Llama Light

Gallery: LandscapePosted July 20, 2009959 views22 comments

Rossbach and I just got back from 2 weeks in the Colorado high country, with a few detours to Great Sand Dunes and Bisti. We saw a llama train on the trail early in the trip. The last time we saw llamas was right before our shoot at Clingmans Dome in the Smokies (remember all those above-the-flowing-clouds shots?). Llamas are harbingers of great shooting conditions, and the Colorado llamas we saw were no exception -- we had awesome light just about every day we were out there.

High in the San Juan Mountains, Canon 5DII, Nikon 14-24 lens.

P.S. Awesomus Maximus Rules!

Comments

22 comments

Comment posted by Greg Cope on July 20, 2009 at 10:32 AM

Beautiful. Love the way the foreground and sky play off each other, and the incredible level of depth the image has.

Registered on January 22, 2007, 212 Posts, 2737 Comments

Comment posted by Arnab Banerjee on July 20, 2009 at 10:33 AM

It's very funny Ian - I spent 10 days in Peru and I did not see a single llama and you are having llama sighting everywhere in US you go.
Beautiful image - the cloud is spectacular. The FG is well balanced with the flower and the flow. I only wish that big boulder was not there is the middle ground, but that's v minor

Registered on January 3, 2007, 313 Posts, 2270 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Rossbach on July 20, 2009 at 10:33 AM

The composition and light is absolutly flawless! Llama Light baby, yeah!!

Registered on November 25, 2005, 484 Posts, 1377 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel Ewert on July 20, 2009 at 10:42 AM

Beautiful color and exposure here. Outstanding work. Do you shoot any while standing in the stream?

Registered on June 2, 2009, 103 Posts, 1500 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on July 20, 2009 at 10:45 AM

Although I've never heard of Llama light(someone please explain), it is the wonderful gradations of light in this image that take me on a journey both in and through it. Superb.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Plant on July 20, 2009 at 10:47 AM

Wayne, thanks. Llama Light is explained in the description of the image

Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Andreas Resch on July 20, 2009 at 11:25 AM

Very nice one, Ian. Quite similar to my recent location - you got the better clouds though.

Registered on November 14, 2007, 322 Posts, 6101 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin Trinkner on July 20, 2009 at 11:58 AM

Very nice Ian, love the comp and great light indeed.

Looking forward to more shots from the trip, sounds like you guys had some great conditions.

Registered on June 30, 2008, 203 Posts, 2641 Comments

Comment posted by Sean Bagshaw on July 20, 2009 at 12:17 PM

Wonderful synchronicity of the clouds mirroring the river! Every line in the image pulls you toward the mountain. Nice job. No critiques.

Registered on February 14, 2007, 99 Posts, 479 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel Cartamil on July 20, 2009 at 1:22 PM

Whats the light blue patch of sky just to the right of the mountain? Is it natural - it looks like a halo or blending artifact or something...

Registered on November 15, 2007, 50 Posts, 601 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Plant on July 20, 2009 at 1:23 PM

its natural, not a blending artifact -- this is one file -- just a portion of the sky that is brighter than the rest

Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Rossbach on July 20, 2009 at 1:33 PM

Wow, this place blows my mind sometimes! Processing issues, please. This is about as good as it gets. The light blue just above the horizon is clear blue sky which would of course be brighter than the section just above where there are clouds. Once agian Ian, really sweet image man.

Registered on November 25, 2005, 484 Posts, 1377 Comments

Comment posted by Lori Kincaid on July 20, 2009 at 2:20 PM

Beautiful image--it makes me want to go there. I also like this cropped from the top to close to a 4x5 aspect ratio. It loses some of that great cloud, but helps keeps my eye in the image.

Lori

Registered on November 15, 2003, 90 Posts, 2033 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Ellingsen on July 20, 2009 at 4:11 PM

My sister had a llama when we were kids, and it never did a damn thing for the weather around here! Is there a secret llama handshake that I don't know about? Or maybe the mythical llama dance? Yeah, I bet thats it; The llama dance!

I'm not real sure on the somewhat 50/50 composition. A 4x5 crop, getting rid of some sky feels a little more comfortable to me. Having said that, I bet that the composition choice was intentional to play on the converging lines of the stream and hills. Any way you slice it though, this is still very fine work.

Registered on January 16, 2008, 56 Posts, 953 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Plant on July 20, 2009 at 4:21 PM

Aaron, thanks. To me this image worked best using symmetry rather than the rule of thirds. Don't fear the 50/50 split!

Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on July 20, 2009 at 4:50 PM

Really enjoying those radiating elements. Great shot.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on July 20, 2009 at 8:10 PM

Beautiful image Ian. I love how the cloud balances the water. Excellent light!

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Anthony Vincent on July 20, 2009 at 8:20 PM

This is a great example of nice symmetrical shot Ian. Maybe its some kind of good omen to see Llamas on your trips, although excess llamas might be kind of creepy. Wonderful shot and great mimic of the clouds and stream.

Registered on February 5, 2009, 199 Posts, 2775 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on July 21, 2009 at 3:01 AM

Simple straight forward lines, linear perspective, very nice lighting, and the water on the foreground rock make this very nice. Clean. I do see what looks like a touch of color halo to the right of the mountain. Not sure?

Mark

Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments

Comment posted by Rajeev Thomas on July 21, 2009 at 4:14 AM

Great light.... beautiful colors and those clouds are great!!!

Registered on February 20, 2008, 0 Posts, 291 Comments

Comment posted by Les Barstow on July 22, 2009 at 2:07 AM

Very marvelous. I love the mirroring of the stream and cloud. Does it work if you hire the llamas, or only if you see them unexpectedly?

Registered on May 15, 2004, 54 Posts, 135 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on July 22, 2009 at 10:11 PM

Looks like you and Joe gave my state a working over. Great shots from both of you, and I can't wait to see more!

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments