Hunt's Mesa - Monument Valley

thapamdthapamd Registered Users Posts: 1,722 Major grins
edited June 9, 2009 in Landscapes
I just joined smugmug and digital grin. I've been doing landscape and nature photography for a while now, and it's great to be here to share in the knowledge, fun, and excitement. I hope you enjoy these recent images. All were taken with the Sony A-900 and the following lenses: Zeiss 16-35 f/2.8, Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8 or the G 70-400 variable aperture.

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Shoot in RAW because memory is cheap but memories are priceless.

Mahesh
http://www.StarvingPhotographer.com
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Comments

  • dseidmandseidman Registered Users Posts: 824 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    It's good to see you here, Mahesh! I've been enjoying your work on FM for years and I'm glad to see you posting with a little more frequency again.

    This is a beautiful series of images from you, as always, but the second one really stands out to me. That sky is absolutely incredible.
    Danny Seidman
    http://www.danseidmanphoto.com/
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,270 moderator
    edited June 1, 2009
    Mahesh, welcome to DGrin! wave.gif
    Great first post, BTW.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • AbiciriderbackAbiciriderback Registered Users Posts: 191 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    Mahesh

    Nice to see you posting over here now as well, like I said on FM beautiful series just gorgeous lighting and color pallets, beautiful work

    Ray Still
  • schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    Wow wow wow! bowdown.gifIncredible views you're showing us here. Welcome and please post more thumb.gif
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  • scottVscottV Registered Users Posts: 354 Major grins
    edited June 1, 2009
    wow, those are unreal!
    http://scottvickers.smugmug.com
  • Secluded ValleySecluded Valley Registered Users Posts: 176 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Welcome Mahesh. These shots are beautiful; I love the sky in the second one. clap.gif Please keep posting.

    Kristine
    "How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!" ~John Muir
  • Hikin' MikeHikin' Mike Registered Users Posts: 5,488 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Nice to see you over here Mahesh! Nice series. thumb.gif
    - Mike
    Images in the Backcountry

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  • Picture North CarolinaPicture North Carolina Registered Users Posts: 85 Big grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Welcome to DG, Mahesh. Very nice images.

    SmugMug Gallery | Website | Like my Facebook page, I'll like yours
  • grimacegrimace Registered Users Posts: 1,537 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Welcome to DGrin!!

    Beautiful looking series of shots!!
    -Adam
    www.adamstravelphotography.com

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  • shniksshniks Registered Users Posts: 945 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Excellent series Mahesh- love the colors and the comp...


    Time to plan a trip that side... mwink.gif


    Cheers,
    Nikhil

    My Website | My Blog | My Facebook Page | My YouTube
  • wfellerwfeller Registered Users Posts: 2,625 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Wow. Very cool shots.
    Anybody can do it.
  • Kory LidstromKory Lidstrom Registered Users Posts: 251 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Nice to see you over here, Mahesh. I've followed your work for years on Fred Miranda. thumb.gif

    These shots are beauties, especially the third one.
    I see the world through a 3:2 rectangle.

    My site:Fine Image Photography
  • NikolaiNikolai Registered Users Posts: 19,035 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    thapamd wrote:
    I just joined smugmug and digital grin. I've been doing landscape and nature photography for a while now, and it's great to be here to share in the knowledge, fun, and excitement. I hope you enjoy these recent images. All were taken with the Sony A-900 and the following lenses: Zeiss 16-35 f/2.8, Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8 or the G 70-400 variable aperture.
    Nice location, great images! thumb.gif
    "May the f/stop be with you!"
  • thapamdthapamd Registered Users Posts: 1,722 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Thanks, everyone for the warm welcome and kind words! :)
    Shoot in RAW because memory is cheap but memories are priceless.

    Mahesh
    http://www.StarvingPhotographer.com
  • coscorrosacoscorrosa Registered Users Posts: 2,284 Major grins
    edited June 2, 2009
    Gorgeous in every respect, great comps, and masterful exposures. Welcome to dgrin!
    Ron Coscorrosa

    Photo Gallery | Blog | I'm Unemployed!
  • Marc MuenchMarc Muench Registered Users Posts: 1,420 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    #2 is a keeperthumb.gif

    This is one of my very favorite locations of all time, and each time has offered a great adventure. Did Crawley take you up the road?
    Marc Muench
    Muench Workshops
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  • CWSkopecCWSkopec Registered Users Posts: 1,325 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    Spectacular shots, Mahesh!!

    Number 1 & 2 are simply AWESOME! thumb.gif
    Chris
    SmugMug QA
    My Photos
  • Doug SolisDoug Solis Registered Users Posts: 1,190 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    Wow, absolute top shelf photos! Great series and welcome.
  • thapamdthapamd Registered Users Posts: 1,722 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    Marc Muench wrote:
    #2 is a keeperthumb.gif

    This is one of my very favorite locations of all time, and each time has offered a great adventure. Did Crawley take you up the road?

    Thanks, Marc. Tom Phillips and his assistant/helper, Ray, took us up to Hunt's Mesa. We spent the night in a tent and had some great steak they prepared over an open fire...good times! :)
    Shoot in RAW because memory is cheap but memories are priceless.

    Mahesh
    http://www.StarvingPhotographer.com
  • Allan FGAllan FG Registered Users Posts: 492 Major grins
    edited June 3, 2009
    1 and 2 are amazing thumb.gif
    www.allanleahyphoto.com
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    As I said elsewhere, I'm just catching up with your posts.

