My first submission to a member challenge in nearly a year. It may be a bit of a stretch for a stock photo, but my wife loved it, and I've learned she often has a better feel for what's good and what's not than I do.
This was shot during a recent whirlwind trip to Southern Utah at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park.
While I have a lot more freedom in the member challenges than I am used to in past challenges, I chose to do little post processing to this shot. Edited in PSP 8.10
Saturation +35, Brightness -5. Two USM passes at 2.00/85/8 and .35/100/15. Resized for submission.
I hope you enjoy the shot as much as I do.
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Place: 2 out of 258 Avg (all users): 7.4123 Avg (commenters): 8.4138 Avg (participants): 7.1159 Avg (non-participants): 7.8667 Views since voting: 8441 Views during voting: 382 Votes: 228 Comments: 51 Favorites: 27 (view)
Thanks all for the comments... and the ribbon! I almost second-guessed my wife on this one, but as I mentioned in the main description, she often has better tastes than I do. There were so many other great shots in this challenge I figured I would be doing well to get a top-ten finish.
I would love to have had a better camera to have perhaps done this shot a bit differently. My camera is a simple point-and-shoot model, all but eliminating the possibility of using a polarizer or for the on-board flash to fill such a large space (as noted by some in their comments). And the 4mp resolution is barely enough to get a decent-sized print done-- my next task.
Ideal conditions, including the cloud-filled sky and a stiff northerly breeze keeping the haze out of the way are probably more responsible for the quality of the shot than anything at my own hands.
I love this photo. It's 3 dimensional! I will be coming to Utah the end of April but I don't think I'll make it down to the south this time around but seeing your photo makes me want to try. Love it!
That's breathtaking. I mean, the Grand Canyon (I'm assuming the photo is of that), is gorgeous. but so many photographs of it are pretty, yes, but so cliche. They all seem to be taken while standing on one cliff, with another cliff off about a football field away as the subject, and then the opposite side of the canyon making the background.
Your photo is different because it adds in a foreground. Throwing in that new element totally puts this head and shoulders above your regular pretty canyon shot. Well done!
A bit of a cliche, but then again cliches sell (and score high on dpchallenge). ;)
Anyway, I would really have liked this photograph if there were more a foreground - a person standing and looking at the view would have, I think, been terrific.
The sun also seems to be to your right so I think a polarizer would have been nice here to make the sky a bit bluer. (You didn't use a polarizer, did you?)
I'm also curious whether a fill flash pointed to the dark area at the top would have made the picture stronger (that is, if that area is small enough for flash to be useable).
Excellent framing. The golden colors contrasted with the blues in the distance are so lovely. And the details of the nearer portions of the canyon are very clear. Gorgeous shot. 9
I feel that this is a little cramped, I long for some more sky in this one. No pun though, I love the depth of the image and it's a good idea, I just think that there's a little much boring foreground.
Nature's Grandeur
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