whydangle

Very interesting work Jeff. The tire tracks define what we are seeing. If not for them, it would be truly abstract. It looks more like something from space, like a river delta, and I would assume that is what it is, just not as big as it appears. I once shot photos from a helicopter on may way to a rock concert, where I shot from backstage. I didn't get anything this good, but I did get a fairly close shot of Greg Almond, of the Almond Brothers, as he arrived. Your shot is much better than mine!!

I had just shot the actual sunrise and was gathering my gear, thinking the best light had passed. As has often happened to me before, I took another look across this magnificent barren landscape, only to see the light raking across the landforms for the first time of the day. Unfold the tripod, open the bag and mount the camera, set up and compose the shot, begin clicking away yet one more time. As I have mentioned previously, you just can't easily beat the desert colors at dawn or dusk. Arrive here near midday and you have a flat, washed out palette, but get here before most have rolled out, and you have painting. This reminds me so much of Death Valley, yet I haven't been to Death Valley since moving to California some 4 years ago. I must return!! Please consider the Larger preview!

Thanks Tony! I always enjoy a visit from you!

Thanks Chris and Timo, I appreciate it!!

Thanks Mike, Pierre and Jeff! Jeff, I appreciate the accurate ID. I just looked it up and there is a photograph that is a perfect match. Very nice of you to help out!!

Thanks Nancy Gail, Pierre, Boeboe and Arturo! I appreciate the kind remarks. As I said, even though I added some amazing desert shots to my portfolio from this trip, this image has become my favorite. Perhaps because it was more serendipitous than the others. It was taken while hiking with my family along the shores of Lake Cuyamaca. I brought the camera along to do some filming and some grab shots of the kids, but I immediately was captivated by these swirling grasses and the patterned background. I didn't have my tripod, so I opened up the aperture to allow more light and reach a hand holdable shutter speed and then let the lens' vibration control do it's magic. It really is a wonderful thing, but don't expect me to give up using a tripod!

The barren and desolate Anza Borrego desert! Interesting, that as barren and empty of vegetation as it is, it is a strikingly colorful environment, especially at dawn. The warm tones of the near rocks fade into the cooler tones of the distant ridges and mountains, finally capped with a deep red-orange sunrise sky. Looking closely, you may see a thin strip of lighter color just below the sky. That is the Salton Sea, some 35 to 40 miles away. The largest lake in California, it's water's surface is 226 feet below sea level. I had planned to drive to it's shores for at least one sunrise opportunity, but the numerous high vantages along the Sunrise Highway, which skirts the high ridges of the 6,000 feet Laguna Mountains overlooking the desert, distracted me from any longer early morning road trips. I prefer to revisit locations once I am familiar with the compositional possibilities. Our time spent in Julian was greeted daily with clear blue skies, yet on the three mornings I chose to get out, the skies along the horizon over the desert were cloud filled. My sister has been known to have a parking angel that finds unlikely parking spots close to her destinations. I sometimes feel the same way, only with a cloud angel to help spice up my dawn photographs. We are both blessed!!

Thanks Ray, Niels and Mike! I like that Niels: "Simple Wins"! I am often guilty of trying to include too much! Ray and Mike, it is always good to hear from you both!!

Thanks Dominick, nice of you to say so! I rant sometimes when I put something up that I think is exceptional and it gets thumped with lackluster ratings. I'm getting thick skinned, however, and it doesn't bother me as much as it used to. Still, it's hard to argue with the masses. If most don't think something's good, then who's to say they are really wrong. Mass appeal favors what mass appeal favors, so to speak. We can choose to honor that appeal, or we can follow our own torch light. I think it is wise to follow our own!

Honestly, my favorite image of the trip. Sure, I expect alot of indifference, but that's OK. This was not taken in the Anza Borrego desert, but I put it in the AB folder because it was taken during the trip. This was shot along the trail circling Lake Cuyamaca. What's rare about this is it was shot handheld, which only occurs about every 5 years for me. The exposure was 1/100 of a second at F 6.3. The vibration control on my new Tamron lens is nothing short of amazing. At 119mm, which is mid range zoom for my lens, the sharpness at the focal plane is tack! Thanks if you are into this type of image; it really must be viewed at the Larger preview!!

