PDA

View Full Version : Another storm on another dune



Morkel Erasmus
01-20-2016, 01:20 PM
Hey folks. Just back from another epic trip to the Kalahari desert (Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park).
Temperatures of 50 to 54 Celcius were at the order of the day around midday and we were camping with the kids :2eyes2:.
We were fortunate to witness some of the first summer rains (late, the whole country is gripped in drought!).

I captured this shot at sunset as we were driving back to camp. Shot handheld from the vehicle, cause LIONS...:t3
The shrub in front is the shrub version of the Grey Camelthorn tree. You get the "tree" version in the park as well, an iconic species of the region.

Happy 2016 to all of you!! :cheers:

Techs:
Nikon D800
Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 @ 24mm
f4.0 | 1/40 SS | ISO-200

Valerio Tarone
01-20-2016, 04:21 PM
Mokel hi
as always my taste prefers dramatic skyes than non significant earth. The sky is dramatically lovely, but, if were mine,I should crop off a bit of the bottom.

Morkel Erasmus
01-20-2016, 04:45 PM
Mokel hi
as always my taste prefers dramatic skyes than non significant earth. The sky is dramatically lovely, but, if were mine,I should crop off a bit of the bottom.

Valerio, to me the earth below is not bland but then I love the Kalahari for it's vast emptiness. Just a thought: if I crop off the bottom, I will "cut" that plant in half, and that was included for some depth and a foreground anchor.

Don Railton
01-20-2016, 11:26 PM
Hi Morkel

This looks like the same cloud I had slipping down the coast here in WA.! Impressive and spooky at the same time.. I like your composition with the (baby) 'tree' in the FG, and the image conveys nicely the surrounds. Not sure i would like to be under that cloud with my kids and apparently nowhere to hide from the storm or lightening... and camping in 54C..? you gotta be crazy...have you not heard of spontaneous combustion..?

regards

DON

Jonathan Ashton
01-21-2016, 05:44 AM
I like this very much it is so moody, I think the composition is good and I really like the colours. The fact that the little tree is there is very relevant, although it could hardly be described as beautiful it plays a very significant contribution, without it the image would suffer. I also like to see those columns of rain, probably just as well you were in the car and not the tent eh?

Don Lacy
01-21-2016, 02:43 PM
Another wonderful image from the desert Morkel. Would not crop at all and my only suggestion would be to tone down the sky on the left of the frame as I find it drawing my eye a bit.

Gerhard Weldhagen
01-22-2016, 06:30 AM
Spot on! That's what the Kalahari veld looks like for real. Don't change a thing.

Diane Miller
01-22-2016, 03:14 PM
Wonderful! Too bad about the lions -- would have been great to be able to get out and get lower to put some of the bush into the sky.

Although it's a pretty complement to the gold in the sky, I'm not in love with the strong blue cast in the UL. Its a little too reminiscent of one of those old colored grad ND filters.

Rachel Hollander
01-23-2016, 10:45 AM
Hi Morkel - I like the comp and agree that the small tree serves as a good anchor. I find myself agreeing with Diane on the blues. Sounds like brutal weather for camping with or without kids.

TFS,
Rachel

Morkel Erasmus
02-02-2016, 03:33 AM
Thanks for the feedback and suggestions, folks. Will look at toning down the blue clouds.



Sounds like brutal weather for camping with or without kids.


It was brutal but awesome. Kids actually didn't phase it too much, just swam a lot and used those little fans with the mist to cool down.
The sightings made up for it ;)

Andrew McLachlan
02-07-2016, 08:20 AM
Beautifully executed Morkel...I love the cloud formations and ominous feel that the storm creates over the entire scene!!!