Martian Landscape Photo

Photographer’s Note

Was this really taken on Earth? Are these colors real?
The answer for both is yes!

This was taken during a flight from Santa Cruz Bolivia to Santiago de Chile. The flight took us over this remote, inhospitable and amazing part of Bolivia - the Salar de Uyuni and Sud Lipez.

Laguna Colorada (upper right) is unique - you can clearly see 2 things here - it's red color given to it by algae and the white minerals deposited around it made of sodium, magnesium, borax and gypsum. It is a shallow lagoon and is a major nesting and feeding place for flamingos.

You can also see two other lagoons white and blue on the top of the volcanoes on the left low corner.
Those volcanoes are right on the border between Bolivia and Chile - so image was technically taken from Chile...

Image quality isn't the best since it was taken through a dirty window..... I did the best I could with PP.

mlopes, albertopiubello, Tayon, dragonslayero, benkrut, Alain, leo61, mortijo, dospordostres, PixelTerror, fayeulle, JEPC, Silvio1953, Emiel_Skyfreak, jaja1970, keribar, ctorrent, bakes888, Mistral, sssimon, mcassio, smarcell has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Ina (2679) 2006-11-07 17:40

Wow what a fantastic point of view... The colors, light and superb composition all makes it a masterpiece... TFS... Ina...

albertopiubello (2591) 2006-11-07 17:42

Hi Shir: absolutely fantastic! It really seems like a lunar landscape...
Great!
Alberto

guaranine (0) 2006-11-07 17:50

nice color and detail, excellent comp.
beth

Tayon (1840) 2006-11-07 18:17

Hi Shir...again :)
This capture is fantastic, and the composition is great.
The place seems not to be on earth indeed...
Great DOF/POV sharpness and fine details of the moutains...
easy favorite...
Tayon/Taba

dragonslayero (3106) 2006-11-07 18:18

Hello Shir

This POV and the simple empty expances look magnificent, it could aesily have been on Mars!
The feeling of depth to this photo is just great, the distance and the gradual fade makes this photo a very good alternative to actually being there myself. Bolivia just seems like such an interesting country, I should consider visiting there sometime.

Colour depiction looks very natural, rich in warmth and the light conditions seems to have been excellent.
Seems to me that there might be a little grain in the photo, could proparbly just be my screen but I feel it was worth mentioning.

Odd Jarle

[2] +

benkrut (3395) 2006-11-07 18:45

Hi
The pilot who flies there is a lucky b.stard! Imagine how many picture like this he can take!
I just love this scennery - especially the tiny lakes in the craters.
Take care
Henryk

Alain (288) 2006-11-07 18:56

Just wow! It looks so surreal.

mlopes (492) 2006-11-07 20:51

fantastic, nature doesn't stop to surprise me, i really like this one. colors, compo and your note is really nice.

dawekato (1988) 2006-11-07 21:51

You have captured a moment of magic light. Image is sharp front to back. Whatever you did in PP works, except the frame. IMO it would look more real without a frame.

[2]

leo61 (43384) 2006-11-08 0:27

Hi Shir!
Great shot of this fantastic landscape and verry well done through the window.It is the first time i see laguna colorado from this POV and I did not know about the little ones on top of the volvano.The brown/red tones look great.
Regards,Leo

DarkoG (2284) 2006-11-08 0:59

wow, like scene from SF movies. Splendid colours of this very unfriendly but painfully beautifull part of our planet.

Regards Darko

jjcordier (24566) 2006-11-08 1:28

Splendide! Une image venue d'ailleurs....quel paysage!Très impressionnant.
Amicalement
JJ

mortijo (12190) 2006-11-08 3:49

excellent composition, and colors. The window wasn't that dirty or you did a very good job in PP.

jasmis (50274) 2006-11-08 4:12

Well, it is really astonishing and incredible view. It looks wild and cruel. Well done, indeed. Regards.

vincz (19039) 2006-11-08 4:18

Wow... stunning landscape, stunning colours. Incredible shot overall. Congratulations!

ceky (2302) 2006-11-08 15:50

Hi Shir
What a chance to have overflown this region... just for fun, in the workshop, more or less the same pov flying on Google Earth low cost...
Georges

[workshop] [compare] +

flory (4804) 2006-11-09 5:14

ciao Shir,
this is a amazing shot,it really seems like another planet..good POV and fine details of the mountains..the tones of brown and red looks great;
tfs,
flory

