Monumental

[Jeffrey Sipress]

A glorious way to wake up! Camping in Monument Valley, Utah, last month while chasing summer monsoon storms. This was the beginning of a very productive and exciting day. My heart rate finally subsided by 7AM when the show was over.


http://machinearts.com/bpnimages/mrainbow2.jpg

[Dave Mills]

Hi Jeffrey, I must admit my heart might have stopped seeing this. I've seen rainbows over Mt Valley(seeing other images) but this is an exceptional one being so well defined. The dramatic sky adds a nice backdrop to the rainbow and makes it stand out even more. Great job framing the composition and presenting an image with so much impact.

In the future please show your shooting specs so we can better analyze your image....

[Roger Clark]

Jeff,
This is a beautiful image. It looks like a perfect setup and you captured it nicely. Please add lens and exposure data. Did you have a wider lens? While the image is superb, I wonder if adding to the scene both left and right would add to the drama, as both rainbows are cut off. It may be this is the best composition; I was just wondering. In a case like this, I would be in manual exposure mode and would take frames to the left and right for a potential mosaic.

Roger

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Thanks! Yes, I did make a variety of exposures and framings of this event. I have some of the full rainbow, but the buttes are too small. It was a huge rainbow to capture, and I was close to it. I have tighter views of it, too. I needed to find the right balance of sky content and maintain detail in the cliffs. There were so many choices!

I have the efix data for this image, but I don't see how that information is valuable to anyone but me. Clearly, no one can return to the spot and duplicate it. There are numerous combinations of settings that would have produced a successful image. Each shooter will have his own, based on his experience, style, visualization, his exact location and equipment used. Ten minutes before, or later, they would have changed. They are only applicable for that one moment in time. I never care what settings others use. An image must speak for itself. However, this is a learning place, so if anyone can benefit from this, here it is:

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, Zeiss Distagon T* 2/35 ZE, 1/13 s at f/6.3, ISO 100, +1 EV, Tripod, no filters, a healthy dose of good fortune.

[Dave Mills]

Hi Jeff, You happen to have shown an image which IMO is outstanding. Other times they might be less than that so the efix data would be important for us to analyze the image and see where a different setting might have improved the image.(if that was the case)
Your right, this is a learning place and that info could potentially benefit the maker and us...

[Robert Amoruso]

Jeff,

In many images, the settings can be attributed to the success of the image. DOF and slow shutter speed being two that can really affect the outcome of an image. For those not as schooled in the finer points of the correct choice of settings to obtain a particular affect, knowing what they are is an invaluable learning tool for all those viewing the image.

We also request them in our guidelines: "Guideline 21. Please include technical data, such as, but not limited to, camera settings, time of day, weather conditions and location. This information will benefit all members and add to the educational value of each post."

Onto the image: Yes I agree with the others above, an outstanding image. I do have a suggestion - desaturate the reds some. Non are blown but it feels a little too saturated to me. Caveat: I have photographed a lot in the southwest and at Monument Valley and know that you can get some pretty intense colors, I also have been accused of oversatruating my own images, so I do like vibrant colors.

I downloaded the image and in PS desaturated the reds around -10% and liked what I saw and still plenty of vibrancy to go around. In the end it is you choice. Thanks for posting.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Thank you, Robert. I will give the new approach a try today. For the record, I never saturated anything, I actually already reduced the intensity that resulted from a slight curves adjustment. It was an intense morning!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Jeffrey,
Sweeeeet! I know how those colors can get and this is a home run all around that doesn't happen all that often!:cheers::cheers::cheers:

[Kaushik Balakumar]

Simply an outstanding image ! Loved that light.