First, a big thanks to Bill Pelzmann for his inspiring comments about Bisti…
I decided to go for it. I've been watching the monsoon pick up in northern NM the past week and knew it was time to make the drive. Just sort of been intrigued by Mineral Landscapes and thought Bisti would give me a taste of something different. That place did not disappoint.
My trip to Bisti will go down as one of the most productive photography trips ever. I spent two days down in the desert, and had the privilege of hanging out in some pretty scary thunderstorms. On day two, I endured a 20 minute dust storm that kept visibility down to about 5-ft; never been through anything like that. I wasn’t sure it would ever end….Soon after it rained so hard I thought I would be washed away in a flash flood at 7:30 at night. Needless to say I had the look of a big dirt clod. Packing the big trash bags to keep my gear dry and clean was one of the better decisions I've made in years! Next, I literally dried off in 15 minutes and at 8:00 pm I shot an incredible sunset. It was magical.
A stellar composition with intriguing elements from top to bottom.
I like the very subtle colors of the hoodoos in the foreground, as well as the willy-nilly placement of the rest. That's a great sky you captured, and the lightning bolts provide a great accent as opposed to dominating the scene.
No nits at all from me. A very creative and original take from this place. I sure look forward to seeing more from here!
You should consider posting this in the 'Landscape' gallery.
Oh, yeah...this is about 45 miles from where I work.
Posted by Karl Buiter on July 12, 2012 at 10:54 PM
Applause. Amazing shot. Inspiring. Nothing to add,
I've been thinking about heading out there as well, every since I learned about it at the Moab event. I might have a chance in a few weeks. My day job may send me out to the Farmington / Shiprock area. If anyone is around, I'll post when the travel occurs for a hook-up.
Outstanding composition, Kane! And, fully packed with mood, drama, and even danger. You're right, I've got to get down there sometime. Absolutely a portfolio keeper!
Wow! This is an overwhelmingly powerful image. Bisti just moved up several notches on my future trip list. Clearly it's best to be there in monsoon season so it might be next year but I'll definitely get there.
Posted by Jack Garrett on July 13, 2012 at 12:23 AM
Great image.
Bisti is definitely the place to be during the monsoons. How heavy were your boots ?
I looked at the Farmington weather forecast after we spoke,and knew you'd have a productive trip.
I spent a few days there in May after the solar eclipse. Blue skies & dust storms, so I used the time to explore new areas.
Hope to see many more posts from this trip.
Posted by Monika Chace on July 13, 2012 at 10:24 AM
Kane, that's a great image! I've only gotten clear or uniformly grey skies when I've gone -- I'm jealous
Super shot, Kane. I really like the erosional foreground aspects mixed with nature's source of said erosion in the sky. It really tells a great geological story!
How was the dirt road after the rain? Passable, or did it dry fast enough that you didn't have to find out? I always worry when I'm in an area like that during a rainstorm, ever since I was stranded for 3 hours on House Rock Road in southern Utah on the way to the Wave because of a cloudburst that turned that road into a impassable muddy hell about 10 years ago!
Posted by Pam Colander on July 13, 2012 at 12:18 PM
This is a timeless image...could've been taken yesterday or 25,000,000 yesterdays ago. Only technical question I have is the bit of barreling (?) distortion on the left horizon. The great catch and inclusion of the lightning bolts completes this one and puts it over the top!
Posted by Todd Caudle on July 13, 2012 at 12:49 PM
That's amazing, Kane. Didn't read all the comments to see if this is mentioned, but is the image tilted a little CW? Looks like land and sky are tilted. But what a superb shot!!!
Pam, Todd, I think you're on to something. The image was stitched together about in the middle. I typically go with a square stitch, but it appears I went with either a round or barrel stitch. That can be fixed.
Don, the road to the trailhead is an improved gravel road, no issues when wet. I will say the ample camping off the road is miserable when it rains. It's like camping on toothpaste. My first night it rained until 4:00am. I couldn't sleep in my tent because the ground was so soft and I was afraid that when I moved in the tent the mud would potentially seep into my mesh walls. I tried to sleep sitting up in my car. I think I got maybe 2 hrs of sleep that night. Going forward, I'm getting hotel room in Farmington like I did for night #2.
