Unusual Desert Photo

Photographer’s Note

It's seeing nature at its finest in a very unique sort of way when visiting the Joshua Tree National Park in southern California. There are rock piles of every shape, size, and configuration with the amazing Joshua trees as seen here, scattered here and there throughout the park. The trees are never seen in groves but rather seem to like their own space amongst the rocks. The trees flower in early spring with a large white conical cluster of white petals. Unfortunately our visit was a bit early so flowers sightings were rare when we visited the park in late February.

dip, xavshot, gunbud, ChrisJ, edytungkal, Dyerco, leo61, Floydian, jjcordier, carper, snunney, PixelTerror, pasternak, jcdurka1, mvdisco, jhm, danos, fulvio52, pboehringer, robertosalguero, jlbrthnn, Henryk_Bilor, feather, AiresSantos, delic, Charo, alainh, IgorDeleze, jafadabret, JCG, Didi, fayeulle has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Morac (16860) 2008-03-27 14:55

Hello Gérald,

Very beautiful colors and good composition.
Regards

Marc

Jardim (3176) 2008-03-27 14:56

Olá Gerald,

Beautiful framework and colours. The sky gives a nice textures to the photo
Júlio Jardim

bakyy (703) 2008-03-27 14:57 [Comment]

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romanaa (2502) 2008-03-27 15:00

Hello Gerald,
great landscape with beautiful light and dark sky with interesting cloudy patterns. Great composition.
Bravo
Regards
Romana

underhand (839) 2008-03-27 15:01 [Comment]

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smarcell (12399) 2008-03-27 15:02

I had been there years ago, and your shot, with this excellent contrast and light, reminds me the beauty of that place. I was there in april and there were blooming cacti all around, with amazing colors. Their flowers survive only few days.
Regards Stefano

Budapestman (36662) 2008-03-27 15:04

Hi Gerald,
Beautiful shot with picturesque colours and lights, the composition is superb. Clarity and sharpness is excellent, great atmosphere. Congratulations.
George

velocista (877) 2008-03-27 15:07

olá,
a great photo of the desert! i wasn´t expecting to see such a beatiful photo full of color taked in a desert. color, sharpness, compostion are great! congratulations
pedro almeida

Greg1949 (7685) 2008-03-27 15:09

Awesome color and definition Gerald, fantastic composition; you positioned perfectly so the light, jet trails, clouds and rocks work together to create this image. Great capture.

Greg

abagorro (183) 2008-03-27 15:22

Amazing picture. Favorite! The colours and the composition are wonderful.

xavshot (58383) 2008-03-27 15:35

Bonsoir Gerald
très bon choix de format carré pour équilibrer ces belles couleurs. J'aime bien la lumière et le contraste des teintes. Le ciel est magnifique. Bravo.
Xavier

barrufeto_77 (24437) 2008-03-27 15:42

Hi Gerald.

The use here of the polarizer is great to get that contrasts...my compliments!

Rgs, Oscar

donluicu (23404) 2008-03-27 15:51

exceptionnal capture here...
nice square format.
nice colors
congrats

gunbud (25481) 2008-03-27 17:48

Hi Gerald,
Beautiful blue sky with lovely wispy clouds to make the perfect backdrop for the iconic tree and golden colored rocks. Excellent details and sharpness to this beautiful image.
Regards, Tom

edytungkal (4513) 2008-03-27 18:42

A fascinating shot with fantastic colours...
both fg and beautiful sky as bg are a nice combination. Well presented picture Gerald, i like it alot. tfs

daniel

Dyerco (8154) 2008-03-27 21:41

Hi Gerald
Excellent DOF. There is nice detail on the FG al the way to the BG rocks. Somebody told me when I posted a shot of a Joshua tree that they are among God's ugliest creations but I think not. I think nature designed these trees to withstand the cold and heat very well. This is well composed with the tree nicely off centre.
TFS
Phil

leo61 (40900) 2008-03-27 22:40

Hi Gerald!
Fantastic shot from this place again,and you composed it well with the nice tree beside these rocks.Nice foreground with these dry bushes,great colors and contrast.A very good exposure.
Regards,Leo

samrat_roy1 (683) 2008-03-27 22:54

hi gerald

absolute piece of beauty. i like the colors and the clarity of the shot. but, i do feel the picture is a little more towards the left side....i would have loved to see it more towards the centre...

