Lost Dutchman

Here's an image I took a few days ago while down in AZ visiting my parents. I'd like your input on the strong vignette I added. The reason I made it so strong, particularly on the bottom left side is because there was nothing there and the emptiness drew my eye away from the main part of the image. What do you think or what do you suggest? Any other comments are always welcomed as well.

Thanks!

Erik

Here's one without the strong blh vignette.

For me your darkening works very well to direct attention away from the barren area.
I wouldn't go any darker & might try backing off just a little

I think the vignette is great I really like how it brings your attention back to the middle. The image without it does feel empty in the lower left corner there so I say keep it.

Good call on this one Eric. It is a bit distracting without the vignette, and it's a non-issue with the vignette. I wonder if it's possible to pull a little more shadow detail out of the distant mountains in the left-center?I like the high contrast look of this scene and I wouldn't want to flatten the overall contrast.

I think it works great on this image.
Killer shot by the way.... Erik
Just another in the long line outstanding images you continune to produce Wow!!!

To me it is too strong. Having grown-up in the desert I come to expect the empty patches and actually enjoy the subtle details of plants and stones. Hope you gave that teddy bear cholla a thank you hug before leaving. :)

Great effect! I like this image a lot. The balanced vignette does exactly what you wanted it to do.
By the way, isn't there a lost gold mine somewhere up in "them there hills"? I saw a movie about the Lost Dutchman when I was a kid,(1949)to be exact.

Great shot, beautifully 'developed'!
I believe that a properly used vignette can be a real asset to an image, and this works very well in isolating the most attractive elements here.
You might consider decreasing it some on the cloud in the upper right corner, though.

I too agree that the Vignette works really nicely with the image, it frames the important parts of the scene in my mind. Great shot Erik!.

I think it's a very strong image without the vignette, though you have used it very effectively here. My vote would be for no vignette or backing off a little to something in between these two.

Eric
In my opinion it is too strong. Vignetting is like adding garlic to your favorite dish....a litttle bit goes a long way. I was taught that if the vignette is too apparent you have gone too far. Great shot, by the way.
Joe Rogers

Both are just amazing! I'd vote for the first one with maybe a tad less vignette. You just can't go wrong with this image.

Thanks everyone! I'll tone down the vignette slightly as well as the top right corner.

Here's a link to another one from my trip on ESS: http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=140274&CGISESSID=96f775dc90b92b976f97f1d12c73d3b5&u=4286

Erik, great shot. I agree with some of the others, the vignette works, but I would back it down just a bit so that it is not so evident that you put it there. You can still accomplish the goal, but just make it more subtle. =)

PS: Really like the vertical shot too.

Count me in for the vignette version but back it off just a touch. This is a very strong image! I wold surely hang it on my wall.

David, there was just a story on 9news about a Denver man who went down there before Christmas looking for the gold and hasn't been seen since. There are some prospectors down there who don't take kindly to strangers...so if anyone goes there to shoot, be careful.

#1 is my choice and nice pic by the way.

I like the vignette, and I agree about pulling it back slightly, but man, what gorgeous light and color. And with the usual superb comp! Just more outstanding work from you.

Great shot. Could I please order some of this light for my trip down there next month?

Fantastic image! I prefer the second one, but what do i know?

That bare area doesn't really bother me whereas the vignette just feels too heavy. Beautiful image though, Erik. I'm headed there in a little over a week and can't wait to hike all over my old stompin' grounds. Thanks for the inspiration!

Before I even read your text, I thought the vignetting was very effective. It's the first thing I noticed after the overall beauty of the scene.

Beautiful work, Erik! I'll vote for slightly less vignetting too.

What a Fantastic image! Superb light! The empty space really doesn't bother me. It's a desert image. I have to go against most of the consensus and say I really don't care for the vignette. Maybe because it's just to dark. I very much love the 2nd one! Just awesome.

The vignette looks fine but the original looks fine to. I would go with either one. Nice work!

I like it with the vignette, maybe back off very very slightly. Great light, really nice shot!