Well, it’s been a few days since we have seen something from the Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley, so I though I would pick up the slack ;-).
What technical feedback would you like if any?
Any and all technical feedback is welcome. I’m wondering whether the “valley” is too bright here.
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
Does it work for you? Why or why not?
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Single image, processed in LR and Nik SilverEfex Pro.
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You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
Wow, Marylynne! My eyes are wandering around in amazement. The strong sidelight is great and the details of the critter tracks are marvelous, not to mention all the ripples in the sand. Can’t stop gazing at this.
Oh wow, this is beautiful, super beautiful, especially those patterns on the sand. I do wish that there is a sliver more of those darker dune in the BG to add some balance, but otherwise this is just exquisite. Very nicely processed!
Marylynne, the pattern here is very engaging and graphic. The B&W processing is very nicely handled as well. I do agree with @Adhika_Lie that the image would be better balanced if there was more breathing room in the background, but I suspect there was probably something there that prevented you from showing more of the background. And as @Bill_Leggett said, those beetle tracks add a nice touch.
Marylynne, yes we see a fair amount here from Mesquite Dunes but I always enjoy seeing them, This is quite an interesting pattern and the variation in tone is beautiful. I do not think the valley is too bright. My wish, as the the others have commented, is for more dark BG.
Nicely done!
Bravo Marilynn. Very Westonesque. Your processing of these dunes adds a dimension we often don’t see. This is one of your best images ever, and you posted many fine ones on NPN 1.0 over the years.
Wow this is gorgeous!! I love that you used BW for the processing and those textures!!! The only thing that jumps out at me is that I would consider a bit more space as the top of the frame - not down to the third or anything, but just a hair more. Otherwise, fantastic!
Hi Folks,
Thanks for appreciating this image. I was in awe while making it, and it sounds like it shows.
I just checked, and I have no more room at the top in this frame, and just a hair more on the previous frame. I have attached the jpeg cropped as I would approach it, with no other processing than conversion from raw.
Do you think that sliver is enough to make a difference,. If y’all think it is, I’ll reprocess this one similarly to the other. It’s a few strides further back from the main dune, so the texture there seems less detailed given the crop.
I think there might have been another photographer on the top of the dune behind (or at least some footprints) that I was trying to avoid.
This is absolutely gorgeous, Marylynne. When opening the large version I was greeted with some wonderful textures and details along with those graceful lines taking me into this desert landscape. The transition of tones from light to dark also works well here as it has created some nice layers and also helps draw me into the image. Fantastic work!
Wow, is about all I can say! The patterns in the dune are mesmerizing…
Wishing for a tad more room up top, but there’s probably a good reason. (And I see the responses in the comments now.) For me anyway, that little extra space in the second post might just be enough.
