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Archive 2013 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

JimFox
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

The fact is... I need to explore the Factory Butte area more!

Here are a couple of shots from a few weeks back. It was my first time in there, I have driven in that area a few times now, but I have always been in a hurry to get somewhere else, so this time I made a point to stop in there.

I got in there about 1am, it helped that Craig had given me some information, so I had an idea in my head. Of course, where I ended up stopping I don't believe is exactly where Craig pointed me, but at 1am on a moonless night it's hard to be exact sometimes...

so that's why I need to explore the area more. I got an early start as shooting Factory Butte does involve some hiking. There were no trails, other than the 100's of trails of cow hoof prints all over the ground. I was beginning to think I wasn't going to get any shots with that pristine foreground I had as a visual in my brain. But I kept on walking and walking and walking... I finally came to where the hoof prints ended, as if by some agreement, the cows did not go any further it seemed, and for the next mile or so, I had some pretty nice virgin soil for foregrounds. So I walked and explored, and finally I got to this area you see in #1. The shot in #2 was taken about 1/3rd of a mile south from it.

I processed both of these pretty similarly, and while #2 has much richer colors, I don't recall adjusting the saturation any different than in #1. Except for Factory Butte itself. I recognize that it does pop a bit more than #1. I tried to desaturate #2 so that the foreground was the same tone as #1, but I had to back off quite a bit, and it ended up feeling like it lost it's life when I did that. I ended up desaturating the foreground in #2 just a tad. I can only guess that perhaps it was because of the changing light. I had some heavy rain clouds to the east that kept the rising sun popping in and out all morning. Also, #2 is a bit away from #1, so perhaps the soils there did have some different components in it?

All comments are welcome,

Jim

May 07, 2013 at 07:04 PM

AndrewThomas
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Both are very nice Jim, I think I prefer #1 and the less saturated colour palette (and the killer foreground!).
#2 looks like it needs some straightening on the right side, but I realise thats probably the way it was as I can't imagine you getting a horizon that far out. Have you thought about straightening it out just for a more level visual impression?
cheers Andrew

May 07, 2013 at 07:29 PM

JimFox
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Hey Andrew,

Thanks so much for your suggestion, I am glad you like the shots. The land there are runs at an angle as can be seen in both shots. But you make a good point as to the visual impression. It's the case where perception becomes reality. I am guessing because I was there and had to hike the incline...

that it didn't jump out at me as to not feeling level. It will be interesting to see what others think.

Jim

May 07, 2013 at 07:39 PM

ckcarr
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

I like the more saturated version, just because it makes a barren land much more interesting. You need a human skeleton....

Whatever you are doing with your processing - it's what I need!

Last night was pouring rain out there, which is what helps create those nice cracks in the earth. Expansion, contraction.

May 07, 2013 at 07:42 PM

JimFox
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Thanks Craig!

Hmm... a skeleton in #1 would be kinda cool...

I appreciate the thoughts on the processing... I am not sure exactly what, why or how, but yeah my processing does seem to have changed a bit over the last year or so... Maybe I will just let you borrow my mouse, I think it's the one in charge of the processing now.

Jim

May 07, 2013 at 07:48 PM

Kee Woo Rhee
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Hi Jim,

Such a remote area scene. Starting hiking at 1 am? I see that the photos show around 8:40 am shots. maybe different time zone? Anyway, I also like both shots with #1 a little bit preferred.

Now.. I wonder if you had the very close-up shots of the Factory Butte??

May 07, 2013 at 07:54 PM

JimFox
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Hi Kee,

I am glad you liked the shots, #1 is indeed cool, it's the first one I processed from that location.

I probably wasn't clear, I had cut down on what I was going to type so no one fell asleep before they saw the photos.

I got to that area at 1am, and though I intended to sleep for a few hours first, the stars were beckoning me, so I went out and shot the stars for an hour or so. I then went back into my jeep and slept a few hours, getting up and hiking before the sun came up. Not sure, but somewhere around 5am. I wanted to have some nice foreground picked out for the sunrise. The sun in the east as I mentioned was being blocked by some incoming rain clouds, so there was just a little bit of color at actual sunrise, so I kept hiking and looking. The best show was here a bit later as the sun popped in and out of the clouds for a short bit before the very angry storm clouds to the east smothered it.

The hike into where I shot at was maybe 2 or 3 miles. Not that far, but I did lot's of wandering as I checked out every little hill and ravine for potential photographs. The greatest danger was making sure not to step in any cow piles, as the first half mile or so from the road seemed to be a cow highway with lot's of tracks and cow piles...

I do have some tighter shots of Factory Butte, but you know me, I get very focused on finding cool foreground shots.

