Dry Riverbed

[Dvir Barkay]

147054
Another shot from the archives, back from 2012. Its a bit tight at the bottom for me, but this is the original shot. The light is harsh, but I liked it for some reason, and I liked the leading lineish of the dry stream bed.

Sony A100, Sony 16-50/2.8@16mm, ISO 100, F/8, Jpeg, Petrified Forest National Park, 2012

[dankearl]

The harsh light doesn't bother me.
The huge boulder that dominates the scene does.........

[Dvir Barkay]

The harsh light doesn't bother me.
The huge boulder that dominates the scene does.........

That boulder happens to be a petrified log :) and was added on purpose, I mean I could have tried moving it and its immense few hundred pounds of weight, but I didn't feel like breaking a sweat. Honestly, the issue for me is its a bit tight (can't do a thing about it), not the log which I added on purpose.

[Diane Miller]

I see the log as an anchor leading me up the dry stream bed into the image and providing a repeating dark element for the dark rock at the top.

I don't know if you're into adding canvas, but it probably wouldn't be difficult to add a small amount at the bottom and fill it in realistically. If the shadows we brought up a little it might also help with the crowded feeling at the bottom.

[Don Railton]

Hi Dvir.. The log itself I don't mind, I think its the deep shadow that it casts that is the problem. Its right at the lead in point for the eye and I think the dark shadow traps the eye... So my suggestion would be to lighten/fill in that shadow, and follow that with a bit added to the bottom edge as Diane suggests.

Don

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Dvir, the harsh lighting works well for the B&W conversion, but do agree that the blacks are just a little too black.