Interesting choice Zsolt! You and I share the same eye for photographs I think. I also think this is the best of the bunch. I had some reservations about posting a photo with blue-magenta cast on the distant mountains. It looks a little strong on the screen, but I feel it is an accurate reproduction of the scene. I also like the composition; the way the wash on the right zigs and zags towards the distant mountains. Mostly, however, I really like the detail of the flowering bush in the immediate foreground. The ratings are fairly low, which doesn't surprise me anymore. Anytime I throw up an image that I think is exceptional, it gets indifferent ratings and attention. I've come to the conclusion that I don't even know what's really good anymore. Well, the primary reason for my photography is a selfish one; it's strictly for my fulfillment. If others enjoy my images, then it's a good thing, but not the only thing!

Thanks Mike and Rebecca! Yes, a skosh more room on the left may have streamlined the path for the peepers. Funny thing, I only did one pano (this was a mini-pano). I usually do at least one, but I have grown weary of shooting level and setting up on my makeshift gear. I also have to blend multiple frames before I ever get to stitching. Alot of work for minimal returns at times, so I shot straight on throughout this trip. This one could have used a second frame on the left to open it up a little, but hindsight is 20/20!

Wow, what a vantage! Tony, superb in every way!!

Excellent work Tanni!!

I am in agreement with Tony. It is an obvious and distracting result of HDR haloing. It is also prevalent in the UR. If they were eliminated, the image would be elevated to another quality. This is a grand place, but you happened to show up on a day when the sky didn't have much interest, so less sky in the composition would also do wonders. I would love to see this cropped across the top so the horizon falls square in the middle. Normally that wouldn't be encouraged, but since the reflection has a mirror effect, I think it would strengthen the symmetry. As it is, too much space in the frame has been lost to a blank gray sky. Anis, not many photographers can offer the insight that Tony possesses, so it might be worth your while to heed his suggestions!

Thanks Chris and John! John, I looked up your ID, but I couldn't find a true visual match. I probably should mention this flower was not in the desert. The elevation here is nearing 6,000 feet, so that might exclude this species from the AB region. This is the Laguna Mountains, which actually take on the most winter precip (snow and rain) in San Diego county, so while you may be correct, it may be a variation that would not be found in the desert. Thanks again!!

Thanks Chris! I appreciate the comments and also the commentary! This is an area I can really sink my photographic teeth into. I was lucky that the three mornings I was out, there were at least some clouds to help the compositions. The balance of the time spent in the area was capped with bald blue skies. Of course, the last day as we were packing ushered in the best clouds of the week, yet I couldn't take advantage of it, and so it was. Thanks again!!

When I reached this vantage, I wanted to convey in my photograph the scale and elevation of the scene. My impression was one of immenseness, but so often we have felt this way, only to have our photographs fall short of communicating that quality. What I have learned over the years is when confronted with such a vast and epic viewpoint, the first, and most important order of business, is to choose a near foreground element that compliments the scene. From this precipice, I took special care while working along this sheer perch. After reading about so many untimely deaths in Yosemite this summer, I didn't want to become an obscure statistic (this remote location would not give me any fame, unlike Yosemite, because of it's lack of popularity). Working slowly, I made sure that the alluvial fan was completely inside the frame. The second factor that often helps the sense of scale is to shoot downward more and avoid capturing too much sky. This is actually a mini-pano, if you will, that has been stitched with another frame panned upward to include a little more sky. Still, most of the frame is filled with the downward view. Finally, combining receding layers of mountains offers the impression of distance. In this case, a larger mountain, followed by distant mountains, layers the scene from near to far. The combination of these compositional techniques often, yet not always, allows the viewer to experience the same exhilaration as the photographer, if only vicariously. 

Of the tree mornings I was able to get out while visiting Julian, the third outing showed the least clouds, yet the quality of light provided a more vivid hue. Perhaps the atmosphere was cleaner, as a cool front had passed through the area during the evening. As the sun began to emerge, the distant mountains and sky popped with pre-dawn color which combined nicely with the foreground vegetation. This is a 6 exposure blend, the first four being used to render a focus stack to provide sharpness throughout the scene. The remaining two exposures were used for extended tonal range, making sure to tame the light value variance from sky to foreground. I really fell in love with this area because it provided me with ample "grand scenic" landscape possibilities and also offered some of the best dawn color I have seen in years. The "Sunrise Highway"  travels north-south along the high ridge of the Laguna Mountains. With low vegetation, every turn has an expansive view. I would cherish a return to this area during peak spring wildflower season. Please enjoy the Larger preview!!