Arches/Canyonlands

Just couldnt make it out to Zion this year, so i consoled myself with a quick trip out to A&C this weekend. A bit too rushed to really make it work, especially after i found out that the road i wanted to head down was 'impassable' (Mineral Creek was also wiped out a couple months ago). But heres a sampler:
1) Classic view of the Fisher Towers

2) Delicate Arch vicinity at sunrise

3) Arches near courtyard towers

4) Chesler Park, Needles district

5) Colorado overlook, Needles

6) Windows area, sunrise yesterday

7) Windows, sunrise!

8) Plenty of color still in Arches...
thats all for now--maybe one more at ESS

Like all of them, but, #3 has a balance that really works for me. Thanks for posting.
Joe Rogers

Great series, Stan. I love this area of the country. For a rushed trip, you got some keepers (I like #1, 4, 5, and 6).

Nice set of images Stan.

Looking good.....the reds looka little bit oversated on the first image on my work monitor...Neat images.

A very nice series, Stan. Of course your best one is over at ESS. I agree with Joseph that the reds on #1 are pushed a bit too far.

Yeah, i think they might be a bit too strong--i didnt push them, but i needed to pull back, as i did in this version:

I really like #2 !
Great light, and the varied striations are quite engaging for the eye.

I am drawn to #5 most, maybe because it sucks me into the canyon depths and the spire in the center. But I also wonder how it would look with the sun in the opposite direction and taken from the lower rock on the right.

#4, the cedar snag covers the spired rocks behind.
#2 is kinda Second Wave-ish in a good way

These are all just beautiful Stan. thanks for sharing

Another excellent series Stan..hard to pick a favorite because they are all so good!

Another excellent series Stan..hard to pick a favorite because they are all so good!

I love #1. Arches is oversaturated, unless we allow that Mother Nature can't get it wrong. lol.

I also love the b&w's. So stark and other worldly.

Great job, Stan.

#7 looks like a bomb went off in the distance. Great stuff. Hoping to get out there myself sometime soon too.

RichieV

Definitely several keepers here. #5 does something good that can be a challenge for me, it really captures the feeling of depth. I've struggled with that up at Colorado National Monument in the past.

Hey, the tones on your B&W inages are succulent... did you just muck around in Photoshop or do you use something like Silver EFEX? If you tell me would you have to kill me?

Great series, Stan.

Bill Brennan

Another great series, Stan. It always helps when the sky and the lighting cooperate!

Paul: Thanks, i just muck with PS, i wish i had some spare change for Siver Effex! I think the key for me is that first, I composed with B&W in mind (for example, the tree in 4 was an obvious B&W subject--unfortuantely i misjudged my tripod height and left some overlap ) and second, I follow Guy T's advice and process in color first, sometimes tweaking the color a bit with the final B&W conversion in mind (for example, using a gradient curve in the sky so that the fg object stays distinct from the bg when i added a slight red filter effect). Its a constant learning process--that is for sure! I hope you can check out a B&W i will post tomorrow on ESS, since its an extreme example of this strategy...

That pull back on the reds in your last post really worked great. Do that on the first one and it will be incredible. Nice series overall with a good variety of scenes and the b&w mixed in. The conversions look like old school b&w. Very cool. #'s 1 and 5 would be my picks.

I agree your trip was very productive. The Towers are exceptional. One thing I've discovered is that red channel is easily oversaturated when shooting the red rock areas in early/late light. I normally have to back off a bit.

Red can get out of control and I like the "pulled back" reds in your last image. Lots to love in your series...in fact, ALL of it

Personally, I like the reds in the first one.
Great series, Stan!

Like #1 and #7.

Great color in the first one.