So Grand

So even the most jaded photo buff can't help but be awed by the Grand

Canyon and the north rim area . A truly amazing piece of geology and slice

of history but (did you see this coming ? ) I must say a few things about

the experience- Hazy skies, no clouds, did not lend themselves to the full

extent of GC awesomeness possible; preceded by 4 hour drive from Zion

(not to mention that speed trap in southern Utah- ouch that hurts !) which

covered an extensive patch of desecrated landscape from catastrophic

fires of recent years. It takes you down a level to see such horrific

damage. GC is also difficult to shoot many times because of deep

shadows. On the north rim you cannot see the river itself from most

locations- peekaboo from Cape Royal, good view from Toroweap with its

infamous hours long dirt road.

But of course I'd do it again, just wallowing in feeling that goes along with

the clear grasp of the insanity of the photographic pursuit.

Comments welcome

Michael

Hi Michael,

This scene is certainly grand. The colors are wonderful.

However, the use of the lens setting, F/23, resulted in an image that has little definition  recorded.

I recommend that shorter focal length lens always be used from wide open aperture to F/5.6.

Unless the lens is not very good in design or build quality, excessive stop downs will result in very "soft" images that can fail to do well under enlargement.

I also noted several spots in the upper right side of the image. While these can be removed in post processing, or the sensor can be cleaned prior to imaging, the extensive f-stop (very small aperture) also allows these spots to be readily seen. Shadows cast by debris are always seen best at larger stop down settings.

Regards,  Mike

great photo!well done!

I'm glad you omitted the sky -- the geology is wonderful on its own.  I agree with Mike -- it seems a lot of fine detail has been lost.  Mike's more of an expert on this than I, but I wouldn't go beyond f/11 for a scene like this.  The colors are, to my eye, a bit off, as if they've been prompted in processing.  Perhaps you were trying to overcome the haze.  A B&W with plenty of contrast might be an alternative.

Michael,  Mike and Stephen have nailed the comments.  You have my vote for an excellent eye and good color.  You may want to try increasing the contrast to your liking and also increasing clarity if you choose to give the image a bit more punch.  This is a matter of taste and personal judgment.  Nice image.  Larry

This is a fine landscape Michael.  Love the colors, but I agree the f-stop likely made it a little soft.  I find the Mark II with the 24-105 at f11  produces crisp images.  Mike P. would say "wide open", or 1 stop beyond the widest aperture, but I know what works for me.