Congratulations on such an image! You've captured the scene really well, and I love the distant lightning (although I'd be in a panic with bolts that close!). Sounds like you had quite the adventure. TFS!
Awesome shot, Kane, in great conditions! I was wondering about the tilt/distortion issue too, but I wonder if it isnt a little baked into the comp. Something about the clouds and foreground hoodoos is just disorienting and makes me want to tilt my head. But disorientation isn't necessarily a bad thing in a surreal landscape. I'd be curious to see a corrected version, but it's a fine image as is.
Wow, that is crazy!! Beautiful light and conditions. The overcast light really helps bring out the subtle color and texture in the hoodoos and the stormy conditions are an added bonus.
No doubt an outstanding image and post processing work! And if the conditions weren't good enough, you capture lightning?
Vertical shift stitch? Umm, I may need an explanation on that process.
Posted by Doug Koepsel on July 16, 2012 at 11:46 AM
Your trianular comp of foreground hoodoos and their natural-appearing colors is appealing. I also like how the upper clouds radiate from a central point.
Awesome shot! And a LOT more great Bisti shots on your site! I like seeing your grand-landscape-style shots from there; most of the stuff I've seen is more close-up and abstract. Your shots really reveal a sense of the landscape there, and it's very impressive!
Discussion
23 repliesI decided to go for it. I've been watching the monsoon pick up in northern NM the past week and knew it was time to make the drive. Just sort of been intrigued by Mineral Landscapes and thought Bisti would give me a taste of something different. That place did not disappoint.
My trip to Bisti will go down as one of the most productive photography trips ever. I spent two days down in the desert, and had the privilege of hanging out in some pretty scary thunderstorms. On day two, I endured a 20 minute dust storm that kept visibility down to about 5-ft; never been through anything like that. I wasn’t sure it would ever end….Soon after it rained so hard I thought I would be washed away in a flash flood at 7:30 at night. Needless to say I had the look of a big dirt clod. Packing the big trash bags to keep my gear dry and clean was one of the better decisions I've made in years! Next, I literally dried off in 15 minutes and at 8:00 pm I shot an incredible sunset. It was magical.
My first shot I call "Gods Handiwork."
5dII, 24mm tse, 2 final image vertical shift stitch equaling 12mm, bottom image 3 image focus stack at F11, upper image 2 image blend.
Comments and Critique welcome.
I like the very subtle colors of the hoodoos in the foreground, as well as the willy-nilly placement of the rest. That's a great sky you captured, and the lightning bolts provide a great accent as opposed to dominating the scene.
No nits at all from me. A very creative and original take from this place. I sure look forward to seeing more from here!
You should consider posting this in the 'Landscape' gallery.
Oh, yeah...this is about 45 miles from where I work.
I've been thinking about heading out there as well, every since I learned about it at the Moab event. I might have a chance in a few weeks. My day job may send me out to the Farmington / Shiprock area. If anyone is around, I'll post when the travel occurs for a hook-up.
Nice to see the monsoons coming in!
Bisti is definitely the place to be during the monsoons. How heavy were your boots ?
I looked at the Farmington weather forecast after we spoke,and knew you'd have a productive trip.
I spent a few days there in May after the solar eclipse. Blue skies & dust storms, so I used the time to explore new areas.
Hope to see many more posts from this trip.
How was the dirt road after the rain? Passable, or did it dry fast enough that you didn't have to find out? I always worry when I'm in an area like that during a rainstorm, ever since I was stranded for 3 hours on House Rock Road in southern Utah on the way to the Wave because of a cloudburst that turned that road into a impassable muddy hell about 10 years ago!
Don, the road to the trailhead is an improved gravel road, no issues when wet. I will say the ample camping off the road is miserable when it rains. It's like camping on toothpaste. My first night it rained until 4:00am. I couldn't sleep in my tent because the ground was so soft and I was afraid that when I moved in the tent the mud would potentially seep into my mesh walls. I tried to sleep sitting up in my car. I think I got maybe 2 hrs of sleep that night. Going forward, I'm getting hotel room in Farmington like I did for night #2.
Wow, that is crazy!! Beautiful light and conditions. The overcast light really helps bring out the subtle color and texture in the hoodoos and the stormy conditions are an added bonus.
Vertical shift stitch? Umm, I may need an explanation on that process.