Midday of day 7, and our final day in Bisti, my son and I returned to the north area of Bisti to explore and scout potential areas to return to later.
Petrified tree stumps in north Bisti iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
We found these large petrified tree stumps in the broad wash area that we have to cross on our way into this area.
A petrified tree stump in Bisti. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Here is another petrified tree stump we found.
A petrified tree stump in Bisti iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
And a view from the top side of the stump reveals more color from mineralization and lichen.
Beneath the x in the sky iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
My son seems to have found the magic spot beneath the big X in the sky.
Someone called these the conversing hoodoos for obvious reason. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I had GPS coordinates for features someone labeled “Conversing Hoodoos”. I had not seen photos of these, so I had no idea what they would look like; but upon finding them, it was obvious why these were so named.
Numerous wing like hoodoos in north Bisti iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
In the same general area as the conversing hoodoos are
Assorted hoodoos in the northern Bisti area iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
other large wing like hoodoos.
Large wing like hoodoos in north Bisti iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
More large wing like hoodoos that we saw in this area are in the photo above.
I’ve nicknamed this feature “Jack rabbit Hoodoo” iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
When the wing like feature above is view at just the right angle, it has a jack rabbit like appearance, hence my calling it “Jack Rabbit Hoodoo”. This feature is in the vicinity of the Conversing Hoodoos.
Many large hoodoos in Bisti iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The large wing like hoodoo features in the photo above are, also, nearby the conversing hoodoos.
Photo scouting in North Bisti iPhone photo, edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
My son walks past one of the rock features on the north side in the above photo. Note how far one can see from an upper elevation in Bisti. This is very helpful, when navigating this area. There are landmarks that one can see from miles away from higher elevations, such as this, and use those landmarks to navigate by.
Although, we found many interesting places for photography on the north side of Bisti, we did not have time to get back to this area for either sunrise or sunset photography during this visit. I returned to this area the last week of May, 2019 and spent many hours photographing and wandering this area. That visit will be the subject of more blog posts in the future.
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.
On day 4 of my March 2019 photography excursion, my son and I went to the little area on the north side of Bisti, which we think is actually on BLM land and is not a part of the designated Bisti wilderness.
A smug looking rock. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 20mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I had spotted this rather smug looking rock on an earlier scouting of this area. The rock has a cartoon like face expression, maybe implying “I’m not talking to any of you”. [Not that rocks actually speak to me, at least not in actual spoken words].
Final Curtain Call of the Day. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and Dxo Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
One of the hoodoos that we also found on an earlier scouting here is in the above photograph. It is too bad that the sky was so drab and uninteresting on this day.
Future flows from Past. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/13s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The photo above is an attempt to use the drainage pattern and the broad band of red pebble covered ground as leading lines into the background features; but there might be too much of the foreground in this case. It would have been good to have something else of interest in the near fore ground.
The Final Spotlight before Night’s Curtain falls. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I like this smaller (but actually fairly large) feature in the center here with the sand pattern around it from erosion of that feature. I would have liked to have gotten a bit more isolation of this feature, but I could not find a suitable place from which to photograph it to achieve that on this day. Anyway, this composition does give a good sense of the environment here and the setting for this feature.
As a reminder, clicking on any of the photos in this post will take you to the photo on Flickr, where they will probably look better than on this web page or in your e-mail. Also big screens are better for viewing these photos than small, mobile devices.
Until next time,
Ken
P.S. I will be traveling again for a few days, so the next few posts might be delayed, since I do not know where or when I might have adequate internet connectivity.
On the morning of my fourth day in the Bisti Wilderness my son and I hiked to an area he nicknamed “Scalloped Rocks” for sunrise photos. This area within Bisti has much of interest. There are rocks in many shapes, hoodoos, hills and shallow drainage patterns in the mostly barren ground.
Various Rock Shapes in The Bisti Wilderness. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 2.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
With such a variety of possible compositions it is difficult to know where to even start. I captured the scene above before sunrise.
Early morning light on Bisti hillsides and rocks. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm (before crop), f/11, 1/10s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
When the sun peeks over the horizon the scenery gets really interesting. The rocks and hillsides come alive with color and shadows.
