Posted by Karl Buiter on August 14, 2012 at 2:55 PM
(Edit Note - Added #3 and #4 to end. Big Change)
I finally had a chance to do a quick trip to Bryce Canyon. I'll call it an orientation trip and most of what I got was fairly pedestrian. I need to come back for a lower rim hike or when the weather is dynamic - not many unique viewing locations at the rim.
This is one image that got me playing with the editing controls - its from Yovimpa Point around sunset. In the distance emerged a fairly strong rainbow spectrum on a shower behind Mollies Nipple some 20 miles away. Taken on a 5D Mark III with a 70-200 2.8 II + 1.4 extender And even then, its a significant crop.
The photo subscribes to my view of capturing unique moments. But spotty lighting and the broken sky...
Not sure if I want to continue to mess with this. I got the histogram spread out and amp'd clarity. Anything here? What would you suggest?
Here is a vertical crop with the broken sky.
Posted by Karl Buiter on August 14, 2012 at 2:57 PM
#2
And here is a (horizontal) in an attempt to dump the broken sky part.
Posted by Doug Koepsel on August 14, 2012 at 7:59 PM
Karl, my preference is for the second, horizontal view which includes the lit butte. It seems the rainbow is more striking and a hint of more contrast in the image.
Posted by John Mumaw on August 14, 2012 at 8:59 PM
Oh yeah, the second one is a keeper! What a unique 'spotlit' rainbow you captured. I think you've 'developed' it pretty well with no need for any more. This will look terrific in your online portfolio!
Posted by Todd Caudle on August 15, 2012 at 10:16 AM
unfortunately what it needs is a huge crop--and sounds like that may not be an option since its already cropped (?)
You really want the bow to occupy as much space as possible--here it is just diluted by the surrounding monochrome shades. Theyre pretty shots, but crop the left 1/3 and bottom 1/2 off the second shot, and post it at the same size as the one here. End o' story
Posted by Karl Buiter on August 16, 2012 at 5:55 PM
Thanks Stan, all!
That has been the source of my uncomfortableness with the shot - too much everything else and a shot already cropped substantially. Plus the original needed a punch to get it out of the 'fog' of 20 miles of humid atmosphere.
In some ways it stands, its nice, but its not quite magical. I definitely appreciate the comments - its kept me looking at it. Cropping some of the bottom and turning more into a pano has been my thinking. I'll look at cropping more - including trying the 1/3 left 1/2 bottom idea and see if the image still holds together.
Guess its time to budget a 600mm :) . I left my crop-body 7D at home, that may have gotten me closer. Heh. Look for another looksie shortly.
Karl, have you considered playing with 4x5 crops on these? I think that could go a long ways toward eliminating dead space and focusing attention on the good stuff, which is very good indeed.
Posted by Karl Buiter on August 18, 2012 at 7:49 PM
#3
I found an earlier shot in the sequence that I cropped down to a 4x5. Note that in this shot, the sun is hitting the ridgeline behind Mollies. I might punch the foreground a bit more, but overall I like this much better, and it with the others adds to this nice study of a moment.
Note I thought the original shot was at 280mm (200+1.4). Nope, this one is; and was the first in the shoot. Apparently in the moment setting up a 5-bracket, I backed it off to 155mm. And of course the shot changed in those 30 seconds. Lessons learned.
Posted by Karl Buiter on August 18, 2012 at 7:52 PM
#4
Here is a 4x5 of the originally presented image. Like this too.
Thank-you again for the thoughts. Kept me looking!
Posted by Karl Buiter on August 19, 2012 at 7:08 PM
Ok, one more edit - reduced the blue cast and some deadly noise in the sky.
I've actually been fascinated by landmarking this area against Google Earth. The big structure in front is No Mans Mesa. Off to the left of the low red-colored mini-mesa is Starlight Canyon, with the Paria River and Cottonwood Canyon somewhere further left of the crop. To the right is another unidentified butte that is likely prominent on the ridge as viewed from the turn in the Highway 89 from the valley behind. I think the distant lit ridge is out by the Coyote Buttes. I have not been able to identify the triangular structure to the left, nor the blocky mesa on the far edge of the Colorado Plateau.
I love exploring maps and finding places to go.
Ok Done.
Posted by Joshua Hardin on August 22, 2012 at 6:23 PM
Love the reposts Karl. The crops really put the emphasis back on where the action was: the rainbows and rock formations. Perfect!
Discussion
11 repliesI finally had a chance to do a quick trip to Bryce Canyon. I'll call it an orientation trip and most of what I got was fairly pedestrian. I need to come back for a lower rim hike or when the weather is dynamic - not many unique viewing locations at the rim.
This is one image that got me playing with the editing controls - its from Yovimpa Point around sunset. In the distance emerged a fairly strong rainbow spectrum on a shower behind Mollies Nipple some 20 miles away. Taken on a 5D Mark III with a 70-200 2.8 II + 1.4 extender And even then, its a significant crop.
The photo subscribes to my view of capturing unique moments. But spotty lighting and the broken sky...
Not sure if I want to continue to mess with this. I got the histogram spread out and amp'd clarity. Anything here? What would you suggest?
Here is a vertical crop with the broken sky.
And here is a (horizontal) in an attempt to dump the broken sky part.
You really want the bow to occupy as much space as possible--here it is just diluted by the surrounding monochrome shades. Theyre pretty shots, but crop the left 1/3 and bottom 1/2 off the second shot, and post it at the same size as the one here. End o' story
That has been the source of my uncomfortableness with the shot - too much everything else and a shot already cropped substantially. Plus the original needed a punch to get it out of the 'fog' of 20 miles of humid atmosphere.
In some ways it stands, its nice, but its not quite magical. I definitely appreciate the comments - its kept me looking at it. Cropping some of the bottom and turning more into a pano has been my thinking. I'll look at cropping more - including trying the 1/3 left 1/2 bottom idea and see if the image still holds together.
Guess its time to budget a 600mm :) . I left my crop-body 7D at home, that may have gotten me closer. Heh. Look for another looksie shortly.
I found an earlier shot in the sequence that I cropped down to a 4x5. Note that in this shot, the sun is hitting the ridgeline behind Mollies. I might punch the foreground a bit more, but overall I like this much better, and it with the others adds to this nice study of a moment.
Note I thought the original shot was at 280mm (200+1.4). Nope, this one is; and was the first in the shoot. Apparently in the moment setting up a 5-bracket, I backed it off to 155mm. And of course the shot changed in those 30 seconds. Lessons learned.
Here is a 4x5 of the originally presented image. Like this too.
Thank-you again for the thoughts. Kept me looking!
I've actually been fascinated by landmarking this area against Google Earth. The big structure in front is No Mans Mesa. Off to the left of the low red-colored mini-mesa is Starlight Canyon, with the Paria River and Cottonwood Canyon somewhere further left of the crop. To the right is another unidentified butte that is likely prominent on the ridge as viewed from the turn in the Highway 89 from the valley behind. I think the distant lit ridge is out by the Coyote Buttes. I have not been able to identify the triangular structure to the left, nor the blocky mesa on the far edge of the Colorado Plateau.
I love exploring maps and finding places to go.
Ok Done.