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Michael Lloyd
08-14-2009, 11:53 AM
EOS 1DsMK3 manual
24-70mm f2.8L handheld

ISO 400
1/125s@ f22

It's hard to capture the wide open space feeling of the Big Bend desert regions. Here's one of my many attempts

Julie Kenward
08-14-2009, 02:45 PM
Michael, I like your original composition - the plant in the FG really pulls the angles together nicely and it's beautifully exposed.

However, my first thought after reading your description is how can you expect to show off the wide open spaces of the area as well with a vertical crop? Isn't this a place where a horizontal crop and maybe even a fish eye lens would really grab the viewer's attention? I feel like in the vertical presentation the clouds are rather "stuffed" into the image instead of letting them flow across the big wide open expanse. Does that make sense?

Just asking...

Roman Kurywczak
08-14-2009, 03:04 PM
Hey Michael,
Agree with Jules on the FG plant.....but 2 things are working against you here....the overhead light is not giving enough definition/depth to the FG grasses/brush....the larger dark grey cloud in the UL is now dominating the sky and lacking strong definition dominating the sky....you can eliminate it with a crop.....but the light the FG isn't strong enough to carry the scene....because of the light.

Michael Lloyd
08-14-2009, 03:52 PM
Julie,

Absolutely... that makes perfect sense. Maybe I was thinking in metaphor...The "depth" of the image is one of a myriad of facets that makes up Big Bend. In two days I experienced: high desert, silence like you wouldn't believe, desert hikes, cool mountains, mountain hikes, wildlife, thunderstorms, a living "movie" that demonstrated the socioeconomic impact of 911 (the villages of Santa Elana and Boquillas are at opposite ends of the park in northern Mexico. Prior to 911 tourists could go freely to and from the towns. Merchants could sell their goods to the tourists. The border crossings are closed now), and things I have forgotten about for the moment but that will live with me forever. Such is Big Bend.

I watched Mexican nationals cross freely at Boquillas Canyon. I've attached an image that kind of represents one reason for why they cross. Drugs and jobs here in the US is probably the biggest reason though. It would take too much time to describe in detail what I saw at Boquillas Canyon... but I'll give you a quick rundown. I saw a man riding toward the canyon on a burro. He took the saddle and hackamore off, turning the burro loose. He put on his backpack and crossed through a fence gap. He milled around, sang a song in Spanish :) yelled something in Spanish toward the sound of singing at the canyon entrance... one word I understood was Coyote... which is slang for the people that take the illegals across... two more young men rode up on horses... at that point I left. I had only my 14mm lens... I soooo wished I had lugged my 600 up the trail but at the same time... I was grateful for the "movie" but not about to take my camera gear down to the canyon. Here in TX we are allowed to protect ourselves but only a fool intentionally goes where he thinks that he needs to be protected :D

I have dozens of shots taken with a 14mm and at the 24mm side of a 24-70mm lens. But I can only post them one at a time :)

Big Bend is never a disappointment for me... if you don't count the the disappointment of having to leave.

And I'm glad you asked :) I always appreciate your thoughts

Ah... thanks Roman... I see what you are talking about. Light is ALWAYS an issue there. During my last day there I had to contend with overcast from thunderstorms in northern Mexico during the morning. My first day was a rush to get there. Unless you stay in the park you have, at a minimum an hour to hour and half drive just to get to the boundary. I came in by way of Alpine / Terlingua so I had more like 3 hours of driving to get to western boundary. Some day I will plan a full week there (and still be disappointed to leave)

Roman Kurywczak
08-14-2009, 04:14 PM
Hey Michael,
I may have to join you on one of those week trips.....as "Sarge" will always get you up and to your location 1 hour B4 sunrise or sunset........especially in such a beautiful place! I'll sleep when I'm dead!

Michael Lloyd
08-15-2009, 08:59 AM
Sounds good to me Roman :) 1 hour? That might not be enough. Big Bend is a "big" place :D

Roman Kurywczak
08-15-2009, 09:53 AM
Sounds good to me Roman :) 1 hour? That might not be enough. Big Bend is a "big" place :D
Oh great!!!!......even less sleep.......might as well stay up and do night photography as well! Will have to take long afternoon siesta's.

Fabs Forns
08-15-2009, 04:04 PM
Agree with Jules comments and as an alternative, I may have wish to see this as a vertical, including more of that gray cloud, a distraction now, but maybe a great element in a horizontal.

Michael Lloyd
09-06-2009, 12:07 PM
Thanks Fabs (and Julie)... This image probably a good lesson in not constraining yourself in camera. The image as presented is a full frame shot. I wish I could play with it some more.

Thanks for the comments.