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WC 586 Ghostly Canyon
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WC 586 Ghostly Canyon

by Bill Fach

Gallery: Weekly ChallengePosted May 26, 2013174 views8 comments
Sony A700
Minolta 20mm
ISO 250, 30 seconds @ f4

Made a quick trip to the Grand Canyon in late October and had some very interesting conditions. First there was a full moon and there was a prescribed burn going on the north rim that would fill the canyon with smoke in the early evening and throughout the night. I had never done any moonlight shooting so I went over to Mather Point and played around. I had the whole place completely to myself and thoroughly enjoyed the conditions and the experience. I'm really glad I took the opportunity that night because the next evening my A700 died and I had to shoot the rest of the trip with my P&S and FILM camera! This was one of my favorites. All comments welcome. >=))>

In response to Jim's comment, this is obviously a crop. I took some from the bottom and top. On the bottom there were some light colored rocks that were considerably brighter and IMO pretty distracting. I generally do not like 50/50 splits and wish the horizon was better positioned but due to the FG elements encompassed by the 20mm lens I thought this was a good compromise. Here's a link to another view.

Comments

8 comments
Comment posted by Jim Lockhart on May 26, 2013 at 7:53 PM
Stunning shot Bill, almost a surreal scene. Interesting how the smoke has stayed low, like a fog. 30 seconds was probably about right; some of the stars are just beginning to elongate a bit. Thinking I would like to see the horizon a bit higher; like how the foreground rock is partially illuminated
Registered on February 19, 2013, 91 Posts, 500 Comments
Comment posted by jack jaeger jr on May 26, 2013 at 9:18 PM
What luck a real beauty !
Registered on April 2, 2012, 26 Posts, 355 Comments
Comment posted by Walt Sterneman on May 27, 2013 at 9:33 AM
Great shot Bill. Really intriguing. One of the best GC shots I've seen and quite different.
Registered on March 24, 2010, 73 Posts, 1268 Comments
Comment posted by Richard Teller on May 27, 2013 at 8:51 PM
I really like the other worldly feeling and look of this image. The pano comp works really well.
Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments
Comment posted by Carolyn Derstine on May 28, 2013 at 1:58 PM
Very cool and unique shot of the Grand Canyon, Bill. :smile: I really like the way the fog/smoke lies low in the canyon, helping accent the higher distinct ridges. The moonlight gives an almost otherworldly feel to the image and the stars help give definition to this being a night shot. Beautifully serene scene with a majestic sense of loneliness and isolation!
Registered on February 16, 2011, 610 Posts, 3684 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Seaver on May 28, 2013 at 3:25 PM
Very cool, Bill. The smoke really establishes a strong sense of depth and mystery. I also like how brightly the stars are shining.
Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments
Comment posted by RL Potts on May 28, 2013 at 11:09 PM
Smoke and Moonlight. Now that's a concept! I have mixed feelings about the brightness. It seems too bright for night, but it is fun to see the landscape through the eyes of a cat. I love the smoke and stars, at any rate. Some firelight brightening up the smoke would have been neat too. It would have been fun to be closer to the burn.
Registered on November 24, 2003, 188 Posts, 985 Comments
Comment posted by Barbara Graham on May 29, 2013 at 9:52 AM
Sounds like a wonderful experience. For me this is a wow image, very different. Gives a real sense of stillness.
Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments