Wild dromedaries in planet Mars Photo

Photographer’s Note

In planet Mars there are martians and dromedaries, which are strange camels with only one hump :)

In fact, this is another view of the
red hot chilli desert in the Natural Reserve of Wadi Rum. The place is huge as any other desert and it's almost insane to make a visit walking instead of going on an organized trip by camel or by jeep as the most of visitors do. Still, I decided to walk and in the middle of the way I found this group of wild camels. It seems that more and more beduins have cars so they don't need the camels and leave them free.
If you look well to the far distance of this picture, at right BG, you can see a bunch of cars at the base of a rock formation. It's one of the many touristic spots where jeeps stop - The shadow at left is the entrance to a gorge. This photo was captured from the top of a rock formation similar to the ones seen at left BG.

WS1 - closer view at the camel's level - I had doubts between this and the main post.

WS2 - Even more closer view of the wild camel's 'face'.

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WADI RUM (From Rough Guide to Jordan book):

One of the most spectacular natural environments in the Middle East, the desert scenery of WADI RUM (pronounced to rhyme with "dumb", not "doom") is a major highlight of a visit to Jordan. The wadi itself is one of a sequence of parallel faults forming valleys in the sandy desert south of the Shara mountains. They are oriented almost perfectly north– south, shaped and characterized by giant granite, basalt and sandstone mountains rising up to 800m sheer from the desert floor. The rocky landscape has been weathered over the millennia into bulbous domes and weird ridges and textures that look like nothing so much as molten candle-wax, but it's the sheer bulk of these mountains that awes – some with vertical, smooth flanks, others scarred and distorted, seemingly dripping and melting under the burning sun. The intervening level corridors of soft red sand only add to the image of the mountains as monumental islands in a dry sea. Split through by networks of canyons and ravines, spanned by naturally formed rock bridges and watered by hidden springs, the mountains offer opportunities galore for scrambling and rock-climbing, where you could walk for hours or days without seeing another soul.
The sunsets are extraordinary; evening coolness after the heat of the day is blissful; the clarity of the desert air helps produce a starry sky of stunning beauty; and the tranquillity of the pitch-dark desert night is simply magical. It's an unforgettable experience.

rodgerg, papagolf21, zeynepe, paura, siamesa, Gerrit, Cricri, lucasgalodoido, jafadabret, PixelTerror, JCG, adores, manatee, carper, shevchenko, stego, bostankorkulugu, saylan-cb, Henryk_Bilor, xuaxo, josepmarin has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

rodgerg (22953) 2009-03-03 2:19

Olà Ricardo,

Very nice but very, very funny too. A beautiful image with a composition very well balanced ( the two camels are very well located in the image). Nice colours well collected too.
Have a good day,
Roger

jasmis (49589) 2009-03-03 2:34

Stunning scenery. Clever title. An impressive presentation.
Regards.

bantonbuju (48334) 2009-03-03 3:06

how "empty" this photo would be if that other camel were not out there, in remote wilderness...

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it's interesting how colours change accordingly depending to where we are and when on the earth... even a small thing can change its meaning with different lighting conditions... say nothing about the desert!...

bw, j.

papagolf21 (55872) 2009-03-03 3:13

Bonjour, mon ami Ricardo,
C'est vrai que l'on pourrait se croire sur la planète Mars !!!
Je pense que l'appareil photographique a trop chauffé et qu'il voit la vie en rose !!!
Excellente prise de vue où l'on sent le soleil de plomb écraser ce magnifique désert.
Amitiés.
Philippe

emka (21131) 2009-03-03 4:56

Hi Ric, Funny shots, I like this WS2 very much. The close up of a camel is so cute! Funny title. So in my workshop planet Mars without camels (there are n't there any yet :)) Just to compare and for fun. .

Regards

Malgorzata

[workshop] [compare] +

zeynepe (9328) 2009-03-03 5:05

Where is the sky Ric, I really want to polarized blue sky cos we couldn’t see any in Istanbul, sky is always grey here and rainy weather is everywhere :( No snow no sun no spring...
Anyway your POV is great (wihtout sky) and the vastness, I mean the visual vastness gives a great appeal to this shot. The camels :P add extra attraction.
Why nobody has gone to Mars yet, I am really angry about that!
Congrats,enjoy your day,
zeynep

coco (27560) 2009-03-03 5:09

Hola Ricardo.

I have no doubt: this one is the best of the three.
I like the composition and the strong graphism of the photo.
However, I didn't know Oscar had gone to Jordan but he looks right in the photo (I don't know if Oscar will read this comment).

Regards.

