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Ansel's Rock
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Ansel's Rock

by Jake Case

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted December 16, 2010253 views3 comments
On the drive back from a whirlwind long weekend to Moab, a storm was rolling in. We were driving into Monument Valley from Mexican Hat, and I could see a break in the clouds to west. I knew the light would be dramatic and the Mittens, so I paid the $10 to get us into the park. The light was changing quick, so I snapped off shot after shot and got a good variety of compositions over the course of 20 minutes or so. This happened to be a moment when the sun hid behind a cloud, so I took advantage of the shade emphasizing the color of the sandstone. It's not a unique location, but it's a beautiful spot and a blast to shoot! Comments and critiques welcome!

Canon T1i @ 18mm
ISO 100
f/9.0
1/60 second

Comments

3 comments
Comment posted by David Thomas on December 17, 2010 at 2:17 PM
Dramatic image, and one where placement of the mitten smack in the middle seems right. On my screen, the whole image seems a little dark, but that may be just the way you saw it with the sun behind a cloud.

After some searching, I found that Ansel's Rock is actually the foreground rocks. I suppose I should have known that immediately, but duh ........

Why in this gallery? Ansel? The little light patch in the foreground being a road (although "road" is not always an apt description in Monument Valley)? I had virtually the same profile of the mitten last year, but taken next to the road, where I sought decent foreground but found nothing like yours.

Thanks for showing me how handsome a mitten scene can be.

Dave Thomas, Leesburg, Virginia

Registered on June 21, 2010, 30 Posts, 178 Comments
Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on December 17, 2010 at 4:37 PM
I love the dappled light and cloudscape very much. The proportions of the composition are a little atypical but I think this suits the scene very well.
Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments
Comment posted by Jeremy Kessler on December 20, 2010 at 2:29 AM
Beautiful Image Jake, looks like there is some slight haloing around the tip of the right rock, something I always struggle with as well. Should be an easy fix. Again Fantastic image. :toast:
Registered on September 13, 2007, 36 Posts, 1283 Comments