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Dry Bones
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Dry Bones

by Bill Fach

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 29, 2014263 views9 comments
Sony A77
Sony 70-400G @ 70mm CPL
ISO 100, 1/20 @ f8

Our first trip to Zion so we drove up the canyon road early this morning just for fun. Saw these winter cottonwoods spotlit with the canyon wall still in shadow. All comments welcome. >=))>

Comments

9 comments
Comment posted by John Launstein on December 30, 2014 at 1:31 AM
That's a beauty, Bill! I miss Zion...been too many years since we've been there.

I really like this image for several reasons. The lighting is certainly dramatic, the textures and details wonderful, and I like your choice of comp. I guess in a perfect world you might have caught this without the highlight on the grasses (though some may argue that's a plus)...for me I'd be tempted to selectively bring that down a touch as it does pull my eye down rather quickly after absorbing the trees for a moment.

Really cool palette as well.
Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments
Comment posted by scott lanz on December 30, 2014 at 9:16 AM
A unique image of Zion, Bill. I don't many Zion winter images. Much "cooler" than I am used to seeing. I initially thought these trees were covered with frost. I like the way they silhouette from the bg canyon rock. Well captured.
Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments
Comment posted by Jeff Martyka on December 30, 2014 at 1:07 PM
I thought they were frosted trees as well. Very neat image. I'd agree on John's comment on the grasses.

Have fun there...so many interesting sites!
Registered on June 20, 2014, 30 Posts, 155 Comments
Comment posted by gary phillips on December 30, 2014 at 2:00 PM
Real nice, Bill. I agree with the suggestion to reduce the highlights on the grasses. I could also see this as a square crop and converted to mono.
Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments
Comment posted by D.A. Edwards on December 30, 2014 at 2:55 PM
Beautiful shot, Bill, with lots of drama and detail. I can see John's point about the foreground grass but probably would not have noticed if he hadn't mentioned it. This would make a striking B+W conversion I'd guess. :toast:
Registered on October 8, 2014, 226 Posts, 1187 Comments
Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on December 30, 2014 at 4:53 PM
The skeletal trees really pop against the canyon wall. Put me down as another one who would like to see a B&W of this.
Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments
Comment posted by Alberto Patiño on December 30, 2014 at 7:24 PM
Bill, I have always loved these shots of bare trees against red canyon walls, my only suggestion would be to tone down the tress and grasses just a bit, so as to get some more detail. Gorgeous image. :toast:
Registered on December 2, 2014, 278 Posts, 1736 Comments
Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on December 31, 2014 at 7:16 PM
I love this. At first, I though about suggesting a crop from the top, but then I saw the upper tree: It would have looked weird cut off. I like the color and the light on the trees, but that little pact of sunlit grass in the lower right draws my eye. A slight burn down there would help. You could try bringing down the high values in the cottonwoods, but only by a little, otherwise, they would look muddy.

Happy New Year, Bill!

--P
Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments
Comment posted by Ryan Shain on January 1, 2015 at 4:22 PM
Good day Bill,

I love how the light shines down on the trees, and displays their beautiful nature. Of course, the background wall provides contrast to the foreground light, and this image works so well for myself. The room up top works too, but I could also see a crop down. As Preston had mentioned, the tree might like a bit off if you cut it off, so you could clone it out, if you are into that kind of thing.

That could really bring emphasis on the beautiful light on those foreground trees.

Beautiful capture Bill :smile:
Registered on February 20, 2007, 226 Posts, 4571 Comments