Santa Elena Canyon - Repost

Lovely shot, the warm light on the cliffs makes the shot. There are a few smudges in the sky which I suspect are due to a dirty sensor. I initially thought that the tall plant passing thought the cliff on the left was a distraction but I now think it works quite well, echoing that V in the canyon.

Keep at it, Dottie. No better way to improve than to comment a bunch and to post your pics.

In this image, I see a few things that are working and a couple of things that aren't. The big canyon walls and their orange glow are really nice, as is that V-shaped groove running down their middle. Those are powerful shapes and colors to work with. The foreground doesn't hold a ton of interest, and then you have that ocotillo which is very prominent in the comp. I think it's somewhat distracting, the way the ocotillo is camouflaged against the FG and then disrupts the harmony of the canyon wall and V-groove. The ocotillo is also a nice V-shape, so it might have been possible to change your position and use that to your advantage, without having it cut into the other elements. I do think there's a lot of potential with all of these elements, though.

As far as processing goes, this looks a little oversharpened on my monitor.

I've never been to Big Bend NP, but this scene seems like it represents the landscape there quite nicely. The inclusion and placement of the cactus in the foreground appeals to me, complementing the shape of the entrance to the canyon in the background. As has been mentioned, the sharpening does look a little off.

I love Big Bend, it's one of my favorite places. This is a nice view of Santa Elena, but appears a tad flat on my work monitor (uncalibrated). A different viewpoint is always nice, and I like the way you included the ocotilla in your comp. Would like to see more from BB.

Repost - Backed off on the sharpening in the repost. Thanks for all the comments both positive and negative. That's they way one improves.

Hi Dottie,

I don't see many images from this park and it's one that is high on my list for visiting. I am familar with this area (from doing research) and it looks like an incredible place. I am so glad you shared this with us. I like the inclusion of the ocotillo, which looks like it has some chromatic aberration issues around its branches. I do think it throws the balance of the scene off a bit, simply because the right side is empty. However, overall I like well because it anchors the compositon and seems like you took the time to find a suitable object to include in your image, which is thoughtful.

Michael

PS - the repost looks better

I like the image-especially the repost. Looks like it was a scenic and great place to be. I like that you included the more barren land in the foreground. Gives a sense of the diverseness of this place. Look forward to more images.