delkoo (31640) 2008-03-28 0:43

hi gerald,

what a moment you caught there ! In such a remote place and marvelous one, The colours in this are really lush and saturated,, creating a very beautiful result.

wel done
regards
didier

carper (60991) 2008-03-28 0:45

very beautiful Gerald,
the light is fine and the composition is great, good photojob here I like it, have a nice day.
gr. jaap

jjcordier (21846) 2008-03-28 0:48

Gérald
Une photographie absolument somptueuse. On admire tout...la composition, la lumière, le ciel magnifique, les couleurs....vraiment excellent!
Amicalement
JJ

ChrisJ (65337) 2008-03-28 0:52

Hi Gerald

A superb warm vs cold colour contrast between the red & blue, with good sharpness. The green of the Joshua tree breaks the color pattern. Tfs!

jurek1951 (22153) 2008-03-28 1:03

Hi Gerald,
Very lovely landscape, beautiful colors and contrast, excellent sharpness and depth of field.
Georg

dip (11717) 2008-03-28 1:17

Hello Gerald,
wonderful image with very good clarity,
strong and beautiful colors,
very well done!
Dimitris.

Nicou (38160) 2008-03-28 1:23

Hello,

On se croirait dans un autre monde tellement c'est beau, une merveille ces rocher avec ce cactus et ce ciel, on admire et on se tait, fantastique.

Bravo et amitiés

Nicou

snunney (29655) 2008-03-28 2:06

Hello Gerald,
A beautiful study in tones and textures. The composition is perfectly balanced between all the elements. The lovely dark blue sky makes a splendid backdrop for the foreground rocks and cactus. Superb tones and clarity.

PixelTerror (81492) 2008-03-28 2:07

Hi Gerald,
A change from your winter BC pictures, I feel hot and sweating just looking at it, the PP is more pushed than in your usual shots but once in a while it looks nice.
Have a nice day JY

pasternak (12671) 2008-03-28 5:01

Excellent continuation to your fantastic series, light is just fabulous here, and so is the composition, with the lines in the sky helipng a lot. Really a great work.

Cheers
Alexander

jcdurka1 (1938) 2008-03-28 5:25

Nice compo that use very well the sky and the details on it. Well done, JC

Floydian (30970) 2008-03-28 6:25

Wonderful Gerald, truly wonderful. When i was there two years ago i had extreme hard light, really terrible, but what you show us here is the way it should be taken this famous location. A very good crop and framing, and the colors are deep and intense with strong contrast...perfect, really good work.
Regards, Henk

mvdisco (10576) 2008-03-28 6:59

Hi Gerald,
Beautiful picture nicely composed and presented with great colors and sharp picture, Excellent POV. and details, beautiful sky and landscape, very well done.
Michel

mesutilgim (33856) 2008-03-28 8:30

Hi Gerald,
Unusual an mejestic ! Wonderfll compo with great graphical effect. The dark sky helps to create a 3D effect.
Like a real modern art installation.
TFS and best regards
Have a nice weekend
MEESUT ILGIM

Cormac (26423) 2008-03-28 10:31

Beautiful shot! The colour in this really grabs my attention, and combined with the high contrast it produces a very striking photo. The shapes of the rocks and the trees also is quite unusual and very photogenic - Great work!

jemaflor (36474) 2008-03-28 10:33

Hi Gerald,
Very good quality, composition, sharpness and colours, good effect with white lines in this blue sky, well taken your view.

danyy (62955) 2008-03-28 11:40

Bonjour Gerald,
je ne vais pas me lasser de si tôt de ces mangnifiques photos bien contrastées dans les lumières et les couleurs et avec un piqué fantastique.
Quelle précision !!
J'aime beaucoup le ciel et cette impression de relief.
Amicalement.
Daniel.

janneman (1070) 2008-03-28 11:42

This is just a wonderful combination: the blue sky with the white lines, the rocks and the joshua tree.
It's very sharp and the light is supperb!

euryan (8302) 2008-03-28 12:25

The square crop really works here as it emphasizes the unusual clouds. I usually don't like jet streams, but here it really looks cool. The red rocks and the Joshua tree are perfectly composed as well.
Regards,
Ryan

