Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

FM Forum Rules
Landscape Posting Guidelines
  

FM Forums | Landscape Photographer | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2016 · Two From Death Valley

  
 
Ben Horne
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Two From Death Valley


This past January, I visited Death Valley after spending a week in Zion in hopes of some fresh snow. Despite it being a relatively short trip to Death Valley, I still managed to expose some film. As always, please give me your honest feedback on the photos. What works? What doesn't? How do they make you feel?

The first photo was taken about 45 minutes before sunset. There were quite a few more clouds earlier in the afternoon, but they were being blown out of the composition as sunset approached. This was taken on Ilford Delta 100 film with my Nikkor 150mm wide angle lens on my 8x10 view camera. No filters were used.

The second photo was my last exposure for this trip. It is of a rocky hillside covered in flowers -- part of the "superbloom" that never quite materialized. I was concerned about wind movement because it felt like the flowers never stopped moving, but the motion blur ended up being a non-issue. This was taken on Velvia 50 with my 450mm lens.

If you want to get a better feeling for this trip, please check out my video journals from Day 1, 2 and 3. These photos are featured in the Day 2 and 3 videos.
















May 10, 2016 at 08:42 PM
tmiller9
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Two From Death Valley


Ben - Really enjoy your videos. Also, really enjoy the first photo - well composed and the B+W just makes this work. A simple scene - but it carries a certain level of drama. Well done.

Todd



May 10, 2016 at 08:49 PM
thompsonkirk
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Two From Death Valley


Heartily agree re: the BW photo – it's hard to take DV pictures that haven't been taken before, but this one achieves originality. A fine composition that invites the viewer on a barren walk from the foreground into the distance.

Kirk



May 10, 2016 at 09:19 PM
Timmeh
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Two From Death Valley


Hi Ben,

My first thought on #1 is balance. The wide swath of lit up dune on the right does lead the eye to the clouds, high dune, and mountain, but the major feeling I get is cramped from the upper left dominating the interest. It might be different as a larger print with the textures of the foreground dune, but the comp is too left heavy for me.

#2 is a really nice flower scene

Tim



May 10, 2016 at 10:38 PM
killersnowman
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Two From Death Valley


i really enjoy number one. the little dust devil on the horizon on the right is great. very well balanced


May 10, 2016 at 10:47 PM
Chance2
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Two From Death Valley


Lovely black and white image, with the perfect complementary clouds, IMO. I really enjoyed seeing a bit more of the texture and details in it your Youtube video, and I'm sure it's awesome viewing it on your light table.

Great setup with the cooler and solar panels too--very inspiring all around.



May 10, 2016 at 11:24 PM
dgdg
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Two From Death Valley


Nice BW still Ben. Thanks for sharing.

thompsonkirk wrote:
it's hard to take DV pictures that haven't been taken before, but this one achieves originality.
Kirk


I could care less if a 'similar' image was taken previously by another person at some point. Although we all strive for new and different experiences, we should not discourage others from capturing great scenes simply because 'it's been done before'. It hasn't by them.

I like the way Ghandi said it, “Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.”

David




May 11, 2016 at 07:53 AM
Ed Sawyer
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Two From Death Valley


Nice work, as always!


May 11, 2016 at 01:50 PM
dswiger
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Two From Death Valley


Ben,
As always excellent work.
While I prefer the B&W, it's not because the flower shot is less-excellent!
I just really like the line the dune scribes in the scene.

You inspire me to try new things

Thanks for posting

Dan



May 11, 2016 at 02:35 PM
Mark Metternich
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Two From Death Valley


Wonderful work as usual Ben. Nice job.


May 11, 2016 at 03:14 PM
mwalrod
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Two From Death Valley


Nice work, Ben. I always enjoy your images and accompanying expedition videos.


May 11, 2016 at 03:28 PM
Fred Miranda
Offline
Admin
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Two From Death Valley


I really enjoy watching your videos Ben. Keep them coming!


May 11, 2016 at 04:39 PM
aFeinberg
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Two From Death Valley


Nice sir! Funny your dune shot...i should show you my desktop. I feel like I want to yank the camera over to the left a bit in that one...just my kneejerk feeling. Killer light and capture...dust devil in bg? The flower shot is bangarang. So much pop!

aF



May 11, 2016 at 04:41 PM
lostinjapan
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Two From Death Valley


Ben,

Very nicely done. I just watched your Death Valley videos the other day! Keep them coming!

Ryan



May 11, 2016 at 09:29 PM
Brad Williams
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Two From Death Valley


Nice work as always Ben! The black and white is great. I love the contrast between the light side of the dune and the dark side of the dune and the line between the two pulls you right in to the photo.

As always, love the videos, they are always so well done.



Jun 09, 2016 at 09:49 AM
13867
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Two From Death Valley


Wonderful Journey....Beautiful Photos!

CB



Jun 09, 2016 at 10:43 AM
andrew perkins
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Two From Death Valley


Always dig your videos! Both photos are nice, however, IMHO they don't quite reach the same level I find in most of your work. As mentioned, the first feels a bit heavy on the left, but you did capture excellent light and textures and I'm guessing the (what looks like a dust devil?) may hold more interest at larger than web sizes. Second doesn't do much for me on the screen. However, I bet it has a very different feel printed. Will be watching your videos later


Jun 09, 2016 at 01:09 PM
MJKoski
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Two From Death Valley


Ah yes, I remember the BW shot from the video I watched some time ago. It has a path leading viewers eye from the foreground to the far horizon which is rarely seen on these dune photos. BW suits the subject very well in this case enhancing the fine line on top of the dunes.

Then I had some thoughts about positioning this line/path trough the dunes. Lately I saw a dune shot with similar kind of line dividing the tonality in two and it was also positioned to the left side of the image. Some weird anomaly in my brain would put it more to the right in this photo as well.



Jun 10, 2016 at 05:56 AM





FM Forums | Landscape Photographer | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.