Big Bend National Park

stirinthesaucestirinthesauce Registered Users Posts: 293 Major grins
edited March 13, 2013 in Landscapes
I posted a few shots from this past summer's brief visit to BBNP. My wife and I spent a week there this January and I posted a few on another forum but have not shared here. So here are some from this beautiful park, the darkest place in the lower 48 at night and the least visited in the lower 48.

1. Looking over the Rio Grande at Boquillas Canyon overlook night 2
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2. The sunsets were absolutely spectacular by the end of the week. Night 5 at same overlook
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3.Another sunset and another view on the Sierra Del Carmen Mtn's. Rio Grande Village in the center and Boquillas, Mexico on the opposite side of the Rio Grande. Had 2 spectacular sunsets, this being on our very last night there (night 6). We left a couple hours after this shot (my 2nd to last frame).

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4. Sunset, opposite direction of above, 5 minutes earlier
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5. Balanced Rock
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6. From the other side
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7. Grapevine Hills
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8. A view of the Chisos Basin with The Window in the distance.
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9. Self Portrait of my wife and I on the Lost Mine Trail in the Chisos
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10. Last light on Casa Grande, night 1
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11. Chisos Pano
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12. View from The Window
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13. Cattail Falls, below The Window. Shot on an old canon ae-1 and ektar100
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14. Abandoned house at Hot Springs where Etta Koch, wife of famous photographer Peter Koch, lived in the 1940's. Also shot w/ canon ae-1 on ektar with a 50/1.8
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Too many more to post however this should give you an idea of the beauty to be had here if you don't know much about this park. It is absolutely gorgeous here and I will have to return. The park is HUGE! So much to see and so much I have yet to see after my 2nd trip there. Flash flooding prevented us from going to Santa Elena Canyon and the lack of 4 wheel drive kept us from getting far off the beaten path.
-Jon

edit: corrected horizon in #12

Comments

  • CornflakeCornflake Registered Users Posts: 3,346 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2013
    These are really fine shots. They also bring back many memories, as I've backpacked the park several times. I appreciate your restraint in processing. You brought back fine photos as well as terrific memories.
  • stirinthesaucestirinthesauce Registered Users Posts: 293 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2013
    Cornflake wrote: »
    These are really fine shots. They also bring back many memories, as I've backpacked the park several times. I appreciate your restraint in processing. You brought back fine photos as well as terrific memories.
    I appreciate your kind words. :)
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2013
    Beautiful work!
    The super-realism is very nice to look at - definitely makes one want to visit.
    #8 thumb.gif
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • stirinthesaucestirinthesauce Registered Users Posts: 293 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2013
    Earache wrote: »
    Beautiful work!
    The super-realism is very nice to look at - definitely makes one want to visit.
    #8 thumb.gif
    Thank you very much, Eric.
  • jsruccijsrucci Registered Users Posts: 118 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2013
    Nice work!
    #3, #8, #11, and #12 are my favorites.... but all of them are really nice. Looks like you had a great time there. Nice work!
    Steve

    http://www.steverucci.com

    Use this code to get a discount when joining Smugmug: FmsEHhiPzBxic
  • JTB-DCJTB-DC Registered Users Posts: 50 Big grins
    edited February 23, 2013
    i love 12. The tones captured from dark to light are terrific. Probably the actual scene, but was the horizon actually slanting? regardless, it is very nice. great shots all around, really like them...and as stated above, love the processing, or lack there of! :)
    Jared
    My Site
  • stirinthesaucestirinthesauce Registered Users Posts: 293 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2013
    Thank you Steve and Jared.

    Jared, I believe you are right about #12 and didn't notice it until you mentioned it. I will have to go back and level the horizon.

    Thank you everyone on the feedback for realism. I try to capture it right the first time though sometimes I do bracket. There are several above that are 3 shot exposures however I did not run them through HDR software but rather LREnfuse, a blend plugin. I try to portray the natural beauty of what I saw but I try (though sometimes fail) to keep from overcooking images. I want the scene to speak for itself. At least that is my intentions and what I try to portray.
  • wfellerwfeller Registered Users Posts: 2,625 Major grins
    edited February 23, 2013
    Excellent.
    Anybody can do it.
  • stirinthesaucestirinthesauce Registered Users Posts: 293 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2013
    wfeller wrote: »
    Excellent.

    Thank you wfeller.
  • dragandjordjevicdragandjordjevic Registered Users Posts: 188 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2013
    Nice series. My pick: 8, 2 and 6. thumb.gif
  • stirinthesaucestirinthesauce Registered Users Posts: 293 Major grins
    edited February 24, 2013
    Nice series. My pick: 8, 2 and 6. thumb.gif
    Thank you.
  • kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited February 25, 2013
    Really great stuff, Jon. What a terrific place to spend a week. I love 'em all. nod.gif
  • stirinthesaucestirinthesauce Registered Users Posts: 293 Major grins
    edited February 25, 2013
    kdog wrote: »
    Really great stuff, Jon. What a terrific place to spend a week. I love 'em all. nod.gif
    Thank you kdog
  • joe-bobjoe-bob Registered Users Posts: 368 Major grins
    edited March 9, 2013
    Very nice set. I mean to visit there some day.
  • stirinthesaucestirinthesauce Registered Users Posts: 293 Major grins
    edited March 13, 2013
    joe-bob wrote: »
    Very nice set. I mean to visit there some day.

    Thank you joe-bob. Please do visit, it is worth it. I was overwhelmed with the beauty. My wife and I travel a good bit however I had not heard of BBNP until looking at a map of Texas with the intention of a short getaway from a week long family vacation last summer. I saw BB listed on the map and did some research however the true beauty did not make itself known until I arrived. I returned this winter and am tentatively planning to return again next winter as there is so much to see, incredibly vast area.
  • pickerbwpickerbw Registered Users Posts: 78 Big grins
    edited March 13, 2013
    Incredible photos. I have not visited Big Bend, but it's on my list of places to camp in Texas. I have heard the foliage that pops up after a good spring rain is spectacular.
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