Davidwh (3652) 2006-11-09 8:34

Hi Shir,
I can somehow imagine earth looking like this 5 billion years ago just after its creation and not as a modern day image.Amazing that there are places on earth that still look like this.Beautiful colours, shades and textures.Looks like another of yours becomes a favorite.
Regards, David

PixelTerror (86058) 2006-11-10 5:08

Hi Shir,
Wow that's an awsome view you got here, I have visited this region as well but can't remember having come to a point that delivers such a spectacular sight now reading the note I understand this was taken while flying which fits to the impression of being on a space machine about to land on Mars. Quality is very good for having been taken through a window, this is the kind of picture you can print and hang on the wall in your living room !
Have a nice week end,
Jean-Yves

rbcy1974 (20742) 2006-11-10 7:37

Hello Shir
Bravo for this capture. You can hardly notice that it was taken through a dirty window, and you have managed to find an excellent point of view in spite of being limited by the window,
really outstanding and very beautiful
Regards
Daniel

fayeulle (26543) 2006-11-12 3:12

Hello Shir
What a fantastic sight you captured here. First because the landscape is amazing. Second because you shot an area which is not allowed to be photographied because it's one of the confictual area between Bolivia and Chile. On the left is Cerro Incacaliri and just after the river is rio Silala which is claim by Bolivia. This is a military area !
It's also very intersting to see the fantastic red brow color of the siloli deser on the left side. You can also see the "arbol de piedra" rocks area.
Very well done
Cheers
JP

[2] +

JEPC (1303) 2006-11-12 15:02

Hi Shir,
Perfect! Amazing!Stunning!Colors, POV, compo, everything is great!Congratulations!
João Eduardo

dbp (2) 2006-11-16 10:31 [Comment]

Show Comment

Silvio1953 (41611) 2006-11-18 5:28

Hi Shirl, it really seems that you was on Mars, fantastico color and wonderful composition, ciao Silvio

Emiel_Skyfreak (2976) 2006-11-18 16:48

Wow Shir,

This is indeed a impressive landscape. Seems Martian indeed!
Nice POV. Indeed image quality is not the best, but let's not complain about it. I hope windows of airplanes can be cleaned better in the future, would be nice for us photographers. But probably the companies won't do it, since it won't return the costs for them. Good compo, nice scene and colours.
Thanks for sharing what you saw during the flight.

Ow and maybe leave away the frame indeed..I don't really like the colour of it for this photo, sorry to be honest :)

Emiel.

jaja1970 (1286) 2006-11-19 7:53

Hi Shir,

Unbelievable shot. It looks like pictures from Mars!
Very nice landscape (or better say skyscape) view, so sharp and vivid. Beautiful colors and mountains in this picture.
Great job,

Jay.

keribar (42742) 2006-11-21 13:59

Hello Shir,
And congratulations not only for the stunning picture but for being in such a remote place and providing us with this incredible view .

Good and unforgettable masterpiece - Izzet

ctorrent (1186) 2006-11-23 18:29

Very impressive shot! I like the "Z" composition of your image... And your note is very interesting.

bakes888 (18165) 2006-11-24 14:36

Hi Shir. Great photo of this inhospitable scene. Well composed and well managed. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

pilpel-adom (3016) 2006-11-28 15:33

An impressive shot, Shir!
A fascinating vista, indeed! I immediately recognized the reddish Lagoon Colorado and was pondering whether the close volcano is Licancabur, but then again, it's suppose to be on the most extreme left of the picture (outside the frame).
Good long focal length to compress the whole scene and get this out of this world vista...
Well done!
Chen

lucski (3676) 2006-12-02 19:15

Shir this is realy beautiful photo
great colors and atmosphere and... amazing place
gratulation lukasz

ccooper (836) 2006-12-31 20:22

Shir,
This is unlike anything I have seen here. The image cleanup was pretty good considering you took through a window. This is an amazing place with great colors. Looks like the Martian landscape.

Mistral (13694) 2007-01-14 12:54

Hi Shir,
fantastic colors of a stunning place!
Well done and interesting note.
A smile from Italy
Luca

smarcell (14279) 2007-09-19 1:10

I have been to this area, which is fantastic. I love this view from the top, because it shows the place as a whole.
The laguna colorada is fantastic.