This is the second part of my post on abstract images of fall trees via ICM (intentional camera movement).
Fall Trees Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023Fall Trees Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023
These two images (above and below) are the same but with different editing applied. These are not realistic natural images, so I’m not bothered by artistic renditions via edits.
Fall Trees Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023Fall Trees Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023
The same scene can yield very different results, depending upon the camera movement.
Autumn Abstract 2, Indiana, November 2, 2023Autumn Woods Abstract 5, Indiana, November 2, 2023Autumn Woods Abstract 6, Indiana, November 2, 2023
I must admit that I had fun creating these abstracts. Maybe I should do this more often and I like the vertical motion abstracts of trees much more than those created via horizontal camera movement.
One day at the cabin, I went out into the area around the cabin to shoot some scenes that had caught my eye due to the lighting on another day. However, today the light was not the same and the shots of those previously interesting looking scenes were not interesting.
My stroll around the area eventually led me into a wooded area behind the cabin and I still was not getting any interesting images. So I decided to try getting abstract images via intentional camera movement (ICM), a technique that I seldom use.
Autumn Woods Abstract 1, Indiana, November 2, 2023Autumn Woods Abstract 2, Indiana, November 2, 2023Autumn Woods Abstract 3, Indiana, November 2, 2023
Usually, the most interesting images can be obtained via vertical camera movement with trees as the subjects. But I did manage to get a few interesting images by panning the camera horizontally.
Tree-Light Weave, Monochrome, Indiana, November 2, 2023Tree-Light Weave, Original Color Version, Indiana, November 2, 2023
I think the monochrome version works best for this horizontal panning motion.
Autumn Woods Abstract 4, Indiana, November 2, 2023Autumn Abstract, Indiana, November 2, 2023
This is a continuation of hiking and exploration in Valley of Fire State Park and nearby areas, Nevada. All of the photos in this post were shot with an iPhone 14 and converted to monochrome.
As I was shooting the triple arch of the previous post, I noted an old tree on the sandy ridge below the arch. Readers will already know that I have a fondness for gnarly old trees.
This one reminded me of a weird looking creature crawling along the ground. After taking the photo above, I noted some interesting features of the tree that reinforced my impression that this looked like an unusual creature.
Tree Creature Eyes
This feature looks like eyes of a mysterious creature.
Tree Creature Eyes – Black and White VersionTree Creature Face
This is a continuation of a late afternoon shoot at Strike Valley Overlook in Capitol Reef National Park.
The EdgeUndulationsShadow Remains
This old tree skeleton provided a number of compositional possibilities. I think this one is the best photo I got here. If there were only a few clouds in the sky…
Evening RestLife on Edge
I had hoped to get some of these compositions with sunset light on the foreground, but this area very quickly went into shadow before the best of the late day light.
Rock ClimbersStrike Valley Overlook and Waterpocket FoldStrike Valley Overlook and Waterpocket FoldFadingDay’s EndReceding
My mid-day scouting activity proved really useful for learning my way around in the northern part of the Bisti Wilderness as well as for determining good places for either sunrise and/or sunset landscape photography. I also began to make written notes, rather than relying upon my memory, since I’m seeing so much variation here that my brain cannot reliably recall some details, especially a few days after the fact.
Today my primary destination was the plateau area with a couple of significantly large hoodoos that I had first seen during my March 2019 visit with my oldest son. I wanted to get a better fix on the best route to these features and a better idea of how much time to allow for hiking there from the north parking area.
I would then explore more in that area.
I followed a general route that I had already found, but explored a slight deviation as I was climbing up out of a valley/wash near a previously found exit point.
Instead of going straight up a somewhat steep, red rock strewn exit, I turned to the right, up another short incline to see where that took me. I entered into a smallish, enclosed area, which I initially thought might be a dead end route.
Looking around the little nook, I spotted this small hoodoo on the wall near where I had entered:
Small Sentinel. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
It looked like a hoodoo sentinel standing guard over the little nook.
On the opposite side from where I came in, I could see that it would be possible to climb out there, so I went up the hill and entered into a large, flat area, which I recognized as being just east of an area my son and I had exited into from another direction during our March visit. We had come into that area via a much more difficult route.
Now I was actually on the plateau of my destination, so I began to walk to the south, which I recalled was where the large hoodoos and other features were located.
Hoodoo Plateau. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
In a blog post from the March visit, I included scouting photographs of the large pedestal like hoodoos in the above image. We did not get back here on that visit. Looking around, I realized that this area would be good for either sunrise or sunset shoots.
I continued exploring this area to the west and south. Finding areas that were familiar from the March 2019 and March 2011 visits:
Many Hoodoos in a Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Many Hoodoos in a Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
There are a number of deep canyons or washes crisscrossing this badlands area with many hoodoos lining the walls of the washes.
Hoodoos and Wide Vista. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.A deep wash lined with hoodoos. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I explored along the top edge of the deep washes finding many interesting features.
Resting Hoodoo. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Can you see the leading lines in these photos:?
Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I recall photographing in this area in 2011 during my first visit to Bisti and I still have a few photos of the features in this image:
Hoodoo Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I also found features that make good abstract photographs, like this one:
Abstract. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Wandering through a hodgepodge of rocks along the edge of a deep wash I found the fish like hoodoo at the right end of the line of hoodoos:
Fish Tank. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.The Fish. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
And this scary looking rock:
Demon Head. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
Just behind the fish hoodoo:
The Pterodactyl. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
On the way out of this area:
Piling on. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I could see these large wing like hoodoos on the far side of a deep wash:
Across the Deep Wash. iPhone photo with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Modules.
I did not know how to access those far away wing hoodoos at this time; but later I found a way down into the wash and a way to hike up near those wings.
After returning from scouting the north area and having a late lunch, I decided to kill some time, while waiting until time to go out for sunset photos by walking around in the area just across the road, west of the south parking area. Usually, I only went a very short distance into this area to climb a hill to get a cell signal.
This area, as far as I know is not a part of the designated Bisti Wilderness and is probably on Navaho land, but it might also be BLM land.
South Bisti area scouting photo. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Just into this area, I spotted this small arch with a view through it into the parking area. The red blob within the arch opening is my Sportsmobile.
South Bisti area scouting photo. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
This photo is a close up of the arch with the parking lot visible through it.
South Bisti area scouting photo. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A really close up shot through the arch in which my red Sportsmobile is visible near the center.
Red capped hoodoos in a wash iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Continuing through the wash behind the arch, I found these small red capped hoodoos in the wash.
This automobile carcass is on a hill side bordering a wash. It must have gotten here via a flash flood. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A little further down the wash, I found this upside down automobile body on a hill bordering the wash. I wondered how this got here, since there is no road, not even a reasonable way to drive into here to dump a wrecked vehicle. Then I realized that it must have been deposited here by a flash flood.
This must have been deposited here via a flash flood. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
This view from the opposite side gives a better context for its location.
Hiking through this wash I encountered more automobile parts, which may have come from this vehicle. One such part is in the photo below.
Deposited here via flash flood(?) iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.The dark rock chips scattered over much of Bisti come from this dark layer of rock. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The dark layer in the side of this hill is the geological deposition from which all the dark rock fragments scattered all around Bisti are derived.
Dark rock layer weathering creates horseshoe pattern on a hillside iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I saw the horseshoe like features on this hill side from a distance and they looked like a strange geological feature, so walked closer to investigate. This photo clearly shows that there are exposed portions of the dark rock layer that are weathering. The loose rock fragments are then washed downhill creating this geometric feature.
The many red rocks scattered across Bisti come from this red rock layer. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The red rock layer above is probably the source of all the red rocks scattered all around Bisti. This is the only place that I consciously have observed this rock layer still contained within other layers of rock. I frequently see it as caps over the underlying layers, where the overlying layers have already eroded away.
The geological observations and/or conclusions/conjectures here are my own and not necessarily academically robust.
Clothes dryer shell. Deposited here via flash flood (?) iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A hoodoo on the wash wall with a clothes dryer visible in the wash in the lower left of the photo. I’m guessing that this clothes dryer shell also got here via a flash flood.
Deposited here by flash flood (?) iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
And a roll away bed frame that probably got here via a flash flood, too. I suppose it is possible that some of these type items might have been intentionally dumped into a wash somewhere, then got moved around via flash flooding.
The water here is either rich in minerals or dissolves minerals as it flows over the terrain, later dropping out of solution as the water evaporates. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Walking back towards the parking area, I looked more carefully around the drainage flowing out of Bisti into the area across the road. It is apparent that there are salts or other minerals in the water that drop out along the stream as the water floods over the land, then evaporates. This area is very soft and it is not advisable to walk into it.
Abstract art form in mud along a shallow stream bed. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The stream creates abstract art like patterns in the mud, some outlined with colorful mineral deposits.
Abstract patterns in mud in a shallow stream bottom. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The above mud pattern makes a really nice abstract photo.
This has gotten into a much longer post than I intended. I hope you have not been too bored by it.
My son and I returned to the “Scalloped Rocks” area of Bisti for sunrise photography on day 6 in Bisti March, 2019. This morning’s shoot was frustrating for me. I had a malfunction with my remote/intervalometer that resulted in the camera shooting continuously, just as I was composing what I thought would be my best shot of the morning.
Another of my shots, that I thought would be really good, turned out to have much too shallow a depth of field. It looked good in my quick review in the camera LED screen, but apparently, I did not inspect it closely enough and maybe my fingers were so cold at that time that I was not using my best judgement.
A pre-sunrise shot in the Scalloped Rocks area of South Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/11, 10s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
A shot across the area just before sunrise is shown above.
Sunrise in the Scalloped Rocks area of South Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 28mm, f/11, 2.5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
And another pre-sunrise shot from a different point of view is above.
An accidental abstract. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, f/11, 0.5s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
While my camera was shooting continuously, due to the remote release malfunction, there were numerous images captured, which were all trash; but I decided to make use of the one above, since it has interesting abstract photographic features, which I do not think I could have purposely created.
