Relief for a dry land...

[Morkel Erasmus]

Folks, how are you all? Been totally swamped of late under a mountain of work and MBA studies, but it should abate a bit in the next few weeks due to a better-looking schedule of deliverables.

Here's a newly processed image from a 2013 trip to Etosha, which was in the running for the final placement of the BBC WPY this year (didn't make it though).

Techs:
Nikon D3s, Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II, handheld
f8.0; 1/1000 SS; ISO-450

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Morkel,

We're all good and we've been missing you around here, happy to hear you are doing well with your studies and just as happy to see you post tonight!

Wonderful conversion. I am partial to deserts and barren landscapes and I find this frame so worthy of appreciation. Apart from a solitary springbok all that lies in front of us is a valley empty of life, without trees, grass, or water. A little vegetation on the horizon which is spread out in seeming infinity helps to emphasise this almost featureless gravel pan. IMO the value of this kind of frame is not to be decided solely on formal aesthetic criteria (composition, colours, tonality, symmetry, etc.) but according to the power of the scene and its capability of arousing certain emotions from the viewer. This moves me, Morkel. I know it moved you too, and inspired by what you saw you felt a need to possess the scene - you did so beautifully.

Thank you so much for sharing,

Kind regards,

[Mike Singh]

Hi Morkel
A very stricking image indeed. The processing in BW helps.
BBC WPY - Do you mean the Natural History Museum WPY?

[John Mack]

Nice frame like the mood it creates here. What is in the sky? Is it rain or dust?

[Sanjeev Aurangabadkar]

Hi Morkel, this is a superb image. Minimalistic yet powerful. Love the BW conversion & the mood here is captivating.
Regards,
Sanjeev

[arash_hazeghi]

sweet Morkel, hopefully sometime soon I can come there and shoot this impressive sceneries with you mate.

[haseeb badar]

Hi Morkel -- Lovely BW image , a kind of trade mark style of yours written all over it. I really liked this scene with quite a dramatic backdrop, no wonder it made to the final round of judging stages at the BBC WPOTY. I too witnessed a similar scene at Amboseli but the settings here are much better .
TFS !

[Melissa Usrey]

Stunning image!

[Rachel Hollander]

Hi Morkel - I'm late to this but very much like the minimalist feel but vastness to the image. The conversion works well.

TFS,
Rachel

[Basil Dardagan]

Just wow !!!!

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thank you all for the very kind feedback...