Outlandish Landscape

This is very nice Yiming, with really sweet light. Looks like a giant marbles game. Excellent composition, rich color, and nice sky. Look like some interesting intimate possibilities on the distant hill too.

Gorgeous..where is this?

Real nice light and fascinating formation. Well done.

Great light and an interesting subject. I will say that it looks a tad oversaturated in the oranges, but it could just be the light was really that orange at the time. Also, I wish this comp followed the rule of thirds and included more sky, but, due to the lack of clouds, I see why you chose the comp that you did.

Bill: Thanks. I was thinking about something similar. I took another vertical shot here and immediately switched to my 70-200 lens and tried to take a few intimate close-ups of the hill. However by that time, the sweet orange-red light had changed to yellow-white light that was a little bit too harsh for my taste.

Kartik: it's Bisti Badland, NM.

Kory: thanks. Yes I was hoping for some clouds in the sky but I did not get any.

As for the light, it was indeed very rich orange-red colors, probably due to the relatively high elevation (about 6000 feet) and the dusty air.

Here is an anecdotal evidence: once in a blue moon I like to use a Canon speedlite to illuminate the foreground (not in this picture, though). I need to use a warming gel to match the color of the sunshine. On the beach of Florida or Maine, a single cut of CTO gel is enough to make the flash light looks like the golden ray of the setting (or raising) sun. Here I have to use double CTO gels to exact match the sunset/sunrise colors! Talking about some incredibly rich colors, which last for only a few minutes.

You timed it perfectly. The warmth really comes through. I really like stepping into the scene via the foreground rocks.

Classic Bisti scene, Yiming--looks like a Martian bowling alley! Love the colors too--looks very velvia-like.

That light on this fascinating landscape is superb. Love the warm colors and the play of shadows cast by the rocks. The large version you provided is a real treat.

Love the light, foreground rocks, and color. Keeps my eye comfortably wandering around the scene!

I haven't seen an image from this particular scene of Bisti before. Masterful composition, engaging light.

Michael

A beautifully vivid image, Yiming. Love the orange/blue combination here, and the rock features are very unusual and eye catching.

Such a unique landscape, almost like a playground. Beautifully depiction here with the warm light, Yiming!

What a sweet few minutes of light it is, captured so well here...I really like the composition here, with the scattered rocks and shadows leading back to that wonderfully textured rock.

Beautiful side lighting really brings out the textures. The clear sky works well for me here and keeps the attention on the rocks.

Other worldly indeed. Great light, and composition. This scene has so much to offer it would be difficult to decide on what to include/leave out. You did well with this one.

The lighting is terrific and those boulders look like they're rolling off the hill. What a fascinating location, I'll have to add it to my list of places to visit.

I like the diagonal arrangement of the shadows too. Good job.

This is a wonderful scene. I live in AZ, but have never been to Bisti; I'll have to make an effort to get there. The red/orange glow is so typical of the southwestern red rock (sandstone) at certain times of day. Anyone who hasn't seen it in person can't imagine that it is real. You've captured the true colors of the SW desert. Great!

Facinating landscape Yiming, the orange light is very juicy indeed.

Gary.

Nice capture that gets to the essence of this place.

Well executed and composed, considering the featureless sky. The colors and soft shadow detail really pull this together for a visual pleasing and striking image.

Shane

The shot works well for me. Love the lighting. Reminds me of Goblin Valley a bit cept for the lack of formations. Nice marble affect here. Well done

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions!

Gorgeous warm light Yiming! Love the long shadows and alien looking scape.

Like the way you saw the light here Yiming.

The light and colors are great in this one. Also, the arrangement of those roundish pieces of rock in front of the hill looks like somebody is carrying them up there to watch them roll down the hill...