When I looked back on the original post, it looked like I spilled mustard over it, the color was so garish. Tried this, to balance colors, and to give the bg folds a bit of spotlight. Also,the yellow tones in sRGB are more lemony than on an Adobe RGB monitor.
The Painted Hills unit of Oregon’s John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a fine destination for making interesting images. Many are available from the road or viewpoints. The ranger can also direct you to vantage points beside or behind the normally viewed hills. This is one sight available. Lighting that day was very flat, so I did a lot of gentle contrast work (a la @Alister_Benn) to get this to this point. This is a place where I always experience the Flow described by @Igor_Doncov and @Guy_Tal .
What technical feedback would you like if any?
What artistic feedback would you like if any?
I would like this to be viewed with interest over a period of time by those who enjoy this sort of thing. Suggestions valued, as always.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
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Wow this is a really unique take on that area. I don’t believe I’ve seen one quite like it. It looks somehow very organic, even muscular. I like to go there just for the forms, the compositions of forms. It takes a pretty big lens though because you’re fenced off from everything. And speaking of fences, I see foot prints. I’ve pretty much given up on cloning them out.
It’s actually quite interesting to explore this image. I feel like the center of focus are those repeating folds up top. You could almost develop a composition centered around them. That large ridge coming across the entire image really dominates everything. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
Footprints are usually from antelope, some deer. Next time you are there, check with ranger about OK to go behind the hills, or on top of the little vegetated hill behind the ranger house.
@ig One take on your suggestion. In the big version, I cloned out the bush, In this comp, it adds an interest point.
Beautiful shapes and colors, a really fascinating abstract. I definitely prefer the original post. I can see cropping a bit down from the top to eliminate the dark canyon, but I like the bottom as is. Great take on Painted Hills.
Thanks, @Harley_Goldman
Rather than crop, I backed off the clumsy burn at the top and brought up the bushes. The top plays nicer with the other elements, now, I think.
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This is such an interesting location. It’s one that I have always wanted to visit, but never have, since I live on the east coast. I have studied shots of the Painted Hills online, and yours looks pretty unique. Good for you for going the extra mile to talk the rangers and find this view (you probably went the extra mile hiking too, I suspect). This point of view creates a more abstract treatment that is reminiscent of sand dunes in Death Valley. Very nicely done Dick 
The tracks do not bother me. I prefer the original composition, and one of my comments would have been to lighten the top, so I like what you did in your rework. I might suggest cloning away the small dark wedge along the left edge, about 1/4 of the way up from the bottom.