ChrisJ (69430) 2009-03-03 5:17

Hi Ricardo

Good symmetry between the near & far camels. Excellent warm colours with good sharpness & contrast. I like the repetition of the green spinifex grass against the red sand. Tfs!

paura (37722) 2009-03-03 6:00

Ricardo,
Os dois animais propiciam claramente constatar a imensidão do lugar. As cores transmitem o calor que devia estar fazendo. A fotografia parece falar.

Abraço

Paulo

jmdias (18683) 2009-03-03 7:07

ricardo

apesar da parte superior ar uma noção espacial melhor, preferiria um corte daquela parte, concentrando a imagem na parte inferior, ficaria mais bonita. de qualquer forma a compo está bem feita, os animais bem colocados na cena e a paisagem bem interessante

abraços

jorge

Gerrit (35417) 2009-03-03 7:36

Hi Ricardo,
this landscape indeed looks like the National Geographic photo's on Mars. Except for the camels if I recall just.
Excellent work,
regards, Gerrit

Polonaise (5625) 2009-03-03 8:53 [Comment]

Show Comment +

siamesa (12359) 2009-03-03 9:05

Olá Ricardo,

Os dromedários solitários nesse deserto de cor rosa dão a dimensão de nossa pequenez diante dessas maravilhas naturais.Bela foto.
Abraços
maria

Cricri (42735) 2009-03-03 10:14

Hola Ric,
C'est la vie en rose sur cette planète:-)
Belle note d'accompagnement pour mieux comprendre ce lieu dèsertique et extraordinnaire, beau WS aussi
Friendship
cricri

lucasgalodoido (16537) 2009-03-03 10:14

Olá Ricardo,
realmente gostei mais dessa versão como post principal, embora as fotos do WS estejam bem interessantes, bicho feio esse camelo, e mesmo com um pasto tão escasso como esse ele parece feliz. As cores aqui ficaram ótimas, uma paisagem marciana mesmo.
Parabéns e Abraço

jafadabret (38881) 2009-03-03 11:18

Olá Ricardo.
Ce n'est pas la planète rouge mais la planète rose !
C'est très impressionnant cet espace immense avec ces deux dromadaires sauvages. J'aime la lumière et les belles couleurs.
Excellent !
Jacques

PixelTerror (85994) 2009-03-03 11:20

Ola Ricardo,
LOL you found it the red planet, playing "total recall" I see, even in such a hostile place you managed to get some living presence, actually too but it seems the remote one is about to become a skeletton ;-)
Have a nice day JY

JCG (24783) 2009-03-03 11:31

Hi Ricardo,

Disturbing effect of perspective on this picture with the camel in the foreground and what we see in the distance. I love the photos in WS including one where we see the beautiful eyes of the animal. Difficult to find a place of shadow in this vast desert... Well done Ricardo and thank you for the interesting note.

With all my friendships and a very good evening,

Jean-Charles

chris04stop (2157) 2009-03-03 13:05

Bravissimo Ricardo! This is a wonderful, astonishing pic! I love SO much the strange color: think pink? But yes! And I agree with George. Oh..I always agree with our George...
Ciao,
Anna Paola

toto (18539) 2009-03-03 13:57

Bonsoir,
belle photo de ces chameaux sur la planette rouge, fameux saut de ces chameau pour arrivé labas, c' est vrai on nous dit peut de chose, mais sur TE on apprend tout.
Jolies couleurs et belle quiétude sur Mars.

Amitiés Thomas

adores (15251) 2009-03-03 15:22

Olá Ricardo!
Deve estar bastante calor por aí! Gosto desta paisagem, da cor da areia e da composição, com os dois camelos solitários e o que me parece serem jeeps de safari, lá bem ao fundo. As do Ws também ficaram muito boas. Já estão quase de partida? Quando cá vieres, a ver se organizamos um encontro:)!

manatee (4279) 2009-03-03 17:19

Wow you are posted very very good pictures here and I really like it all the picsture I can not pic any because all are wonderful so I decided to pick the last.
I like the minimalism and the colors. The tow calmes are wonderful and I like the lonelyness in this picture

Sorry for dont be so much in this site as I like it but im been a little bussy.

I hope we can be in touch more foten

Have agrate day

Elias

carper (63968) 2009-03-04 3:34

very nice Ricard,
the shot is well taken, the planet Mars is a fine photo, well composed shot, have a nice day.
regard jaap

diomed (3361) 2009-03-04 10:52

Hi Ricardo,
what a wonderfull and exotic landscape you posted.
I like very much the POV from far and up, the deepness, the sand colour.
Congratulations !
Nice evening
Antonio

jonathan_hart (22564) 2009-03-04 13:55

the title is well chosen !
the second camel give the scale and provides more depth to the composition
jc

shevchenko (9724) 2009-03-04 18:42

Hi Ricardo,
Amazing, detaily you show the portrait of a eating camel in WS, nice color of the land in tangeria just like Mars, I see the parking cars in this main post, interesting story, thanks for sharing.
Ally

vincz (19039) 2009-03-04 23:50

Back to TE after a long break. So many pictures to choose from! The so unique colours of this one caught my eyes. The droamderies are great, the very smal one, little spot in the red immesnsity.

