The Portal (& Repost)

A fragile arch in a remote slot canyon offers a glimpse into the twisted defile beyond.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Slight random haloing courtesy of file compression.

Canon 5DII w/16-35 lens @ 16mm
1/4 sec. @ f8 ISO 100
2 images focus stacked for optimum DOF.

I love the comp, the detail, the leading lines, and the subject. This is a stunning shot. The top of the arch might be a little lighter than I care for. I love the depth, through the picture and that the subject through the arch is lighter and draws me into the depth. Great job... Makes me hope to get a great shot similar to this someday!!

John, I agree with John K -- the light wall on the right side (top center) is distracting. Maybe either darken it or crop the top, and I think that'll really draw the eye to the twisty canyon through the arch.

John, the striations show well in the B&W, and the brighter back wall helps pull the eye through the arch, The upper corners look a little funky and the URC seems "wormy" (a result of the blend?) An alternative may be a 8x10 crop in landscape orientation and with this the stripes would flow across better, and this would also crop out the upper corners.

Thanks for the kind words and the great advice! I took your suggestions to heart and I do think it looks better with a 'haircut'. Thanks again!

John, an excellent picture to start with, and the cropped repost really does make it even better. Well done!

What a great image, John. I always like the colors in slot canyon images but this b&w emphasizes the lines and striations so well. I would hang a large print of this on my wall any day. I actually really like your original comp but am struggling to identify why. To me the larger vertical crop fits and frames the shape of the arch better, and gives the slot more depth and the scene more context. But I'd hang either one on my wall. ;)

I really like this--fascinating textures and lines here. Repost is worthwhile i think.

I do like the re-touched one... Again a very impressive shot...

Im all for square comps, but I'm 100% with your first posts 4:5 aspect ratio. I don't find the natural lighting up high distracting, in fact I prefer having it included to ensure keeping the super interesting crack in the sandstone above the arch.

Fantastic effort John. Love the B&W!

Simply fantastic John. Really like the decision to go B&W on this. As always, I wonder what the color version looks like but think I would still prefer the B&W for several reasons, one being also showing textures better. Personally, I like the OP better. I agree with Kane, it shows the crack much better and I find it more interesting. I also don't have any issue with the light rocks. I feel like the light guides you through the image. Very cool image.

Great composition John, I like the repost much better tun the original. Great tones, nice lines and texture, superb job as usual!

Yep, you nailed it in the repost. I agree, the B&W works well in this shot.