Gerrit (33056) 2008-03-28 13:55

Hi Gerald,
fantastic landscape and perfect colours and definition. The light is absolute marvellous.
Regards,Gerrit

Dorota (728) 2008-03-28 15:55

Helo Gerard
This is wonderful nature photo.Lovely composition and colours.Sharpness is just great !!!
Regards
Dorota

westozman (2748) 2008-03-28 18:46

G'day Gerald!
Stunning image from this Park, my friend: I can almost hear some music tracks from U2's great 'Joshua Tree' album echoing from those rocks, too! Your use of the polarizer is excellent - well done again.
Regards,
Jeff

azleader (855) 2008-03-28 20:23

A very, very appealing composition with eye catching saturated colors. Kudos to you.

jhm (76890) 2008-03-29 0:38

Hello Gérald,

The lighting and colours are great with excellent sharpness and detail, I like the big stones in foreground.
Great composition and fantastic image.
Very well done, thanks for sharing.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

danos (27858) 2008-03-29 3:59

Hello Gerald,
what a dreamily shot is this? Rich colours and light make it extraordinary great.The sharpness and the clarity are unique.The contrasted colours are superb.Informative your note.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

kmarscher (2881) 2008-03-29 7:09

Accurate reflection of the Joshua Tree terrain. It's almost impossible to grab a shot without those contrails in the sky! I like the position of the tree against the "Flintstones".
Kathy

pablominto (35953) 2008-03-29 11:51

Hello Gerald,
This is a fine composition with the big rocks as an eye-catcher!
Great colours and fine textures in the boulders, and you have achieved an amazing feeling of depth...
A fine composition with the inclusion of the lonely tree!
Greetings,
Pablo -

fulvio52 (8314) 2008-03-29 11:54

Wonderful light and contrast, awesome framing, you didn't waste one single square mm. in this picture. Everything is perfectly in place!
I personally rate it as one of the best shots in your gallery.
Thanks for sharing, Gerald.
Have a great weekend, see ya soon.
Fulvio.

fserajian (4309) 2008-03-29 14:32

Hi Gerald,

This is a fine composition, well detailed with plenty interests all around, the rocks are very well positioned too. TFS

Fara

Fis2 (41264) 2008-03-29 16:27

Hej Gerald!
Excellent shot. Fantastic colors. Good frame and composition. Very impressive picture.
Have a nice weekend
Krzysztof

PJE (19010) 2008-03-29 18:38

Hello Gerald. I have to say I am quite impressed with this photo you posted. The color in the rocks, the sky, and ground is very impressive and though overall a very dry setting it brings a wonderful character to this frame. The rocks stay the sky moves above and your capture brings it all together very nicely. Thanks for sharing!

pboehringer (768) 2008-03-29 22:46

Gerald,
your shots of the lower part of California are really openning my appetite for this region. Next weekend I will be going down to Mojave and Lancaster to the Antelope Valley and see the poppie fields.
Last weekend I went to the Death Valley and saw some Joshua Trees blooming and got some shots of this beauty, but none so far as this phgotography here. Absolutely stunning photography!
Peter

Silvio1953 (36399) 2008-03-30 0:28

Hi Gerald, splendid composition with fantastic colors and superb sky, wonderful light and excellent sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

robertosalguero (1840) 2008-03-30 0:42

Hello Gerald,

This area is very popular with boulderers, rock climbers who climb big boulders instead of walls. The trees here look very pretty, and different from what we have in Canada eh?. The polarizer did a fabulous job with the sky as the clouds give the blue background a dynamics set of motion. Nice work Gerald.

Roberto

jlbrthnn (31771) 2008-03-30 1:24

Hello Gerald,
Fabulous image! It is a remarkable composition, perfectly carried out and equipped with sumptuous colors. A success!
Have a nice sunday
Cordially
Joël

Henryk_Bilor (20260) 2008-03-30 6:10

Hi Gerald
It time to start the second hundred ;). Beautiful composition with the tree and rocks. Great colours.
Regards

feather (46253) 2008-03-30 14:14

I'm late to this one Gerald and it is a real stunner. The strong contrast seems to make those rocks 3D and I love how the Joshua tree is standing guard. The sky is glorious too with those fantastic clouds. Excellent work
Kath