Sunrise highlights and shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm (before crop), f/11, 1/20s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Early morning shadows not only add interest, they make getting balanced compositions difficult and one has to be aware of where one’s own shadow falls.
Rock Man and His Companion. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 19mm (before crop), f/11, 1/60s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The image above is cropped from a much larger original. One of the things that I noted about my compositions in this area is that I frequently did not get close enough with my wide angle lens to a desirable object in the composition. I tried to include too much in my images and the results were not the best.
Various Rock Shapes and Hills in Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm (before crop), f/11, 1/100s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
While one can crop an image in an effort to zoom in on a portion within the image, one cannot change the point of view via cropping nor include or exclude items in the most desirable way.
Hills and Rocks Monochrome. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm (before crop), f/11, 1/100s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
The B&W image above is cropped from the previous image, which in turn was cropped from another. In neither case, could I really get an image the way I wanted it to be.
Rocks, Hoodoos, Hills and Drainage Patterns. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 14mm, f/11, 1/100s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The image above is the one from which the previous two crops were taken. In this image I used the shallow drainage patterns as leading lines into the image. It seemed like a good idea at the time and it sort of worked, but when I inspect the details within the image, I now see that I might have gotten much better compositions by moving (zooming with my feet) around within the area.
Various Rock Shapes in The Bisti Wilderness. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/60s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
This might be another image in which I included too much. My concept for this image is using the line of rocks on the left with their shadows and the rocks on the right along with the drainage pattern in the middle to lead the eye into the image. The end result just does not look completely satisfying to me. I’m not sure I could have done this any better, but I could have gotten other compositions. Would they have been better? I really do not know, so maybe I will have to revisit this area someday and try again.
Various Rock Shapes in The Bisti Wilderness. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm (before crop), f/11, 1/80s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I like the composition above, even though it has much in it, maybe because I got close to the rock on the left and it has a long shadow leading to the group of rocks on the left and the eye tends to continue through the image.
Various Rock Shapes in The Bisti Wilderness. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 19mm (before crop), f/11, 1/50s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I was excited about shooting in this area, but I did not realize how much of a challenge it would be to get really good compositions or to be in the right place at the right time for the best light.
Rocks and Shadows in The Bisti Wilderness. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm (before crop), f/11, 1/60s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
This is perhaps one of my better compositions here, with the line of rocks on the right casting long pointy shadows diagonally across the image leading to an interesting feature in the background; but that feature in the background is much more interesting, when up close to it.
Various Rock Shapes in The Bisti Wilderness. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm (Before Crop), f/11, 1/60s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I cropped the image above from the previous one and I like the results, but I think had I zoomed around with my feet and watched my shadow, I might have gotten a more interesting shot.
Various Rock Shapes in The Bisti Wilderness. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm (before crop), f/11, 1/80s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I’m going to expound on my concept for the image above and let the viewer decide whether it worked or not.
This image has numerous natural leading lines (rows of rocks, drainages, hill slopes) with the major ones indicated by the blue arrows. These lines all tend to converge near the upper center of the image. Even though these lines lead ones eyes through the image, there is something lacking. It would have been much better to have some conspicuous object at the convergence of the lines. So, I think, it is partially successful, but not completely. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Nature’s Rock Sculpture Garden. The Rock that Lost Its Head. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm at 24mm (before crop), f/11, 1/125s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
This final image is another one that is cropped from a larger original, still there is much of interest around the base of the hill in the upper right, where I might have gotten a more interesting composition.
Getting good depth of field in these type shots is also a challenge. Maybe I need to go to a smaller aperture for such shots and/or choose my focus points more judiciously. Sometime focus stacking is feasible, but with the sun position changing so rapidly, the shadows will move perceptively between shots, which might create problems and I have noted that Photoshop does not always do the best job with its selection of image portions and often leaves some artifacts around the edges of objects, especially those in the distance.
Such are the frustrations of a landscape photographer.
“Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer—and often the supreme disappointment.” – Ansel Adams
My son and I scouted an area in the southern portion of Bisti that he had previously visited and nicknamed “Scalloped Rocks”. This area has a rich variety of oddly shaped rocks and small hoodoos.
