Sossusvlei

[Rachel Hollander]

One of the dunes along the road in to Sossusvlei, Namibia just after dawn.

Canon 7D
70-200 II @ 70mm
1/200
f16
ISO 400
HH, levels, curves, selective color adjustments, Hougaard Malan action and sharpened in CS5/6.

C&C welcome and appreciated. Thanks,

Rachel

[Don Railton]

Hi Rachel.

I love all of the images you have posted of these dunes... This is no exception. The light is wonderful and the colours beautiful, but most of all I love the curves nature has sculptured into the dunes... and you captured it well.

How might I try to improve this? well I am not convinced that's possible but I have looked at cropping from the bottom to the top of the bushes centre foreground, and to the top of the bush lower RHS. The shallow ridge line leading into this bush is worth including IMHO, so that rules cropping out to the top of RHS bush. Cropping to the top of center foreground bushes leaves RHS bush but unbalances image. Definately cannot crop from right to remove LRH bush because the dunes curve are vital, so leave it as presented, or suggest that next time take two steps to the left and one step forward to eliminate bushes and keep the foreground ridge line. Why dont I like the bushes..? well I dont mind them really, but I think the sculptured lines of the dune are all this image needs and i would focus on the beauty of these without including other elements that might dilute the image...

thanks for showing...

DON

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Rachel, I might have a play with adding some Curves, perhaps adding some into the dunes might work? But then it might not. :bg3:

Sharpening in CS6, is it working, if so has it made a difference?

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Don for the very kind words. Interesting, I liked the line of bushes and purposely kept them as an anchor. Just goes to show we all have different tastes and visions.

Steve - thanks, I processed this one a few months ago so it was mostly in CS5 and not with the adjusted workflow/sharpening we discussed. On the ones I've processed more recently, it has made a difference.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Grady Weed]

Well the curves certainly add interest. I also like the dark shadow as a contrast to the red dirt. Now we just need some camels with riders in a long line. Or maybe a few bull eles charging each other! TFS.

[Robert Amoruso]

I love the stark contrast of the dunes and suggest eliminating the bushes and road (strong horizontal line) in the FG Rachel.

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks Grady and Robert. Btw that's not a road, it's just a line in the desert. We were on the only road in the area.

Thanks again,
Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

Those rich desert sand reds are always awesome in this kind of light. Nice flow through the image thanks to the dune.
I would crop all the FG bushes from the bottom, make it all about the dune?

[Rachel Hollander]

Thanks everyone. Here's a rp with the suggested crop of the fg bushes.

Thanks again,
Rachel