    These images have a refreshingly different point of view on a familiar subject. They also have less of a saturated and more of a pastel palette than is commonly used.

    On first looking at the first, I interpeted the ground that the rock masses in the midground are on to be an extension of the ground in the foreground, because there are no strong cues that there is a huge height difference between the two. Only after some examination of the image does that become the necessary fact. This image has more definition than any of the others and I think is a better photograph for that reason.

    All of them are impressive in the panoramic space they capture. They have that breathtaking bird's eye perspective. Were some of them taken from an aircraft?

    The second image is the most memorable for me. It captures the magnitude of the features, and places them in a cosmic timelessness.

    Thanks for the pleasure of looking at them.
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • thapamdthapamd Registered Users Posts: 1,722 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    NeilL wrote:
    As I said elsewhere, I'm just catching up with your posts.

    These images have a refreshingly different point of view on a familiar subject. They also have less of a saturated and more of a pastel palette than is commonly used.

    On first looking at the first, I interpeted the ground that the rock masses in the midground are on to be an extension of the ground in the foreground, because there are no strong cues that there is a huge height difference between the two. Only after some examination of the image does that become the necessary fact. This image has more definition than any of the others and I think is a better photograph for that reason.

    All of them are impressive in the panoramic space they capture. They have that breathtaking bird's eye perspective. Were some of them taken from an aircraft?

    The second image is the most memorable for me. It captures the magnitude of the features, and places them in a cosmic timelessness.

    Thanks for the pleasure of looking at them.

    Neil, thank you for such a detailed and thought-out critique. I really appreciate your taking the time.

    To answer your question, none of the shots were taken from an aircraft.
    Shoot in RAW because memory is cheap but memories are priceless.

    Mahesh
    http://www.StarvingPhotographer.com
  • MadisonPhotographyMadisonPhotography Registered Users Posts: 56 Big grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    First shot
    I love that first image....I was at Monument Valley in February...all alone over Super Bowl weekend.....had Gouldings and the Valley to myself....I'd love to know where you took that first shot and how you did it..
  • thapamdthapamd Registered Users Posts: 1,722 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    MadisonPhotography wrote:
    I love that first image....I was at Monument Valley in February...all alone over Super Bowl weekend.....had Gouldings and the Valley to myself....I'd love to know where you took that first shot and how you did it..

    Oh what I wouldn't give to have Monument Valley all to myself, even if for a few hours! :D

    I took all these shots from Hunt's Mesa. It's Navajo-owned territory, and you need to hire a guide to take you there. As far as I know, Tom Phillips is the only guide allowed up there. I think he has a special arrangement with the owner of the land. Anywho, visit his site, monumentvalley.com, to see the type of tours he has available and their costs.

    As far as how I took the first shot, it's pretty simple to explain. I took three bracketed exposures: 0EV, -2EV, and +2EV and combined them later in PS CS4. I used the overexposed image for the shadow detail, the underexposed for the highlight detail, and the "normal" exposure for the midtones. I didn't use any HDR software or plugin. It was all done manually. Takes a while, but, if done right, I think it looks much more "natural" than HDR. Good luck!
    Shoot in RAW because memory is cheap but memories are priceless.

    Mahesh
    http://www.StarvingPhotographer.com
  • dlplumerdlplumer Registered Users Posts: 8,081 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    Incredible series Mahesh with just awesome light clap.gifclapclap.gif
    Dan
    http://danielplumer.com/
    Facebook Fan Page
  • kscottkscott Registered Users Posts: 72 Big grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    Hunts mesa is one of those places i've wanted to visit but haven't had the chance as of yet. I will be down in Page Az. in october, but that will be just out of the way for the trip i have planned. Fantastic lighting. great captures.
    Kevin.
    kscott
  • thapamdthapamd Registered Users Posts: 1,722 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    Dan and kscott,

    Thank you very much! Kscott, you should really try to make it a point to visit Monument Valley, if not in October then soon. In fact, October is a great time of year to visit not only Monument Valley but also the entire Souhwest! :D
    Shoot in RAW because memory is cheap but memories are priceless.

    Mahesh
    http://www.StarvingPhotographer.com
  • squirl033squirl033 Registered Users Posts: 1,230 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    excellent images! the first two especially are outstanding, and the second is my favorite... that sky is simply amazing. well done!

    i was in Monument Valley a year ago, but didn't make it to Hunt's Mesa... looks like maybe i should have...
    ~ Rocky
    "Out where the rivers like to run, I stand alone, and take back something worth remembering..."
    Three Dog Night

    www.northwestnaturalimagery.com
  • thapamdthapamd Registered Users Posts: 1,722 Major grins
    edited June 7, 2009
    squirl033 wrote:
    excellent images! the first two especially are outstanding, and the second is my favorite... that sky is simply amazing. well done!

    i was in Monument Valley a year ago, but didn't make it to Hunt's Mesa... looks like maybe i should have...

    Thanks, Rocky! Hunt's Mesa is another venue that should be on your short list of places to visit. You'll need a guide (I recommend Tom Phillips) to take you up there as it's Navajo-owned territory. The views from there are totally breathtaking, much better than any image can portray, any of my images, anyway.
    Shoot in RAW because memory is cheap but memories are priceless.

    Mahesh
    http://www.StarvingPhotographer.com
  • canghuixucanghuixu Registered Users Posts: 238 Major grins
    edited June 8, 2009
    Fabulous! I really like #1 because of the combination of the vegetation in the foreground, and the formations in the background.
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