Pot of Gold
by Peter Coskun
Decided to head out today for some monsoon shooting and maybe even try for lightning. Upon arriving here it was dark and the west look like it was going to block up, but I checked the weather before hand and knew this would clear enough for some awesome light. It began to rain lightly, and then a little heavier. After the rain stopped I got out of my car and looked to see if there was a rainbow. My buddy and I decided to venture off and look for something worth while to shoot. It looked really good to the west, awesome colors, golden light it was all happening. Then he said "turn around" and saw a double rainbow over the mountains which I was hoping to photograph. I've been here so many times, and this is only the first time I've seen a rainbow here. Of course, shooting the opposite direction I didn't quite have a composition facing the mountains, so naturally I would jump to the first thing that took interest. I'm slowly becoming aware that the desert starts to feel repetitive when shooting. Cactus seem to be the only foregrounds besides rocks, so lately I've found it difficult to be inspired by this desert. I think for throwing something together quite quickly, I managed to get the best possible image from this moment. Comments and critiques appreciated.
Canon 7d
Canon 17-40mm @17mm
f14
ISO 100
1/2 sec
CPL
Tripod
Comments
15 commentsvery nice picture
You definitely made the most of your opportunity here, it definitely holds interest and some drama.
If I could offer my critique I would say... For me the composition is feeling a little compressed or bunched up, like there isn't enough space or middle ground between the cactus and the mountains. Did you manage to capture a horizontal comp as well? I would be interested in seeing that.
Later,
Shane
While I can certainly see and appreciate Shane's point, I think that comes more from a critical eye rather than from the viewpoint of a more casual viewer. If the middle area was uninteresting, then I think you made a good choice. When you get circumstances like this, you get what you can while you can, and I think you did a great job here. There's certainly nothing repetitive about a scene like this one!
Shane, I see what you mean. However, beyond these cholla it is fairly boring and desolate looking up to the mountains. I did take a few horizontal compositions, but the rainbow's were reduced about 50% trying to incorporate the cacti.
This is just one frickin' awesome landscape! I guess there's an epidemic of rainbows these days...
I think from your dialogue, you present a great example of how knowing a location(environment) so well that you can quickly adapt and catch things in a way that only someone who is familiar with that environment could do. Like anywhere.... one can only photograph sandstone and slot canyons so much. One can only photograph granite and waterfalls so much.... but when you're in those locations and magic happens... well, luck follows those who are prepared (or whatever the saying is.)
This is beautiful Peter.
Lon
Mark- I was quite pleased to have this outcome.