Hollowed Ground-BW RePost

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 9, 2016231 views16 comments

Large Version Included

I came across these unique looking Ablation Hollows during some recent backpacking in California's Trinity Alps Wilderness. Early mountains snow this past year left some lingering snow fields at the higher elevations, especially in shaded steep gullies. I've always been attracted to the textures and shapes of sun cups, but I found the unique concentric rings surrounding some of the hollows very cool. Weather was not idea for photography or backpacking - windless, cloudless blue skies, 60 degrees at night and 95-100 degrees during the day for my entire visit. These formations were one of the more interesting subject I found to photograph and a welcome relief from the heat and blazing sun. This was a 10 foot section of snow field. ANy thoughts most welcome.

Nikon D810, Nikon 16-35mm @ 35mm, ISO 64, f16, 1/45 sec., polarizing filter

Comments

16 comments

Comment posted by Ronald Murphy on August 9, 2016 at 8:33 PM

Very striking with great depth. Another planet.

Registered on March 13, 2012, 279 Posts, 975 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Kearl on August 9, 2016 at 8:42 PM

The diagonal perspective is really appealing and takes me right in.
Nice find.

Registered on September 2, 2013, 209 Posts, 1514 Comments

Comment posted by gary phillips on August 9, 2016 at 9:41 PM

Pretty cool Harry. Reminds me of some of the badland erosion patterns. Literally a cool find.

Registered on October 24, 2013, 185 Posts, 4136 Comments

Comment posted by Dave Dillemuth on August 9, 2016 at 11:06 PM

A very unique snow abstract. I have never seen sun cups in this form. The angled perspective is fantastic. I bet this would work equally well in B&W.

Registered on December 10, 2015, 104 Posts, 1112 Comments

Comment posted by Pete Bengeyfield on August 10, 2016 at 1:59 PM

Excellent texture and pattern. Way cool enlightened

Registered on December 2, 2003, 1247 Posts, 3439 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Anderson on August 10, 2016 at 4:18 PM

Cool shot Harry !

Registered on September 6, 2007, 346 Posts, 2696 Comments

Comment posted by Marylynne Diggs on August 10, 2016 at 6:59 PM

Very cool Harry. I like the abstract quality. I'm undecided about the lower right corner and the lowest ablation hollow in general. Maybe I'm nuts (I'm shifting back into English teacher mode, so my visual imagination might be off), but I wonder what it would look like cropped up to just below the second from bottom hollow, basically cutting the bottom hollow in half.

Registered on December 14, 2010, 122 Posts, 1034 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on August 10, 2016 at 11:37 PM

There is a lot to enjoy in this image from the texture in the snow to the interplay of light and shadow not to mention all of the wonderful contours. I might suggest converting to B&W as the snow looks a little dirty.

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on August 11, 2016 at 1:52 PM

Thanks for the feedback.

Marilyn new - I think cropping the bottom one in half would take away from the symmetry of the Crystal rings.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on August 11, 2016 at 7:46 PM

Clicking on image should open a much Larger View.

I've included a slightly different comp. with a BW conversion as suggested. I'm a little concerned that the snow and ice crystals appears a little too over sharpened in web presentation. I applied less than the usual sharpening, but the nature of the subject, and the side lit ice crystals appears as bright specs throughout the image. I do have some dynamic range to play with if folks think over-all brightening is needed.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on August 11, 2016 at 11:32 PM

Very nice - I do think I prefer the repost. The B&W really works well with this image. Nicely done either way!

Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 12, 2016 at 6:22 PM

Harry, What an interesting image this is, and I like it alot. Very cool shapes and patterns with such wonderful textures. I like both versions of this very much but the b&w in it's larger view is quite impressive.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on August 12, 2016 at 6:33 PM

I like this unique image very much, especially the repost. It is fun to try to guess what it is, and I wouldn't guess snow necessarily. I think that is because of the gray tones, which might be brightened. In any case, a very interesting and different abstract.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Marylynne Diggs on August 13, 2016 at 6:53 PM

I like the repost better too, Harry, partly for the b/w conversion. I was imagining something still portrait aspect ratio, with a little more of the bottom-most hollow. I can export crop and show you what I meant, if you like, but I think dialing in the crop more carefully is worth a shot. As is the lowest hollow has either too little or too much, and I think making both it and the dark one to the right into roughly same shaped 1/4 circles might do the trick.

Of course, this is good as shot and shared originally as well, so feel free to take my thoughts with a grain of salt.
ML

Registered on December 14, 2010, 122 Posts, 1034 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on August 15, 2016 at 1:06 PM

Cool find Harry. I like the B&W version best but they are both wonderful especially the texture and range of tones.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on August 25, 2016 at 5:51 AM

Well seen. I prefer the first version with the longer upward progression of abstract shapes. Great abstract.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments