Super Moon Morning - January 31st 2018

I thought I’d break the ice on the WC 869 Favorites of 2018 with this image from the earlier part of the year in late January. I’d posted this once in Landscape Gallery back in September.
Not too much to add beyond using some tools ahead of this shot to help set the photo up. The TPE program, Weather Underground, and using my GPS unit made this all come together in the end.

Wista DXIII 4x5 - Schneider APO 150mm lens - Velvia 50

Another beautiful desertscape, Paul. Great scene and excellent colors.

I remember this one Paul. It’s a beauty! A terrific desert landscape with the super moon bonus.

The thought/question just occurred to me. Geology. How the heck did these rock formations come to be? I get glacial moraines and erratics and glacier carved hanging valleys like Yosemite… or even wind/water erosion in the desert SW. But do you know what caused these rock formations in JT? If I recall, wasn’t this all a sea back in the day? Just curious if you might know.

Lon

@Harley_Goldman @Lon_Overacker

Thank you each for the comments. This area of the park is my favorite and I only started photographing this area a year or two back now. I call it the GTR (Geology Tour Road) Valley. Using Google Earth as near as I can tell in about a 5 mile straight shot on the dirt road there is about a 1000 foot decent from the main park road loop to the lower portion of the GTR Valley area. Lon, I cannot figure out or know how these formations in this valley were ever formed. For me the park is much more about the vast amount of rock formations more so then the actual trees which are the iconic draw for most.

I can see why it’s a favorite, Paul. A beautiful image. It’s interesting how much contrast you got in the features on the moon.

Hey Dennis, thank you for the comment and I forget to mention I did use a 2 or 3 stop Singh Ray soft grad. And I may have even selected the moon and did a layer multiply in PS processing. If I did I’m sure I did not leave the opacity at 100%.

I love this style of photography – simple, direct and ever so beautiful. It takes a special eye to regularly churn out such gems.

Paul, adding a nice look at the full moon elevates this outstanding view to special. The medium format details, especially in the foreground vegetation and the subtle color gradation in the sky make exploring this view a joy.

Lon, these rock piles look like granite (which is magma that solidifies deep underground). The isolated groups suggest small regions (pimples, if you will) of extra penetration on a larger intrusive body or isolated intrusions along fault line.

I am thoroughly enjoying the mood in this one, Paul. The pastels are gorgeous and I like how you placed all the elements in the scene. BTW, great job on the details in the moon. It looks like a beautiful way to end the day.

A very nice evening desert scene, Paul! I always like lavender skies and the moon is a nice bonus as it adds a lot of extra atmosphere and interest.