Clementi (36938) 2008-03-30 17:16

Ciao Gerald ,
Beautiful shot with picturesque colours and lights,
Well presented picture
good job
Giorgio

AiresSantos (35803) 2008-03-30 22:09

Hi Gerald
Wonderful colours in this great composition. Lovely sky, excellent details and light very well managed
TFS and have a nice week
Aires

delic (6735) 2008-03-31 9:25

Hi Gerald,
Your picture captures the Joshua Tree landscape well. Winter is of course the best time, in fact, I even tried January with snow on the ground. Beautiful colors. Hard to get a picture in southern CA without a contrail. Regards,
Hakan

Charo (28136) 2008-03-31 13:58

Hola Gerald,
Una composición magnífica con muy buenos contrastes, luz y detalles, los colores también son estupendos.
Buen trabajo
Cordialmente
Charo

WepWaWet (3941) 2008-04-01 1:46

Hello Gerald,
A great composition with excellent contrast and light. Clarity and sharpness are perfect. The colours and the composition are wonderful.
Regards,
Seref

Bluejeans (27420) 2008-04-02 10:56

Ola Gerald ,
Magnifica foto de natureza , é uma bela composição bem colorida cheia de detalhes , o contraste de cores está fantástico , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

alainh (34751) 2008-04-02 23:19

hello Gerald
what else other splendid !!
i like the colours, the texture, the format and how you composed your picture. a very beautiful place, a very beautiful work
have a good day Gerald
alain

markstaples (15670) 2008-04-05 3:03

Hi Gerald
I just love the wonderfully deep colours you are getting from your D80 and the polarizer. The composition is superb here, all is well framed and I love the sky with its strong diagonals. Well done.
Best wishes
Mark

IgorDeleze (9247) 2008-04-06 11:48

Hello Gerald,
Very nice rocs. I like the tree with adds a "vegetal" touch.
Nice light.
Greeitngs.
Igor

Signal-Womb (11141) 2008-04-07 1:28

Hi Gerald, fantastic setting for this beautiful landscape. The sky is a real bonus here. Very fine work..

jafadabret (35467) 2008-04-07 8:42

Gerald, c'est un grand plaisir de tomber sur une photo pareille. On ne sait ce qu'il faut le plus admirer de la couleur ou de la composition. Les rochers semblent une sculpture et la végétation met en valeur l'élément minéral du tableau.
Jacques

JCG (22687) 2008-04-08 11:12

Hi Gerald,

A fabulous landscape and what a beautiful colors!!! I like much the balance of the image and excellent clearness. Indeed an unusual desert. As I already said to Kath (Feather) on one of his photographs, Nikon is a good camera.

With all my friendships and with soon,

Jean-Charles

Didi (33760) 2008-04-08 11:15

Hi Gerald
That's great !
It's look like a prehistoric landscape.
Very nice contrasted colours and I appreciate well the lights.
Best regards.

Angshu (30880) 2008-04-12 22:00

Hello Gerald
To me the sky is a real eye catcher...the Z shape created by the clouds looks wonderful. Superbly composed with the rocks & the Joshua tree in this harsh landscape, capped by the deep polarised sky. Wonderful, just wonderful Gerald!
Regards
Angshu

jazu (357) 2008-04-16 23:14

Hi Gerald,
What a great landscape. Great sky. Nice composition. I like that you framed it into square.
cheers
Janusz

fayeulle (26297) 2008-04-17 21:57

Wouahh Gerald.... What a magnificent picture !
I really like this amazing endemic tree on the left.
Really well gone.

mpb001 (4574) 2008-05-12 18:36

Hi Gerald,
An excellent composition and very surreal, after all, that's what Joshua Tree NP is and you've really got a great scene here. I like the Joshua Tree off to the side of those familiar rocks. Colors and sharpness are sensational.
Mike

kiks (5334) 2008-05-30 6:53

Hello Gerald, the high resolution and well saturated colors increase the beauty of this desert. I like the diffrent textures on it and also the way you compose with low at the fg leading into high at the bg. Great job.
Best regards
KIks

scalerman (24192) 2008-06-05 11:57

Gerald: you have some truly polychromatic and exceptional landscape specimens amongst your shots - this one excels. There're simply too many fine image-makers on TE these days for any sole person to follow. Fine stuff. regards, c