Painted Desert

kdog

I happened to pass through the "Beehives" regions of the painted desert within the Petrified Forest, NP last weekend on my way home from photographing birds in NM. I was tired and in a hurry to get home, but decided to go through the park to scope it out anyway. It's a huge and varied area. I only had time for a couple of quick mid-afternoon grab shots, but it's definitely worth going back to spend some quality time there.

Roaddog 52

A great color combo, with interesting lines and textures. I really like the composition of the first image. Using the grasses in the foreground as a lead in worked out really well.

Phil

HDRoamer

I've never been in there during winter to see the dead grass. It really adds to the harsh/beauty look of some of the land.
Side note/question: do you every wish the contrails in the sky weren't there or try to edit them out? I can't stand it when they show up in an otherwise perfect natural scene I've shot.

kdog

Roaddog 52 wrote: »

A great color combo, with interesting lines and textures. I really like the composition of the first image. Using the grasses in the foreground as a lead in worked out really well.

Phil

Thanks, Phil! Yeah, those grasses almost begged to be included in the comp.

HDRoamer wrote: »

I've never been in there during winter to see the dead grass. It really adds to the harsh/beauty look of some of the land.
Side note/question: do you every wish the contrails in the sky weren't there or try to edit them out? I can't stand it when they show up in an otherwise perfect natural scene I've shot.

Thanks, HD. Since this was my first time there, it never even occurred to me that it might look different in the summer. On the contrails, I think I've rationalized in my mind that they're ok, especially since I'm too lazy to clone them out. And there's just no escaping them unless one moves to another planet. :giggle

Thanks for the comments, guys!

-joel

bryanj87

Nice job on these despite the mid afternoon light. I'd love to see what you'd get on a return trip.

jdryan3

Reminds me of the enormous piles of road salt we see around here in the midwest where we get that other white stuff ... snow! The actual shots do seem a little flat but what do you expect int he middle of the day.

kdog

bryanj87 wrote: »

Nice job on these despite the mid afternoon light. I'd love to see what you'd get on a return trip.

Thanks, Bryan!

jdryan3 wrote: »

Reminds me of the enormous piles of road salt we see around here in the midwest where we get that other white stuff ... snow! The actual shots do seem a little flat but what do you expect int he middle of the day.

Thanks, David. Those are about as punched-up as I'm comfortable with as it is. There's really not all that much contrast in that terrain.

chrisrarmstead

Where was the pictures taken at? Thanks in advance.

shniks

The first one is great. I bet you will do an impressive job with the right light. ;-)


Cheers,

jsrucci

I was just about to post the same picture...
Kdog, it's amazing. I haven't been on here in a while, but just finished processing shots from our last vacation (Oct. 2010). Among the pictures I was going to post was one nearly identical to yours...



I have others, but I was going to start a new thread.

http://jsrucci.smugmug.com/Travel/Four-Corners-October-2010/14330552_75v54

kdog

Ha! That's amazing indeed, Steve. Great minds think alike I guess. :giggle

BTW, what's interesting is that yours is shot at 28mm, and mine is shot at 70mm.

Oh, and pretty amazing that the skies are almost identical. :wow

Cheers,
-joel

Dogdots

Those are so interesting. Looks like a layered cake

anwmn1

Great shots Joel.

Haven't been through there in several years but have been wanting to get back through there. Thanks for bringing it back up.