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WC508  Chaco Dawn w/Repost
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WC508 Chaco Dawn w/Repost

by Scott Fricke

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted October 30, 2011253 views7 comments
I positioned the ruin at the intersection point of the horizontal and vertical thirds. Please see larger version for better detail. Any critiques would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

Chaco Culture National Park, New Mexico

Pueblo Bonito is the largest of the great houses in Chaco Canyon at four stories high, with over 600 rooms and 40 kivas. It was occupied from about 800 to 1200 AD. Note the huge boulders that have crumbled off the cliff face into the back edge of the ruin.

Canon 5DII, 15mm Fisheye Lens, f16, 1/8 sec., ISO 100, tripod

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by Varina Patel on November 1, 2011 at 10:34 AM
Wow! What a neat location! And that sky! Gorgeous! I love the black and white treatment, and the view from high above the ruins. It's a fascinating shot. I suspect that you have a whole series from this location. :) I wish I could see them all!

At first, I thought the high rocks on the right were too dominant... but then I noticed the ruins. They balance out the image beautifully - and the high rocks provide a great sense of place. I love it. One suggestion - I might brighten up the area of the ruins just ever so slightly to draw the eye to it. It has to remain natural-looking, I think... but just a touch of light would help in my opinion.

Excellent shot, Scott!
Registered on August 22, 2008, 45 Posts, 1578 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Fricke on November 1, 2011 at 2:24 PM
Thanks for the critique Varina, I shared many of your same thoughts. An early version had that high rock cropped out. I like your suggestion of lightening the ruins a tad, they do get lost in the landscape, especially when viewed at such a small size.

I do have a couple more on my website, the link is in the signature block. Go to galleries then to World Heritage Sites and you will see the Chaco gallery.
Registered on January 19, 2007, 133 Posts, 1448 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Fricke on November 1, 2011 at 2:33 PM
Here is a revised version with the ruins lightened.
Registered on January 19, 2007, 133 Posts, 1448 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on November 1, 2011 at 3:53 PM
Chaco is a terrific place with amazing history and your b&w treatment really fits with that history. In this shot, the textures in the sky nicely complement the textures in the landscape. The dodging of the pueblo in the repost helps a lot in adding emphasis to the pueblo. Neat shot.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by RL Potts on November 4, 2011 at 2:08 PM
For me, this is about the sky instead of the rocks. I didn't see the ruins in the small version. Going with a longer lens in the vertical orientation might have helped. Excellent clouds.
Registered on November 24, 2003, 188 Posts, 985 Comments
Comment posted by Doug Koepsel on November 5, 2011 at 11:39 AM
The lightening of the pueblo makes it stand out and draws attention to it much better in the reposted version.
Registered on April 1, 2010, 196 Posts, 1592 Comments
Comment posted by Varina Patel on November 7, 2011 at 11:53 AM
I love the repost, Scott! And thanks for pointing me to your website for more photos. My favorite is Pueblo Bonito III... the composition is really cool! Your site looks great too - well done!
Registered on August 22, 2008, 45 Posts, 1578 Comments