Graal (57208) 2009-03-05 0:09

Hi Ricardo,
funny title, yes, view like from Mars. Amazing desert, good shot and idea. Fine WS also. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

aadilj (17950) 2009-03-05 4:38

Sure Ricardo, this looks like another planet. i love the way you have seen and composed this one

stego (22318) 2009-03-05 8:10

Olá Ricardo,

Ainda mais do que as anteriores, esta parece realmente Marte e para lembrar o Total Recall só falta a Sharon Stone, que dava imenso "jeito" como pessoínha. Quanto ao outro que agora é governador, pelos vistos já está representado, que me perdoem os bichos, pois se calhar estou a insultá-los. O enquadramento é magnífico e com uma profundidade apreciável para a focal aparentemente longa, que até fica bem aqui.

O camelinho mais pequeno parece-me muito importante na compo, para fazer a diagonal e dar aquele ar ternurento e maternal - ele há lá coisa mais enternecedora que o amor de mãe camelesco!

A escolha entre as 3 é muito difícil, as minhas favorita são todas, embora talvez endireitasse a do close-up.

Tens a certeza que são selvagens? Julguei que já há séculos que não havia disso! O que me disseram uma vez na Tunísia, onde havia muitos aparentemente à solta, é que estes camelos castanhos eram para comer, pelo que os deixavam pastar, como às cabras.

PS: Agora percebo que não tenhas tempo para ir ao Alentejo na Primavera. Pois pudera, um mês na Argentina!!! Ah, que inveja! Espero que te divirtas, estou certo que sim!

Um abraço, José.

bostankorkulugu (33328) 2009-03-05 21:33

looks like mars indeed... and these are the mutated astronouts!>:P... beautiful one ric, i loved the way you placed the camel on the corner... cheers... krkt

pablominto (39872) 2009-03-06 0:08

Hello Ricardo,

Ohhhh, that poor camel, left alone in that hostile environment!
Almost. I can see he has spotted a friend and is heading over to her.....
A strange picture with many possible interpretations, maybe the impact will be even stronger without the mountains in the back?

Greetings,
Pablo -

Have a nice trip! I understand you leave next week.....

Tobias__Ortmann (2589) 2009-03-06 6:12

Hi ricardo,
haha when I saw this picture I had to think to very similiar picture of my friend.
Great one
best regards Toba

saylan-cb (12726) 2009-03-07 2:01

Hi Ricardo,
Very nice image!I really like the warm colours.An amazing compositions a very good POV here.
Well done!
TFS/Regards,
Have a nice wekend.

Angshu (33215) 2009-03-07 20:48

Ola Ricardo
I am always at awe when I see your pictures of Wadi Rum...the desert is so red! Well composed here with the off-centre camel in the FG & the other small, quite at a distance, without it, the picture would have looked very empty. Well done here & thanks for the good note as well!
Friendly Regards
Angshu
PS : Have a great trip to Argentina...by the time you come back I would be in Mumbai in the midst of relocation there. So possibly I might not be able to visit your gallery that time regularly, but I'll sure be back when I settle down!

berek (28750) 2009-03-16 13:27

Olá! Ricardo,
suas cores principais bonitas. Eu gosto da atmosfera impressionante engraçada aqui. moldação simples e inteligente. tenha uma semana agradável.
um abraço,
Burak

Henryk_Bilor (20365) 2009-04-25 11:02

Ola Ric
I didn`t realise that they live on Mars :). Fascinating colours, I can feel how hot was there.
Regards

xuaxo (5623) 2009-05-17 6:32

Olá Ricardo,
Uma foto muito bem conseguida para mostrares o que dizes na nota (e no título!).
Cumprimentos,
Francisco

josepmarin (33571) 2009-10-21 1:29

Olá Ricardo,
por el paisaje con estos tonos rosados se podría pensar que tomaste la foto en Marte realmente, je je.
Precisamente estas tonalidades homogéneas sirven como un buen fondo para que los dromedarios se destaquen con su color más oscuro, y así se crea una escena muy especial e interesante a nivel gráfico.
La sencillez en la composición es lo que le da su gran fuerza de atracción visual.
Un gran trabajo, amigo.
Un abrazo,
Josep