Islam Comes to Baja + rework

I thought the repeating patterns looked like Islam art, hence the title. You may just see it as chaos, however. This is a continuation of the mud flat images posted previously.

One important observation (lesson) came from this. The light of a subject shot in a shadow behind an object is markedly different than a subject shot in a open shadows after a sunset. This image was shot after a sunset and you can still see that it has nice colors and shadows. In fact these colors and tones are richer than when the sun was on them. Will have to test this further.

There was little thought about the composition. The thinking was that since this is a fractal I would just let that carry the image. No doubt about it. It is pretty chaotic but I felt finding order in all of this made no sense.

Too chaotic for your taste? Let me know what you think.

GFX50R 45-100mm

Rework:

Original:

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It is not to chaotic for me, Igor. The more I look at it the more I see. Like flowers and butterflies. This may sound a bit of a stretch, but it does remind me of M.C. Eschers’ “Birds in Space.”

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I like your observation about the light - one is scattered since the sun is out of sight, and one is direct, but blocked very close to the subject. I’d love to see you explore this more - this subject is perfect for it. At first I thought of butterflies congregating where minerals are present, but Linda’s comment about Escher is spot on, too. Years ago I went to an exhibition of his work and it is all very organic in a precise way.

The shading here is so interesting and I think the subtle cracking adds to the cohesion of the scene and somewhat mitigates the chaos.

What I also found interesting is that mud doesn’t always crack the same way. The mud cracks at Lake Alvord is very different than here. Here it forms rolls like the bark of a Madrone tree. They look like shavings. It may be due to the kind of sediment. It’s very fine in the lake. When you drive on it there are enormous clouds of dust behind you.

This is so cool, Igor. I love the soft colors and the intricate design. It works quite well as a fine art image. I think we’re having a challenge coming up that is “puzzles.” This would make an excellent entry.

I like this quite a lot. This is NOT too chaotic for me at all. I really like the bluish brown (light colored mud) mixed in the tan and the fact that the “shavings” are so thin that they roll into intricate patterns and are very intricate and artistic. Were it not for the dried mud lifting and rolling like it does, this image wouldn’t work as well. As far as composition, this is really well presented. The thin cracks running throughout really help guide the eye through every aspect of this with no detrimental or obvious lines leading you out of the frame. Overall, this is well seen and composed with beautiful, soft light.

I’ve decided that the best way to experience images such as this is to do it as a whole. You sort of just stare at this in an unfocused manner and just react to it without focusing on any one part or examining anything in detail. It sounds like a cop out but I think it’s a valid way of looking at some art. I think Islamic art is like that and Jackson Pollocks work comes to mind as well. There really is no pattern here and I actually like that.

Wonderful image.
I love it.

The thing about Islamic art - not so much for me other than it is abstract. That being said, this is a wonderful abstract. This demonstrates how chaos is always arising out of order while the reverse is simultaneously true. For an image like this, it seems to me, the question is how far you decide to place the lens from the subject. If you move in too close, it appears to be chaotic. If you pull away too far it can also appear as chaotic. But here, you’ve have found a distance where order emerges from the chaos and, between the colours, shapes and cracks, I am aware of pattern. It’s tricky but I think you’ve pulled it off very nicely in this image. I also get what you’re saying about the light. This kind of diffuse light is a favourite of mine and for an image like this one, absolutely perfect.

As soon as I saw the thumbnail I thought this must be “an Igor”. I think it’s fantastic! I don’t care for chaos and don’t find this chaotic at all. The soft colors and the delicate rolls of dried mud are fascinating, and the web of dark lines pull them together with a cohesive structure to guide my eye as I explore the details. Wonderful!!!

This is so true. Here is another shot wherein I tried to improve the composition. This feels chaotic to me.

I listen to her often when I’m here in the desert. For me the traditional music from the Middle East - North Africa best captures the feel of the desert. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onyBSXECprE

Love the image, fractile patterns and the texture.

The two compositions dramatically make the point. I agree that the second one is too close and so I don’t pick up the fractal rhythm , whereas the first image gives me a big enough field such that I can fill in the rest in my mind’s eye. But, I suspect if you pulled back even further, you would likely run into chaos again as chaos arises out of order and order arises out of chaos.

The colors are so gorgeous. I think the chaos is controlled here by the suggestion of order made by the larger/longer cracks running diagonally up to the left.

I’ve noticed this, also. It’s true on foggy or overcast days - colors appear much more vibrant.

I think the second may appear more chaotic because there are areas of a different level of detail near the edges.

Igor, you have GOT to enter this in the weekly challenge for jigsaw puzzles!

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@_Kris, @Mario_Cornacchione, @David_Haynes, @linda_mellor, @joaoquintela, @Bonnie_Lampley, @Kerry_Gordon @David_Bostock

Thank you for your comments and the reference to MC Escher. I did look him up and the birds in space lithograph. I do see the similarity in both design and even color to my image. I do like the comparison of the rolls of dry mud to the wings of birds.

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I love the composition. Abstracts like this are some of my favorite things. My only criticism might be that in this abstract presentation, the colors are quite dull. The abstract character lends itself to being less real, and this still looks quite real to me. I know that’s probably your intention, but it doesn’t explore what else might be possible that could also look terrific.

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