Jim

May 07, 2013 at 08:17 PM

mike reid
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

yes love both but especially the first.

May 07, 2013 at 08:32 PM

Ben Horne
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

These are both really cool shots Jim. My preference is the more subtle color of the 1st. My only suggestion would be to tone down the blues in the distant hills. Though it's a natural product of the atmosphere, the strong blue keeps sucking my eye back to that area.

May 07, 2013 at 09:50 PM

Tuan Le
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Both of these images are great Jim, with wonderful textures in the foreground. My preference is for the first one as well with the more subtle foreground colors and the cool crack patterns. I'll second Ben's thoughts on the blues in those distant hills to the left.

May 08, 2013 at 12:19 AM

philber
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Let me add my congrats on two fine shots, Jim, great stuff!. I concur with the two suggesitons already made: let's see how correcting the "leaning to the left" might help, because it immediately drew my attention away from the picture, and desaturating the intense blue might also help.
My fairly strong favorite is n°1. Without presuming to teach you anything that you don't already know, I tried cropping out the bottom part, until the very beginning of the rivulet tracks, and it worked for me, "dramatizing" the picture a bit more IMHO. Even though it is always painful to "give up" material that was so hard to get..:-)

May 08, 2013 at 01:04 AM

Phrasikleia
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Really nice textures and lines in these. Without reading any of the other replies, I came to the same conclusion about the blue at the left of #1 and about going in for a slight crop on that one (maybe on all sides except the right?). At any rate, it's a terrific foreground with those strong leading lines dropping into the middleground. #2 is nice as well, but the first one is particularly well seen.

May 08, 2013 at 06:31 AM

Joshua Warrender
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Jim, I also prefer the colors of the first. Nice use of the erosion lines in the foreground, makes for a good comp.

May 08, 2013 at 08:39 AM

teked
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Hi, Jim. Lovely shots. I also prefer the first. Seems to have a more natural look to it.

By the way, are you now a full-time photographer?

Ed

May 08, 2013 at 09:48 AM

AMaji
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Nice image Jim. I like No. 2 more. These are not environmental portraits but artistic renditions of memorable landscapes. So, a little bit of artistic license adds drama to the image.

May 08, 2013 at 10:12 AM

Aaron Cowan
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Jim,

I prefer #1 because it has more texture and little ravines in the foreground. I too noticed the slight tilt. I keep looking at the buttes (mesas?) in the distance to the left and convince myself those are straight but I'm not too sure. As you say, it's probably more of an illusion since the foreground slopes down. Maybe just a little tilt clockwise would help...??

May 08, 2013 at 10:43 AM

JimFox
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Ben Horne wrote:
These are both really cool shots Jim. My preference is the more subtle color of the 1st. My only suggestion would be to tone down the blues in the distant hills. Though it's a natural product of the atmosphere, the strong blue keeps sucking my eye back to that area.

Hey Ben,

I am glad you liked the shots. Thanks for noticing that blue on the distant hills, I hadn't noticed that, but for sure that will get toned down.

Jim

May 08, 2013 at 11:35 AM

JimFox
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

Tuan Le wrote:
Both of these images are great Jim, with wonderful textures in the foreground. My preference is for the first one as well with the more subtle foreground colors and the cool crack patterns. I'll second Ben's thoughts on the blues in those distant hills to the left.

Hey Tuan, thanks so much! I am with you on #1, there was something to how all those lines were getting sucked down in person, I am glad to have been able to capture that same feeling in the shot.

Jim

May 08, 2013 at 11:36 AM

JimFox
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

philber wrote:
Let me add my congrats on two fine shots, Jim, great stuff!. I concur with the two suggesitons already made: let's see how correcting the "leaning to the left" might help, because it immediately drew my attention away from the picture, and desaturating the intense blue might also help.
My fairly strong favorite is n°1. Without presuming to teach you anything that you don't already know, I tried cropping out the bottom part, until the very beginning of the rivulet tracks, and it worked for me, "dramatizing" the picture a bit more IMHO. Even though it is always painful to "give...Show more →

Thanks Phil for your suggestions. I hadn't given it a thought about cropping off the bottom at all on #1, but when I go play with the level later on I will try a little crop and see how the shot feels. I am glad you liked #1, as to the compositions, I felt #1 was stronger than #2. But still I like #2, those lines in the foreground still seem to work in it, even if not quite as strong as #1, but they still pull the eye in, so that's why I kept that one.

Jim

May 08, 2013 at 11:39 AM

alatoo60
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Facing the Facts at Factory Butte

I like #1, feels more natural.
This lunar landscape reminds me very much of Nipple Bench on a way to Alstrom Point.

Sasha.

May 08, 2013 at 11:44 AM

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