“Scalloped Rocks” area in South Bisti. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I just happened to be in a good location to snap a photo of my son framed by these rock forms, while we hiked around this area looking for potential photographic compositions.
“Scalloped Rocks” area in South Bisti. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Small eroded hills with rocks balanced on their peaks near the “Scalloped Rocks” area in south Bisti are in the photo above.
“Scalloped Rocks” area in South Bisti. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The slender hoodoo and attractive rock formation is typical of this area. (Or is that an alien being next to its space ship? Perhaps, as one reader has suggested, the isolation in this wilderness may be warping my mind and leading to wild imaginings).
“Scalloped Rocks” area in South Bisti. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DXO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
There are many rock forms similar to those shown in this post and many other interestingly shaped rocks in this area. I liked the potential of this area, so we will plan to visit here again either at sunrise or sunset on one or two of our days here.
[None of the photos in this post are on my Flickr page].
Early in the morning of my second day in Bisti, I returned to the area that I had scouted the day before for sunrise and early morning photography. In this area I had found rock forms similar to the Cracked Eggs of The Nursery, only not so many as in The Nursery.
This post will be long on photos and short on words. I will make a few comments on the photos and maybe the editing, but there is not much else to say about the area that readers have not already heard.
An early morning scene in Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/11, multiple exposures, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and ?.
I began shooting just before sunrise, when the colors are muted due to minimal light on the subjects.
I attempted to make an HDR with multiple exposures of the scene above, but I ran into problems and now I do not recall exactly what edits were applied to get the image above, hence the ? in the image caption.
Feet like erosional patterns at the foot of a hill in Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm (before crop), f/11, 10s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The image above is actually a crop from a much larger scene. As I edited that image, zooming in to check details, I noted that the erosional patterns at the base of the hill far in the background looked like giant feet. So I cropped that portion of the image to get the one above. This has given me an idea of how to shoot such patterns at the base of these hills, rather than ignoring them as I had been.
An early morning scene in Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm (before crop), f/11, multiple exposures, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and Skylum Aurora HDR software.
The above image is also cropped from a much large scene and is an HDR made from multiple exposures. The blackish hill in the upper left is one of the navigational markers that I use to get to this area. It is visible from a long distance in the mostly flat desert here.
Cracked egg like rock form in Bisti, but not in The Nursery. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/11, 1.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
This is one of the rocks that is shaped like those in “The Nursery”, where they are called “Cracked Eggs”.
Cracked egg like rock form in Bisti, but not in The Nursery. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/11, 1.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Another of the Cracked Egg like rocks with a rounded rock behind it.
Cracked egg like rock form in Bisti, but not in The Nursery. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 48mm, f/11, 1.0s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous image. I think monochrome works well with these type images.
Cracked egg like rock forms in Bisti, but not in The Nursery. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/11, 0.8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Another view of the same two rocks as in the previous two images with a bit more background.
Bisti rock forms and early morning light on hill sides. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 38mm, f/11, 0.4s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
More rocks in the miniature “nursery” area with colorful hills in the background just beginning to be illuminated by the early morning light.
A close up of a cartoonish rock form. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, f/11, 1/8s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I spotted these two small rocks as they were getting the first rays of early morning light and I was struck by how much the upper one looked liked a cartoonish animal character, maybe a bird or dinosaur. With a bit of a change in the perspective, the closer rock can be made to look like a body for the upper “head” rock.
The small rock in the foreground looks like a cartoon character bird or maybe dinosaur. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 30mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A larger view of the area with the cartoon face rock, providing a setting for the smaller rock features. Note the long early morning shadows. Many years ago this area was a lush green forest and there were dinosaurs roaming here, perhaps making the creature faced rock more pertinent.
Early morning scene in Bisti with rock forms casting long shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 30mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
More rocks casting early morning shadows along with the cartoon faced rock with colorful hills in the background.
The rock form in the foreground has the appearance of a dog face or maybe some other animal like face. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/11, 1/20s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Another animal like faced rock casting early morning shadows.
Cracked Egg Rock Forms that are not in The Nursery area of Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 30mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
More of the “Cracked Eggs” like rocks with long early morning shadows.
