Rework
Critique Style Requested: Standard
The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.
Description
I’m stretching the challenge this week by including this, but I absolutely love this petroglyph found on a cliff in Dinosaur National Monument (and the cliff itself is beautiful abstract art as well). This is the most detailed and strongest of the many petroglyphs found on this cliff, and the logo for the self-guided tour waypoints. This particular lizard (dinosaur??) is actually one of several that appear to be stalking a human figure on the cliff. It fascinates me because they’re virtually correct in scale based on actual fossilized dinosaur prints that are found nearby and very obviously based in shape on the 6-inch lizards that are found all over this area. So this glyph is around 7 or 8 feet long, and based on the 1-foot tall human figure, that would scale up to about 35 or 40 feet since humans at the time these petroglyphs were made were often no more than 5 feet tall. The end of the tail is about 15 feet above the trail. Another nearby lizard petroglyph about this size is found about halfway up the cliff face – 40 or more feet up with a similar stretch above it. It completely boggles the mind to try to visualize how they supported the artist as he painstakingly chipped the surface varnish away to make this enduring art.
Specific Feedback
I really struggle with getting the stone and varnish colors realistic. Lightroom had turned it far too orange, and although I’m much happier with this Photoshop correction, I feel like it’s still a little to orange. Any thoughts are welcome.
Technical Details
Canon EOS 7D Mark II, f 13, 1/250, 70 mm, with CPL
Denise, this is truely “rock art”. Without having been there, I can’t comment on the tone of the lizard. In general the colors look decent to me. I would suggest burning-in or cropping out the brightest bits along the left edge. Someone put a huge effort into “pecking” off the varnish to make the lizard.
Wow, this is way cool Denise and bigger than most petroglyphs I’ve seen. Amazing it’s lasted so long without weathering away. The colors appear to be pretty natural to me and not “overdone”. Lighting is soft with very good detail throughout. Just one thought; for photos involving animals (real or imaginary) I prefer to give them extra space in the direction they’re pointing to (in case they ever move, 
. ) However, I don’t know what the rest of the cliff looked like beyond the UR corner, so that composition may not have worked. Overall, nice done!
@Mark_Seaver and @Jim_Lockhart , Thanks for your comments, and I’ll try the burn-in. The oddball angle is because I was trying to isolate this lizard from the rest of the petroglyphs above it and to the right (you can still see the tail and part of the leg of the one above it), and to give an idea of the cliff face. Given that each smaller glyph likely took weeks to months to complete, the fine work on this one is really amazing. Here are establishing shots I took to give an idea of the immense cliff these are found on (and it made me realize my personal note on the size of the person is off; he is likely at least 2 feet tall, which changes the proportions). The Fremont People, who likely made these, lived in this area from around 1 - 1300 AD. I’m simply fascinated by what they accomplished at this location with only stone tools, and likely, yucca fiber ropes which have a suprisingly high tensile strength. If anyone wants to go to Dinosaur, I don’t recommend July – it was 100+ the days we were there – but there’s a trail just behind the green Mormon tea plants that lets you get up close and personal with 2- to 7-foot petroglyphs at the bottom of the cliff.
Thanks for the background images Denise, they explain a lot.
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Great image, Denise! I like the rework and I think you’ve effectively addressed the brighter rock along the left edge. I also really enjoyed your shots of the larger context, as well as your explanation of the scene. It’s remarkable that this petroglyph has remained in such good condition!
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Thank you. I experimented with tiny applications with a watercolor spatter effect brush (part of a brush set I purchased during the pandemic) set at 10, 15 and 30% opacity, and using several colors from the rock wall to try to maintain the stone texture. I’m glad it turned out.
I highly, highly recommend a visit to Dinosaur National Monument, not only for the the petroglyphs (and these are just the easiest to get to; there are so many other locations), but also for the Quarry wall (on the Utah side) and its hundreds of exposed fossils as well as the geology and history of the area at large. I have a goal of traversing all 26 of the Scenic Byways in Colorado, and I’ve only done a couple short stretches of the Dinosaur Diamond Byway so far.
Thanks for the recommendation, Denise. I used to live in Colorado but never made it to Dinosaur. I always wanted to, and I still hope to go there someday. I also enjoyed your earlier post from Colorado National Monument. I have been there several times, and I love it. It’s a great part of the state.
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