Parched

Gallery: LandscapePosted September 13, 2009715 views30 comments

Dead Vlei, Namibia

One I dug out on a second round-up of my images. It's grown on me. How does it compare with the others I've posted from this location? I realize there's some barrel distortion but somehow it looked less compelling corrected.

Canon 1DsMkIII, 16-35mm 2.8L, f14, 1/10, single exposure.

Comments

30 comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on September 13, 2009 at 3:35 AM

What a fantastic place you visited! The textures in the foreground and trees on the horizon are fantastic.

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

Comment posted by Benjamin Glatt on September 13, 2009 at 4:37 AM

The vignette, the barrel distortion, it all works here Kah Kit. This image is different from the ones I've seen from your trip, and from ones I have seen from this location in general. Nice work for sure.

Registered on July 15, 2007, 171 Posts, 3566 Comments

Comment posted by Abdullaziz Bin Ali on September 13, 2009 at 5:08 AM

Kah, to be honest, it is one of the best scenes I've ever seen for this location
Absolutely stunning .. I love the DOF so much, even the monochrome tone add a lot to the photo

I like it once I saw it at your personal website

wish you all the best Mr.Yoong

Abdullaziz

Registered on May 31, 2009, 112 Posts, 1590 Comments

Comment posted by Alex Mody on September 13, 2009 at 5:36 AM

Very nice, I love it! The BW is just perfect, too. I'm totally digging the lens distortion, to. Great job.

Registered on December 25, 2007, 163 Posts, 1896 Comments

Comment posted by Karsten Wrobel on September 13, 2009 at 8:49 AM

WOW, this may be my favourite of all the images you have posted from this location... very different from everything else I have seen from there... I really like the fg textures and the light in the sky... absolutely stunning image!

Registered on November 1, 2008, 117 Posts, 851 Comments

Comment posted by Bret Edge on September 13, 2009 at 8:57 AM

If parched is what you wanted to portray you certainly succeeded. I think the black and white presentation is important here, too. The barrel distortion doesn't bother me in the least. Nice work, Kah Kit.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 711 Posts, 6363 Comments

Comment posted by Adrian Klein on September 13, 2009 at 9:47 AM

The stark desolate and lonely feel it gives of this place is perfect IMO. I can't say this is better or worse than your other Dead Vlei posts just merely different but I sure as heck like it!

Registered on June 10, 2007, 112 Posts, 1506 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen Weaver on September 13, 2009 at 10:13 AM

Excellent. B&W was the right choice for this image. Textbook polygonal dessication cracks!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 226 Posts, 623 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on September 13, 2009 at 11:42 AM

Great stark scene. The lens effects work beautifully. I like this a lot!

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on September 13, 2009 at 12:30 PM

the comp and the distortion work well for me too. the only slight hesitation that i have is the unevenness of the lighting across the image - particularly the brighter area in the (mid)foreground. but the FG elements are perfect. great textures too.

Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Tal on September 13, 2009 at 12:32 PM

Wonderful to see original work from this place, and this is exquisitely composed and processed (no surprise).

Guy

Registered on November 1, 2003, 566 Posts, 15507 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on September 13, 2009 at 1:18 PM

I think you made a good call here. This deserves to be shown. Nice work.

- Dan.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 473 Posts, 7980 Comments

Comment posted by Rudy Ruberti on September 13, 2009 at 1:47 PM

Very well done. The distortion doesn't bother me at all. Amazing place!

Registered on October 28, 2008, 179 Posts, 1875 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on September 13, 2009 at 2:40 PM

The distortion doesn't bug me at all when it fits the photo, and it does here. I love the foreground and lonely tree.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by John Mumaw on September 13, 2009 at 3:47 PM

How does it compare with the others I've posted from this location?

Very favorably!
A striking composition, and the toned b&w subtly accentuates the dry, parched looking region.

Registered on September 9, 2005, 62 Posts, 2289 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on September 13, 2009 at 3:48 PM

I like this. No real comparison to the others, IMO. It's its own creation.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by John Farmer on September 13, 2009 at 4:14 PM

Lovely! The glow low against the hills, then gradations to the upper add to a wonderful overall feeling of the shot.

Registered on October 30, 2008, 20 Posts, 175 Comments

Comment posted by Jerry Greer on September 13, 2009 at 4:53 PM

I think that I wouldn't change a thing! I love it.

I think that I'll go get a drink!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 404 Posts, 1977 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Regner on September 13, 2009 at 5:25 PM

Great job; I think your choice of duotone really works for this image. I agree that the distortion adds rather than detracts from the image. Can't think of any way this could be improved.

Registered on February 10, 2008, 17 Posts, 169 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on September 13, 2009 at 6:02 PM

The toning makes this one sing, as well as having a very effective comp. Great mystery and mood.

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

Comment posted by Alan Chan on September 13, 2009 at 11:04 PM

I wouldn't change a thing on this one. This is perfect. I'm very curious how the color version looks like though.

Registered on August 24, 2007, 3 Posts, 17 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on September 13, 2009 at 11:31 PM

Everythging looks great here. The distortion only adds to the scene IMO. I really like the gradient in the sky, as well as the geometric pattern in the cracked earth. Nice!

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Dawson on September 13, 2009 at 11:57 PM

This works for me, the cracked foreground punctuated by the tree works fantasticly

Registered on February 4, 2006, 364 Posts, 8872 Comments

Comment posted by Jay Patel on September 14, 2009 at 12:02 AM

I love the processing and composition. The gradient in the sky works well here. I need to try some B/W on cloudless days. Good work.

Registered on August 28, 2008, 87 Posts, 566 Comments

Comment posted by Rafael Rojas on September 14, 2009 at 4:55 AM

It gives the creeps. I love the aura over the horizon. Put it inmediatly on your website! Cheers, Rafael.

Registered on March 1, 2009, 56 Posts, 623 Comments

Comment posted by Steve France on September 14, 2009 at 5:39 AM

I really really enjoy this Kah Kit.... the toning has really brought out the textures. The silhouetted tree is fantastic in this compostion. Unique... and I prefer seeing this, than the usual colour efforts from this location.

Registered on September 26, 2007, 89 Posts, 1477 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on September 14, 2009 at 12:15 PM

Very Nice! I ordinarily am not fond of toned images, but i like the toning here. I wouldnt say this is your best on this theme--but its good enough!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Jimmy Gekas on September 14, 2009 at 1:13 PM

Great stuff, Kah Kit. Nice choice on the bw and I like the tint, too.

Registered on July 26, 2007, 244 Posts, 2807 Comments

Comment posted by John Lehmkuhl on September 15, 2009 at 2:27 AM

This tells a deeper story than most from this location. I like the natural lens distortion and vote to keep it.

Registered on May 22, 2005, 165 Posts, 2008 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on September 16, 2009 at 10:42 AM

Works nicely. I never give a rats a** about distortion.

Mark

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