Posted by Paul DeCesare on November 29, 2012 at 11:49 AM
Last month several of you responded to the distress call "I'm driving back from a business trip and want to stop at Bryce, where do I shoot from??", lol! I got there before sunrise which was probably the best light to shoot in that morning. I did get several wides but haven't processed them all yet. But for a while I had the 70-200mm on (at 200mm) and was spot-picking areas, looking for a close-up that had some order and interest, not just hoodoos squirting up all over the place. Most shots I got were not great, but maybe this one works, see what you think. It seems there are enough areas of interest to keep your eye in the frame, even a hiking trail. I did include a bigger version. But if it doesn't work let me know that too.
I tell ya, the post work on this canyon is definitely more challenging that your standard earth-meets-sky-at-sunset shot.
Posted by Nathan Apodaca on November 29, 2012 at 1:17 PM
Beautifully done. The vibrance is mind boggling, and the comp is great... I'd be very happy, if I were you, to have this in my gallery!
Posted by Morris McClung on November 29, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Fantastic light and color in this take on Bryce. A radiant image!
Posted by Karl Buiter on November 29, 2012 at 8:27 PM
Very nice work. Almost looks like a painting from this resolution. Love to see a larger size.
Its hard to work Bryce from the rim and get something interesting - at least for me :) But I got to say there are some devils in the details and fishing a 200mm in there got you a nice one on the hook!
Posted by Bill Pelzmann on November 29, 2012 at 9:26 PM
I really like your telephoto composition, and the predawn light is superb - my favorite time to shoot at Bryce.
However, your processing appears to have pushed the low contrast scene into the extremes.
If you like the blocked shadows, that's great. It's just not how I would interpret it.
Posted by John Mumaw on November 30, 2012 at 9:08 PM
This is superb, Paul! I also like the telephoto composition and the placement of the hoodoos, the white hoodoos in particular. The light is wonderful, and I even like the trail curving throughout. I happen to like your 'development' of this image, and I only see one small area in the lower center where the shadows are blocked.
And thanks for all of your help in the other forums around here!
Posted by Paul DeCesare on December 3, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Wow gang, thanks for the nice replies. You know how it is, after you look at and work on an image, you start to wonder if it really has impact. I really do value the opinions on here. Speaking of, Bill and John are right, the shaows at the edges are too closed down... I pulled back the opacity on the top adjustment layer and it opened up and looked much beter. Thanks for spotting that.
Posted by Paul Wegemann on December 3, 2012 at 8:08 PM
I just love this, Paul. I don't know whether I'm looking at a repost or not, but the color, contrast, and comp all really work for me.
Discussion
7 repliesI tell ya, the post work on this canyon is definitely more challenging that your standard earth-meets-sky-at-sunset shot.
Its hard to work Bryce from the rim and get something interesting - at least for me :) But I got to say there are some devils in the details and fishing a 200mm in there got you a nice one on the hook!
However, your processing appears to have pushed the low contrast scene into the extremes.
If you like the blocked shadows, that's great. It's just not how I would interpret it.
And thanks for all of your help in the other forums around here!