Sunrise light, clouds and silhouetted rock forms. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/11, 1/6s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
I finally captured the image above, after managing to remove the remote release with my fumbling, numb fingers on this cold morning. Valuable time was lost as I dealt with the equipment problem and I think I missed the best pre-sunrise light composition here; but at least I got this silhouette of a window with the sunrise sky in the background, before the sun was completely up.
We returned to the area just outside the Bisti Wilderness on the north end of Bisti for sunrise photography on day 5 of our stay in Bisti.
Accidental Sunrise Abstract. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 19mm, f/11, 1/10s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
I use a remote shutter release to avoid camera shake that results when physically pressing the on camera shutter button. Sometimes the remote shutter release button gets pressed accidentally, especially when moving the camera, maybe when walking with the camera on a tripod with the remote dangling from the camera. I usually just delete such accidental shots and that was my inclination for the image above. However, the colors and patterns looked intriguing to me, so I kept this image, pushing the texture and colors in Adobe Lightroom with additional editing in Dxo Nik Color Efex Pro 4 to get this “abstract” image. I wish I could say that I shot this one purposely, since I like it; but I doubt that I could duplicate this image, even if I tried. Maybe my most interesting shots are totally accidental!
Sunrise light on rock forms near Bisti North. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
Fortunately, there were some clouds in the sky this morning to add some interest to the sky. The early morning light brings out the structure and color of the rocks here, which are otherwise not very colorful.
Sunrise light in an area near Bisti North. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 18mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
The two images above are mostly of the same subject, but it is obvious that moving around getting a different point of view can yield very different photos. I call the rock feature in the center of the one above “Satellite Dish Rock”, since the pointy rock just right of top center looks a lot like a satellite dish from a rear view point. I have another photo from the rear taken on another day, but I’m not sure that it is good enough to post.
Sunrise light on rock forms in an area near north Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
I like the way the early morning light highlights the rocks in a diagonal pattern in this photo (best viewed large on Flickr). There are many interesting rock features in the background that may not be obvious, unless this image is viewed large.
Sunrise light in the BLM area near north Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 64, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik color Efex Pro 4.
I’m using the rock and its shadow on the bottom left to anchor the foreground and the drainage pattern beside it to lead the eye up the hill to the rock outcrops and the small window rock in the upper left.
It occurs to me, when looking at these photos, that some may think these just depict dirt and rocks. So why spend so much time and energy photographing such objects? As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Not all of us will have an appreciation of the natural beauty of the land. Indeed, in midday light, much of this area is just bland dirt and rocks. But add golden hour light and a few clouds in the sky and I think it is beautiful, at least if captured in a well composed image. Whether or not I manage to capture an interesting image is always a matter of creative vision and I know that I do not always succeed in that endeavor. So your critiques are always welcome and may help me to improve my photography.
Thanks for following,
Ken
P.S. I will be traveling for a few days and posts may be irregular, since I may not have internet connectivity.
Sand dunes provide great opportunities for abstract photography. I hope that the few such photographs shared in this post will illustrate such possibilities.
This image is created via focus stacking 4 images in Adobe Photoshop, with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 64.
Wind creates large expanses of ripples and repeating patterns in sand dunes, such as those shown above. These can be rendered effectively in color, if the light is favorable. I like monochrome for such photos, since one only needs the light to provide shadows and highlights, meaning one can shoot at times other than just the “golden” hours.
By excluding moving objects, one can use focus stacking quite effectively in such images, getting sharp images over a large depth range.
Sandhills Abstract. Nikon d850, Nikon 24-70mm at 55mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 200. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software.
I really like this photo with the diagonal ripples superimposed on the orthogonal wave in the dune. Obviously, the shadows in the troughs, alternating with the highlights on the crests of the ripples, produces these interesting features.
A composite of three images focus stacked in Adobe Photoshop with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 46mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 200.
This is another of my favorite abstracts from the sandhills. In this case, I like the highlight in the depression near the top right of the image and the way the ripples flow into and around the depression.
A composite of three images, focus stacked in Adobe Photoshop, with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/11, 1/60s, ISO 200.
Another image with interesting, bifurcating, ripple patterns with faint wisps of plant matter (look closely to see these) across the ripples.
This is a composite of 6 images focus stacked in Adobe Photoshop with edits in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 200.
The animal track across these subdued ripples adds interest to the pattern. The original color version also shows variations in the color of the sand, producing streaks of color crossing the ripples.
Natural artwork in the sandhills. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm (before crop), f/11, 1/15s, ISO 200. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik software.
I’m sure some of you have seen images of circles swept into sand by plant fronds or limbs. Here is a variation on that with the lower frond producing long streaks across the sand ripples and the upper frond pecking out an intricate, dimpled pattern along the direction of the sand ripples. To me such natural art work is fascinating. These are also short lived, since the next wind will probably erase these or maybe produce a variation. So, if you see an interesting one, photograph it before it is gone!
