"Desert Home"

I'm not crazy about posting a re-work, but I occasionally feel that some previous posts could be improved upon. The first version of this was well received, but I felt the need to make some corrections to color and contrast. While the first version may actually be closer to what the RAW provided, I wanted something more neutral in tone. Thanks for your assessments. I will leave the original post for a short while before deleting for comparison sake. I recommend the Larger view!

Thanks for your time, please enjoy the Larger preview!

parched lands are these, sand of earth and stone
warm winds swirl while the dust devils roam
thermals kite the condors high above the sound
in a quiet layer floating over this fractured ground
cracks of shade for slinking, scaly skin over cold blood
hidden from the swelter, languishing in dried mud
reptilian tracks scatter, nocturnally they skitter
tumbleweeds bound and roll like waves of prairie litter
mirage of aqua sea, far from the shoreline’s kiss
the heat rises in a dance, it’s quivering is remiss
dry and arid, absence of moisture and humidity
the challenge of life to tolerate this liquid scarcity
quench my yearning thirst, cool my waning optimism
let me persevere and endure my growing pessimism
my spirit can stretch and lay on a sandstone bed
and soak the sinuous clays of polished smooth red
it is no solitary refuge, only providing my soul some room
I decorate this barren wash to be my desert home

(For comparison's sake: http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=9934772)

I like what you've done with the enhanced contrast in this new version, but honestly, I prefer the older image. The reason is mainly the more bluish foreground tones of the older version, which, because it is closer to the actual lighting at that time of day, just "looks right". Further, the new, warmer foreground gives less color contrast with that wonderful sky. Finally, There are some highlights on the big boulder that have become almost specular in the new version.

Honestly, the image is marvelous in both versions, and what my brain wants to see—contrasty-but-not-too-much warm blues—may be fairly difficult to pull off.

Hi John! Thanks for the feedback. Well, I will probably give it another look and see if I can bring more blue back. The good news is I haven't cropped either version, so I can farm pixels from each one. My next move is to place the bluer one on a top layer and change the blend mode to color. That should add some blue back, but keep the contrast. Meanwhile, I can use a layer mask to swap some of the areas that have stronger highlights, toning them back a bit. My other problem with the first version is the boulders seem to blend in to the bg mountains, but in this version there is some separation. The highlights seem to help that. I will give it one more go, but I don't want to put too much in before I start not liking it. Kind of like working on a difficult song; once you get it right, you no longer want to hear it!

Here's a revised/revised version, somewhere in the middle is where I will stay!

I guess opinions differ!

 

I like this new version much better then the original, and I think it's because of the absence of the bluish tint. The colors and contrasts are much "richer" in this version.

 

Great poem by the way...

Beautiful, lovely colors and light

Thanks Hans and Farshad! Yes Hans, opinions and preferences do differ. I certainly respect your take on this. I am also a big fan of John's photography and heed his opinions!

Powerful color pallette here, Mark and quite a literary description. Almost otherworldly. Just beautiful, glad you took the time to do the additional post processing, I thought it looked vaguely familiar. thank you for your recent comment, high praise coming from someone of your ability. Best wishes, rek.

yes , your new version is better. i think is quite difficult optimize a beautiful image like this one. what about reduce the sky contrast/luminosity just a little in order to exalt the foreground ?

Anyway a powerful landscape image. Regards

Mark... Several things are very impressive in this posting. One is the image itself, your ability to change the mood of this scene with minor fine tuning. Two, the introductory poem which I will bet was penned originally by the photographer; and three, that you could get the #$@%$!! HTML to keep your verses formatted and with single spacing!

 

I'm really torn with three choices, but I still like the original. I just think it's more like what I would see at that time of the day, but you were there and will know best.

 

Thanks for sharing, an inspiring sunset regardless of version... Mike

 

 

Thank you Richard, Vezio and Mike. Mike, I think your sense of humor is what impresses me most of all. No doubt, getting the #$@%$!! HTML was an epic demonstration of artistic control and keyboard skill. The poem; well it probably merits some praise on an amateur level. The photograph is only as impressive as the scenery of which I was provided, and I was certainly provided the scenery on this memorable morning. As always, thanks for your feedback!