as just about anywhere else that I can think of. Whether one aspires to present the colorful, natural spectral response (recorded / unaccommodated) or the WB adjusted "as seen" experience ... your pic, your message, your call. Both can be compelling representations of Antelope Canyon and its walls of many colors.
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