Sep 7, 2010 | Landscape Photography
So moved I did. I ended about doing a 180 from where I first started to make the image I like the best. I still have the drama of the cloud, the shape of the tree and the color of the mesa to tell place. Total shooting time was just six minutes and the distance traveled wasn’t more than 150 yards. Is this the best possible photograph of this Juniper?
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5268.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
It was for these six minutes but probably not over the century it has seen photographers come and go. And that’s just the thing when you’re shooting with just a heartbeat of time to make the image. Often, regrettably we have to make the most of the opportunity with just a moment of time.
Photo by D3x, 18AF on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 7, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5276.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
Moving back and changing the angle of attack to minimize that cloud still isn’t getting it. The tree is now “flat” against the mesa and with that massive rock, it’s just lost in the frame. Like John Shaw once said, “Your tripod has legs, so do you!”
Photo by D3x, 18AF on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 7, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5252.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
OK, I move closer to the Juniper and use part of the Juniper to block part of the cloud so now that bright, white mass at the top of the frame isn’t pulling the eye away from the tree. But what has happened to that beautiful shape of the tree when I got closer. To me, it’s lost its drama.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5252bw.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
And in case if you were wondering if there would be any improvement by going to B&W, I don’t really think so. The graceful pose still is lost being so close to the tree.
Photos by D3x, 18AF on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 7, 2010 | B&W Photography, Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5249.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
What is the subject? If we got with just the tree, then how do we arrange the elements in the photograph to support that subject? I moved physically a little close to the Juniper for this shot. When I did that, what happened to the cloud? Look back at the 1st posting if you need to but when I moved closer, I effected that could and that changed the whole image. Can you tell? The cloud is now higher, bigger and bloody white! The eye screams to it and there is stays because there is nothing else in the frame bringing the eye back down to the tree. This is not a workable solution to making the image.
Photo captured by D3x, 18AF on Lexar UDMA digital film
Sep 7, 2010 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5275.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
There’s more to share from our Monument Valley adventure, I want to start with this one pretty picturesque Juniper. This is one old tree in a pretty schweet locale probably been photographed by hundreds of shooters each year. Tucked up against a mesa with this million dollar view in nearly every direction, just how do you make the image? Regrettably on this day, I had a date with a sand dune so the ticking clock was most definitely not my friend. With the gorgeous light and sky though a stop had to be made. This is the view we say when we got out of the truck. The question is, does this tell the story of this tree in this place at this moment in time? Stick around today as I share what I found told the story best for me.
Photo captured by D3x, 18AF on Lexar UDMA digital film
Aug 31, 2010 | Landscape Photography
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp4810.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
We came out of Valley of the Gods and the road sign which predicts nothing short of death if you drive it, just begged us to explore. So of we went.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp4962.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
After this wicked drive up the side of a mesa, we cruised along this long stretch of Cedar Mesa taking us to Natural Bridges Nat’l Monument.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/_bmp5159.swf, 585, 473 [/swf]
As the name suggests, the bridges were formed by water erosion creating some really cool formation. Whie Russell huffed it down to the bottom of the canyon for the first bridge, the rest of us just hiked down to the vista point. You climb down a wood ladder (as in tree trunks) at one point but it was well worth the effort. We all walked down to the last bridge and just in time to get some clouds floating by. This is another locale I would love comeback to and camp and do stat trails. Gorgeous place we’d never been to before but need to comeback to!
Photo captured by D3x, 18AF on Lexar UDMA digital film
