Wing & A Prayer

Went to Page, AZ this weekend to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
Before that occurrence, I poked around the Thousand Pockets & Death Pockets region of the Vermillion Cliffs Nat'l. Monument area just SW of Page. There is so much gloriously twisted sandstone in this region that it would take half a lifetime to see it all.

This six foot long tongue (or wing) of sandstone was one of my favorites, and it provided a nice bit of shade to lie under during a 99° day. Looks much better against a black background.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Canon 5DII w/Rokinon 14mm f2.8 lens
1/3 & 1/20 sec. @ f8
Two exposure blend for optimal dynamic range

I always camp at Stud Horse Point when I'm in the Page area, because you just never know what conditions you may experience in the morning. F8 and be there, right?

Canon 5DII w/16-35 lens
30 sec. @ f8

And that very day, yours truly...

Photo courtesy of Chris Everett.

That first image looks like a very interesting place to wander around with a wide angle lens (much like anywhere up there). Though that second one...well, that's just something else. Looks like you had a fun and very productive outing up there!

Great images (all three)! 1. Great find! There's so much great territory out there to explore- this is unique and super interesting. The comp looks great to me. Exposure is a little dark for my personal taste, but I love the light and color. 2. Wow! Way to be there! I love it. I might try a vertical crop keeping the big foreground rock, lightning, and clouds, but it might not be an improvement over what you already have here (it would cut out the nice blue tones on the right). 3. What the....? Why, John?

Hi John, Super fantastic images here. I have no recommendations to better these images. The second image is about as dramatic a desert scene Ive ever viewed with my eyes.

Here's the deal here. We're looking at scenes here that nobody has ever viewed. These are firsts, plus these conditions will likely never be matched. That in itself makes these two special. Let alone the processing is dialed...not easy images to process.

John, since you're always gracious enough to let others know they are improving photographers....anyone ever tell you that your stuff keeps getting better and better? Here's to you!

Thanks, folks.

Jared,
The first one looks much better with a black background.
You ask 'Why?'....and I ask 'Why not?'.

Kane,
The kind comments coming from a masterful photographer such as yourself mean the world to me. Thank you.

John, you just keep finding these amazing places & situations! Do you use some kind of lightning tracker or trigger?

Thanks, Monika.
I do have a Lightning Trigger, but never need them when it's dark and I can use a 30 second exposure.
This storm woke me up and I was just a hundred yards away from the place.
As far as a 'lightning tracker', if I owned a smartphone, I would certainly buy the WeatherBug app which does have a real time lightning alert feature.

Excellent images, John! That lightening is so amazing and I am glad it woke you up! Wonderful work, as usual. As for #3, congrats on taking the leap; I don't know if I could!

You are no doubt the master of canyon country photography. Your ability to hit the right exposure is amazing. The colors of the sky around the lightning is quite unique and something I've never witnessed. Primarily, because I don't recall many times I seen lightning in the morning. The only nit on the first image is some fringing/haloing around the tongue and the rock on the left side. Not sure if it is noticeable on anything other than a retina display though.
Been working on some bucket list items that included some pucker factor? I've been invited by a friend to jump out another perfectly good plane at the end of the month in Colorado Springs. He has some deal set up for $185 a jump. I suspect I would definitely have to have empty bowels and stomach.

I second Kane's remarks. That lightning shot is just sick! Love #1 too, and i think you could boost the sat in that one a hair and call it perfect.

First off, you're nuts! Love that first one! Fantastic image, and it looks grand on the dark background. I like the second, but don't care for how the lightning is cut off from the scene. Was it possible to go to the high point there and shoot the lightning with the landscape? The "development" of that one is perfect though, as is the first one. And, I'm one more on the pile about how your work is up there with the best.

Thanks so much for the kind words, folks! I appreciate 'em more than you know.

Morris,
I also wish the lightning had been better situated. I could have (and on second thought, should have) gone right up to the twin hoodoos to make this shot as there was a brilliant orange glow on the horizon from the rising sun.
C'est la vie, eh?

Some incredible images (as usual from you)! I really need to spend more time in the desert, although I doubt I'll ever match this!
And nice to see another skydiver on the forum!

The rock tongue/wing, grooves leading to it, and the small arch are an interesting find. I would be tempted to bring up the brightness some. Also, between the tongue and the rocks, there seems to be a block of brighter sky that is probably natural but looks like it needs attention.

The lightning image is really cool. I agree with the idea of exploring a crop on the right.

Must have been fun to jump and see Lake Powell get closer quickly for a few seconds

John, Its all been said. You are the greatest! A little disappointed that you didn't fiqure out how to take your flight shot yourself.

John, the redux on flickr is definitely better.