A Cracked Egg Rock Form that is not in The Nursery area of Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 30mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
And even more of the “Cracked Egg” rock forms with long early morning shadows.
Bisti Rock Forms. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The image above is cropped from a larger view that I did not think had sufficient sharpness over the entire range of the original image. Anyway, that rock on the right has a unique shape and I am at a loss as to how to label it. It does look like some sort of creature, I just do not know what. Maybe you have an idea?
Cracked Egg like rocks, not in The Nursery area of Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Cracked Egg or Hamburger Rock?
Cracked Egg like rocks, not in The Nursery area of Bisti. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 35mm, f/11, 1/15s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous image. In editing these type images for monochrome, I like to keep the shadows dark, so I might bring down the shadows and/or darks in the process.
Bisti Rock Forms in Black and White. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 38mm, f/11, 1/10s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
Just a couple of interesting rock shapes with early morning light highlights and shadows.
The rock in the foreground has a dog or maybe a bear face appearance. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A closer view of the “Dog Face” rock.
The rock in the foreground has a dog or maybe a bear face appearance. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 32mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the “Dog Face” rock. Note how much darker I’ve made the shadows in the monochrome version.
This Bisti Rock looks a bit like a reclining bear. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/11, 1/25s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I’m calling the rock in the foreground “Reclining Bear”, since the upper left most portion looks like a bear face to me.
Bisti rocks and early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 38mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
I’m intrigued by the shapes of the shadows cast by the various rock shapes. I’ve noted that using a Detail Extractor filter in DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4 brings out details in the shadows, which sometimes is preferable, but sometimes I like to keep the shadows darker, so this filter might not be a good choice in those cases.
Bisti rocks and early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 38mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous image. Note how I’ve kept the shadows dark, not allowing any detail in the shadows.
Bisti rocks and early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
More rocks and shadows. The rock on the left is in the previous image. I like the shapes of the shadows of the rocks on the left. Shadows sometimes take on a shapes that are surprisingly different that one might expect.
Bisti rocks and early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous image. I’ve purposely kept the shadows deep and dark for a more dramatic appearance.
Bisti rocks and early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 65mm, f/11, 1/25s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A row of rocks and their shadows. Note the uppermost rock shadow shapes and the middle rock jagged shadow shapes that one might not expect by looking at the rocks from this perspective.
Bisti rocks and early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 65mm, f/11, 1/25s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous post, emphasizing form, highlights and shadows.
A Bisti rock and its early morning shadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro4.
A “lumpy” rock and its mitten like shadow.
A Bisti rock and its early morning shadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 24mm, f/11, 1/30s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous image again emphasizing shape, highlights and shadows. Somehow the monochrome version seems more “artistic” and “mysterious” than the color version.
A group of Bisti rocks casting long early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A group of rocks and their shadows.
A group of Bisti rocks casting long early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 40mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous image, emphasizing shape, highlights and shadows. Which is more appealing? I like the monochrome version best.
Small rocks in Bisti Wilderness casting long early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
Many small rocks and long, early morning shadows.
Small rocks in Bisti Wilderness casting long early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 27mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous image. Which image has more mystery?
Semicircle of rocks and early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
A semi-circular pattern of rocks and their shadows. I like the way the shallow wash passes to the right around these rocks with the empty space on the left. The vignetting is added to focus the eye onto the main subject.
Semicircle of rocks and early morning shadows. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 36mm, f/11, 1/40s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
A monochrome version of the previous image for comparison without vignetting. I like the monochrome version best, but if I left off the vignetting in the color version, would that look better?
Jagged Shadow Rock. The shadow of the big rock has a Halloween like appearance. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 45mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Color Efex Pro 4.
The only thing unusual about the large rock is its shadow, which has a “Halloweenish” appearance.
A large rock with a Halloween like shadow. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 45mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 64. Edited in Adobe LR and DxO Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.
And Halloweenish should be monochrome, shouldn’t it?
Ok, I’ve beaten this topic to death. I can’t promise that I won’t do it again, though.
Next up sunset photos on day 2 in Bisti, March 2019.
