Early Morning Light on Joshua Tree Granite

Thanks, Leo.  This is fast becoming one of my personal favorites, and it's all in the light.  I think this was the morning I was standing on the edge of a 20-foot drop in the face of a howling wind, tightly gripping my tripod to keep it from flying away.  Yet it looks so peaceful....

Stephen, I like this one very much, too. The atmosphere of the early morning is certainly there and the transition from dark to light on the rocks just adds to the feeling one has looking at the picture. You are probably glad that you took this on Astia, more forgiving regarding deep shadow detail than the Velvia family. At least in my experience.

Peter, that's my experience too regarding Astia versus Velvia.  I sometimes refer to Astia as my "winter" film and Velvia as my "summer" film.

One of my favorites from a recent SW trip. Comments and suggestions

are appreciated. Thanks.

Wonderful image. Best Regards!

The light plays the main role!

Warm regards Stephen!

PDE

Thanks for the comments.  Pierre, I agree -- light plays the main role here.

Great soft light, Stephen.  The details are amazing in the shadows, and there is nice balance here.  The lack of vegetation really makes this a different shot than what i usually see in Joshua Tree images.  I have not been there, but it is one of those places on my list to see and photograph.  Congratulations on a job well done, Stephen.

Paul

This is my personal favourite from this series. I think it's the subtle graduating light, the rounded weathered texture of the rocks and the faint warmth against the blue sky that makes this so appealing. It is suprising to read that there is a howling wind, appearances can be so deceptive. I played around with possible crops purely out of interest, using the central peak in conjunction with alternate left and right peaks to form more portrait orientated images, but in all honesty, they didn't stand up to the original. Sincere compliments!

Regards

Alf

This is a great capture! The soft lighting together with the great composition direct the eyes to the rock in the center and allow viewers to exam the details there. One of the beautiful features of film is that the transition from bright to dark area is very smooth..I could see lots of details in the shadows. Thanks for sharing.

awesome light

makes me wanna shoot film

Stephen  -- Thumbnails of landscapes don't normally draw me in.  This just knocked my socks off.  The light here is so delicate, the gradations so fine...it's so subtle yet so striking at the same time.  Really really nice.

Steve and others who kindly provided comments (I'm sometimes inexcusably lax in doing follow-ups), I appreciate your thoughts about this photograph.  This particular photo was the second of my photographs selected for inclusion in the Hasselblad Bulletin.  It's nice to get a pat on the back like that.