Monument Valley

Critiques [Translate]

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• Floydian (25487)
• [2008-06-05 11:28]

Hi Derek,
I can't be saturated enough. The red of the valley is so dominating that i have no problems with showing it. Here the view with the two rocks in front looks pretty good, but also with that blue on top for the contrast.
Great shot, i like it.
Regards, Henk

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• jimkilgallon (1503)
• [2008-06-05 12:06]
• [+]

Hello Derek
After commenting on your original post and liking that one also, this is so much better in my opinion. Looking back on it now, it was a tad too oversaturated in your original. The final seems to have given your reds a bit more depth in the rocks and in the trail to the right of the rock. The shadow detail also looks better overall, did you do something with these also?
Regards
Jim

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• Tobias__Ortmann (1833)
• [2008-06-05 12:31]

Hi derek great picture of this amazing place
Unfotunately I havn´t been there before
great depth nice colours and great contrast
well done
Toba

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• Estelle (1852)
• [2008-06-05 15:01]

Hello!
Well this new post looks like having natural colours.
The 2 stones create a fantastic foreground to this landscape.
Estelle

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• gary91 (14543)
• [2008-06-05 22:13]

Hello Derek,
Incredible colors of nature are showing in this place and it is certainly hard to render a faithful image. Nice ocmposition with the 2 rocks on the foreground. The image has a Velvia touch which I like a lot.
Have a nice day,
Best regards, Christian

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• jhm (67962)
• [2008-06-06 2:41]

Hello Derek,

Congratulations for this wonderful picture, F/22 care for a wonderful depth sharpness and make this picture extraordinarily lovely.
I like the wonderful saturation of the big stones in foreground together with the little bit green grass in this great landscape.
Excellent compositon and nice presentation.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

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• pboehringer (19430)
• [2008-06-06 10:00]

Derek,
back to the American Southwest? Actually I was enjoying the British shots as well as your American ones. This image is just so typical for the vast American desert. Great orange colors taking almost the whole image with exception of the violet hue in the very background that seems to be a little bit gimmick. I know that this is a RP and I have seen the previous one too. I don't think it was oversaturated because I know how the colors in the desert present, specially in the early morning with the first sun light hitting the landscape. Your present post looks more 'natural' for the untrained eye.
Peter

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• crhieatt (4415)
• [2008-06-06 10:09]

Derek,
Thanks for drawing my attention to the RP version.
Overall, I do think this is a better image than the original post - although Henk's comments are, of course, not without merit and, as stated in my workshop notes, "it does get pretty orange out there" under certain lighting conditions. In my opinion this sometimes "baffles" cameras, and I've a few images of my own which, unedited, have an unrealistic intensity of colour. One occasionally comes across such images on TE accompanied by notes claiming "the colours are natural" - as if, somehow, a camera's sensor/white balance system were the ultimate arbitor of reality. Which they are not.
It's a very tricky balance and, if anything, the RP version may have gone too far in toning the colour down. There's no pleasing some people!!

I also appreciate your comments regarding changing to CS. Although I don't use this myself, I know that learning a new programme, or using a new camera, often throws ones standard method of working into chaos, and your have to learn a new method.

Two "tips" which might help a bit.
If you are having trouble with colour output on the web, upload your latest image as a workshop to any image in your distant back catalogue, then you'll be able to see it as it will appear on TE before posting it. You can delete the workshop once you've checked it out its appearance.

Noise Reduction. In the RP version I think the valley floor looks a little like its been subjected to NR which was probably only required in the sky. Maybe CS has a clever way of doing this, but my cock-eyed method is as follows:-
Save a "b" version of the completed image and apply NR to the whole of the "b" image.
Paste the NR "b" image over the original as a separate layer and erase all the bits you didn't want to apply NR to - then flatten into a single layer. It works for me!

Hope all the CS stuff comes together.
Regards
Colin

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• Waylim (3334)
• [2008-06-06 18:29]

Derek,
I'm glad you did a repost, I personally like it much much better. The interesting thing about this one is you got quiet a few great photographers here that I admire giving their different opinions. It's great to see that. Most of the time they either don't even bother to critique when it's not good. I admit that out in the desert particularly in Utah Arizona area with all they are red rocks in one vast landscape, at sunset or sunrise, you don't really need to saturated your photos and they looks over saturated. I have a few that I have to desaturated so that the color is not so intense, but still very rich in tone but more pleasant and soothing to look at and enjoy. There is nothing wrong with desaturating if you feel the camera default is not to your liking. Just like most of us add a little saturation and contrast or sharpening. Good to see some constructive critiques here than just Wow, wonderful colors.............Thanks.
Way

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• plimrn (15955)
• [2008-06-07 21:18]

Hi Derek,
The colors appear very true to me. I also like the way you framed the shot with the close-up detail of the boulders with the classic formations in the BG.

I've always had a special spot in my heart for Monument Valley since I visited the place with my father when I was 12.
HLJ, Pat

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• mark_mk (2178)
• [2008-06-08 6:56]

Hi Derek,
oh that brings back some memories!
Monument Valley is so amazing, so unbelievably red and these rock formations are unique. I love that place and I`ll certainly come back.
I also really like your composition, you have a good foreground element and the colors, great! I aslo had these critiques on my shot, but if you ask me, that`s Monument Valley, the red is so amazing, you got to show it, just like Henk said before. A great shot, thanks for bringing back some meories of my trip!

Take care
Mark

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• Didi (29045)
• [2008-06-12 10:05]

Hi Daniel
Something different here; an original composition with nice warm colours.
Well done.
Cheers.

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• CaesarP (1692)
• [2008-09-02 8:35]

Hello Derek,
great pov and idea with this rock at the front.
Nice frame and colors.
I hope to be there in 4 weeks time.
Regards Caesar