Another image from our Death Valley course, this one from the overlook to Ubehebe Crater. So this is one of those photos that I felt compelled to take but it's actually fairly trite. What I liked was the lighting and the way the clouds sweep upward.
Thank you for all your positive comments on my night sky shot. The whole park was one huge photo op so I hope you'll enjoy seeing more and more of these over the next few weeks!
P3 posted today on the 365toygroup site -- theme of the week is opposites if you're interested in participating: http://365project.org/365toygroup/365/2015-01-22
Oh wow, I think I will be fav'ing your whole trip! I really like how the bottom of the crater is light, and the walls of the crater are beautifully lit.
Trite? You've got to be kidding! This crater looks like it is one big gold quarry with a lotus flower coming out of the fire down below! Beautiful! How long were you guys out there? Were there a lot of classroom style discussions, or were you out at the field the whole time?
You really captured that ENTIRE crater and how it felt to be standing at the edge of it. I agree -- those clouds are particularly well suited for this scene.
Another beauty, Taffy! I really like the spot of sun right down in the crater and the way in which the foreground and clouds all seem to lead to that spot.
Did you feel the course was worth it and did you learn a lot to use going forward? How can you go to a place like this and not take the "trite" photo. To have this in your album is very special for you. And I have never seen this so special to me too.
A super shot the golden tones on the crater walls draws the eye down to the core -- do I see the red glw of the lava in the centre ! ? Thanks for sharing !
Pretty impressive if you ask me! Although I am not familiar with the area and wouldn't recognise it as being an over-photographed shot. The light is fantastic, did you enhance the brightness inside the crater?
@aliha Thanks Alison! I can't remember exactly what I did (I'm getting used to Lightroom 5), but I'm certain that I brought out the colors -- maybe through luminescent or contrast or one of the sliders that doesn't change color but brings color up. So it wouldn't have been saturation. The light was flatter in the photo image than it felt like when we were there. If you want to know the exact ones, let me know as I am pretty sure that is what 'history' is for. I did crop gravel from the bottom as the superwide emphasizes the foreground, but if I had gone closer, I would have fallen in!
@joansmor Thanks as always Joan. Yes, for me this was definitely worth it. The timing was good for a kick up to the next level of using LR5. In the course we are mostly in the field, but there are 2 mornings where there is time to do processing and 2 afternoons, one focused on LR and the other on an overview of PS. We were taken to three sites a day -- sunrise, later afternoon/sunset, and night sky. Each provided opportunity for practicing different skills and composition. The # of students was small -- in this case 8, with 2 instructors, so on a site you could get one-to-one advice. The night sky I learned how to do the lighting, which was key. That was harder as light travels so you mostly are going to all take the same photo to avoid getting in each other's way. The last night, at the ghost town, we could spread out more easily. It was fun having Junko to go with so we could talk through things we were learning outside the group. The two instructors are very knowledgable and personable. And 4 days was the right amount of time -- that's 12 photo shoots plus the in between stuff I did to practice a new lens. I would not have wanted more classes there as the scenery was too amazing to skip a photoshoot, but I needed more class time, which is leading me to consider taking a course in Chicago where I won't care about being inside and not in the field photographing. That's the dilemma when you are somewhere new -- you don't want to be in a class when you can be out exploring!
@panthora Hi Osia -- I forgot to tag you in my answer to Joan! Thanks for your enthusiasm for this shot -- I saw a lot like it on line when I looked and got totally discouraged! HUGE dilemma in a course somewhere new -- I wouldn't want to be inside in a class! I hadn't considered that when I signed up for this one, but the instructors paced it well -- we were inside between sunrise and sunset shootings, so when the light was not good. We had one morning free to process and share, after a very very long shooting day (6 hours of driving on rough roads) so they timed that well too.
@taffy Well, I am so pleased for you because it is to easy to be disappointed. And having Junko will also help you both to remember things because each will have soaked in a little tidbit that the other will have forgotten.
This is a compelling scene, so you can't take a pass on it... the wide angle really helps the viewer understand how it might feel to be on the edge, peeking in. I really like the textures and light of the crater wall and, like you, the sweeping sky. I enjoyed reading your thoughts about your trip, too. Maybe one day for me, but not soon enough, darn it.
What a place...!