Heinz H wrote:
Great location and great execution! Love both pictures. What lens and aperture setting did you use (I assume both are taken with the D800)?
Heinz
Hey Heinz, thanks so much. Yes this was the D800, and with the majority of my shots this was the Nikon 16-35mm. I am sure the aperture was set at f13 which is what I take the vast majority of my shots at unless I am shooting stars.
helenica wrote:
I am going to be in the states for just under a month in late September early October. Goblin Valley is one of the places on my itinery.
Hey Helen, you will have a blast! That area is just so jam packed with photo ops. Are you going to stay in the SW area (Utah) for the month you are here, or will you hit some other states?
I'll offer an opinion, which is all it is since this is a taste kind of thing, but in the first shot I find the dodged/tone-mapped horizon a little unnatural to my tastes. The sky/horizon contrast would seem to need to be greater. Makes the scene look a bit painted. Totally a taste thing, but I usually do a mixture of tone-map and gradient burn/dodge to get the horizon looking more natural while bringing the foreground up out of the shadows.
Anyway, both are excellent compositions and so well executed.
And being patient for that possible brief spark of color is what makes landscape so fun to shoot. I honestly think a "gang-busters" kind of sky show probably would have diminished these shots a bit as the strong and intriguing foreground compositions would then have to fight with sunset fireworks. These turned out wonderfully balanced.
JimFox wrote:
Hey Helen, you will have a blast! That area is just so jam packed with photo ops. Are you going to stay in the SW area (Utah) for the month you are here, or will you hit some other states?
We are starting in California (Yosemite, Bodie, Mono, DV) and then the rest in south Utah/ north Arizona + VOF.
#1 is my favorite. Love the colors, the composition and the title is so appropriate. Is it a long hike from where you park your car? This will have to be added on my next trip to southern Utah and Arizona. :-)
I'll offer an opinion, which is all it is since this is a taste kind of thing, but in the first shot I find the dodged/tone-mapped horizon a little unnatural to my tastes. The sky/horizon contrast would seem to need to be greater. Makes the scene look a bit painted. Totally a taste thing, but I usually do a mixture of tone-map and gradient burn/dodge to get the horizon looking more natural while bringing the foreground up out of the shadows.
Anyway, both are excellent compositions and so well executed.
And being patient for that possible brief spark of color is what makes landscape so fun to shoot. I honestly think a "gang-busters" kind of sky show probably would have diminished these shots a bit as the strong and intriguing foreground compositions would then have to fight with sunset fireworks. These turned out wonderfully balanced.
Hey Ken, thanks so much for your comments and I am glad you liked the shots. As to the first in your reference to dodge/tone mapped on the horizon, neither was done. If there is one tool PS could lose in my mind it's the dodge tool. I tried it years ago and found it to produce very unnatural results. Also, no tone mapping was used, I steer clear of that, pretty much just layer masks and some levels or contrast adjustments is all I do. I think the foreground in #1 could have been processed a few different ways or with a few different looks, I tried to get it to look exposure wise as close to how it was. But to your suggestion, certainly I might try a different feel for the ground layer on one of the other compositions I work on from that evening.
voltaire wrote:
#1 is my favorite. Love the colors, the composition and the title is so appropriate. Is it a long hike from where you park your car? This will have to be added on my next trip to southern Utah and Arizona. :-)
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Voltaire, I am glad that you liked the shot. The hike is very short. You park your car by the gazebo area, walk down into the goblins, and it's maybe just 5 minutes into it. It's a small hill, not too large, but it gets you up about 30 feet.
For sure this location should be added to your trip.
