Sunset Canyon Ranch Photo

Photographer’s Note

Kristaps already wrote about the joys of backroads, now it's my turn to show how it looks along one of those roads, more specifically, along the occasionally paved road from Cedar City to the town of Virgin, few miles from the Zion National Park. the light was tricky, as throughout our trip (if you want to see what was happening right behind me while I was taking this photo, take a look at WS), so we kept telling ourselves that we are taking mental pictures of what we are seeing - soft green wheat fields at the foot of red rocks, gently humming in the wind, distant rainbow over the storm clouds... I guess Utah made sure we want to come back. which we will.

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RAW, ISO 125, 30mm focal length, spot metering, Cokin P Series ND Grad 2 filter.

daddo, belido, pauloog, jwmunro, zmey, ciakgiak, patdeph, dareco, hispic, molla, plimrn, Wandering_Dan, jlbrthnn, AiresSantos, Angshu has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

hopsy_life (81) 2009-06-09 4:14

Wonderful shot. What a beautiful view.
Have a nice day
Heidi

dta (6107) 2009-06-09 4:34

Hello Kristine ,
Wow ! What a sky ! As a clouds' lover (:o)) , it is a real pleasure to see such a view . The red mountains in the low part are beautiful , too , of course . And the light is superb (with interesting parts of shade) .
Congratulations , and thanks for the share .

rlrad (1189) 2009-06-09 4:35

Hi Kristine,

Utah was really good to you - showed you all the colors as brightly as you could see them. Thanks for capturing what you saw for us!

This is an awesome POV - I love those huge white clouds and that warm light on the rocky hills in the background. The sign even lets us know why you were there!

Have a wonderful day!
Reed

aadilj (17950) 2009-06-09 4:39

Thats yet another beautiful and very well nuanced image from you Kristine. I like the sharp tones, hues and etxtures and like the way you have composed the beautiful shot.

daddo (11541) 2009-06-09 5:01

Hi Kristine. It pays to take the road less traveled if one looks at this vibrant scene. Glorious light and colours. Excellent textural details and interesting composition and idea to include the sign to point out the sunlight to the obtuse. Regards. Klaudio.

Greg1949 (8519) 2009-06-09 5:05

Kristine, another fantastic entry and the detail and saturation levels are really great. You had a great trip it seems and while you might could have had better weather you certainly had some fantastic scenes with clouds that many other did not get...

The WS is great as well.

Great stuff,

Greg

belido (16857) 2009-06-09 5:08

Hi Kristine,

what a nice sky. Love the blue tone and the 3d effect on the clouds. The lower part was also well thought and framed. Well done!
Abraço,
Carlos

pauloog (6905) 2009-06-09 5:23

Hello Kristine,
A fine photo with so many elements of the West : the ranch entrance, the barren landscape, the exuberant sky. Well composed and strong light contrasts well managed.
Regards,
Paul

Bartleby (5140) 2009-06-09 6:16

Hey Kristine,
yep I definitely like the strong colors and contrasts. The sign is a great introduction to the rest of the photo. The polarizer worked fully here.

Philippe

zmey (7282) 2009-06-09 7:23

something stephen kingishly spooky in this one. the sky and the threatening clouds seem sitting low, pressing right atop the hilltops (and our heads).

heh, i knew you'd like this signature gateway ;)

hugs,
k.

ps. I feel the polarizer (you had it on, right? the note just mentions ND) has exaggerated things here a bit. But then again: that exaggeration is exactly what creates the Stephen King'ish mood.

jwmunro (6255) 2009-06-09 7:26

Hello Kristine -

That's Utah for you - it lures you in with it's color and landscape when the weather is nice, but when the weather turns bad it can also be a very dangerous place. This is a very nice photo and your strong use of of the polarizer makes the clouds jump off the screen. Well seen and presented.

Thank you for sharing.

John

ciakgiak (11250) 2009-06-09 8:04

Hello Kristine,
Another fantastic and very impressive image from this outstanding place.
I like a lot the colours and the incredible sky in 3D.
Splendid light and sharpness too.
Un caro abbraccio.
Giorgio

patdeph (18338) 2009-06-09 10:43

hello Kristine
wooow,the sky is incredibly beautiful,as the red and lightened mountains!For this picture,I can say that you had the best light possible,this is fantastic!
Regards
Pascale

yquem46 (8449) 2009-06-09 13:40

Hi Kristine
After colorful Chile we're now in colorful western USA
Nice color saturation here, a splendid sky and a good compo
well done
best to you
Patrick

dareco (17104) 2009-06-09 15:02

This is gorgeous!! I love the sky! lovely fluffy clouds and the lighting is very good. Excellent colors and detail and I really like the pov. TFS

hispic (7399) 2009-06-09 20:12

Hi Kristine,
It seems you have started pioneering new rendition. Puffy clouds with dark bottom increased more its three-dimensional impression than before. Splendid shot truly!
Regards, Hisashi

jimkil (638) 2009-06-09 23:53

Hi Kristine
Im afraid to say this cloud structure does not come close to the Aotearoa ;-), it is beautiful though. The light is devine and the colours are right up my street. I think I remember this place from our trip but never saw it in conditions like this.
Regards
Jim

molla (6891) 2009-06-10 3:59

suppose you could call it tautologic showing a Sunset Canyon Ranch and then finding it written on a sign :) clever as always my friend and t he red colors are yours (the Queen of Red soil)
Anders

plimrn (19710) 2009-06-10 7:43

Hi Kristine,
Perfectly framed for maximum effect with the sign against the white of the clouds and the one butte glowing between the dark clouds and shadowed hillside. The back view is also a worthy post. It takes stormy weather to make really interesting skies - isn't that a Chinese curse? "May you live in interesting times?" Frankly, sometimes I long for a little boredom.
HLJ, Pat

Wandering_Dan (3293) 2009-06-11 7:23

Hi, Kristine -

Quite a shift in the weather between the main photo and the WS! Very dramatic here, the clouds parallel the mountain to make a nice diagonal, and it is not - despite some other comments - over-polarized. ;-)

Best,
Dan

gunbud (28161) 2009-06-11 17:29

Hi Kristine,
You have captured a majestic sky with impressive giant clouds for these lovely golden canyons to sit against.
Love the rich textures and clear colors that you have managed in this changelling light.
The square ranch sign makes an excellent lead-in to this lovely landscape.
Regards, Tom

TopGeo (22213) 2009-06-11 23:04

Hello Kristine ,The clouds of his blue sky and the place in the G.C. they give the composition that impresses Good the contrast and frame, presentation perfect!
Redards
Georgios

kokoro-zukai (6) 2009-06-11 23:51

Hi Kristine,

Looks like a movie backlot, the colours, the clouds seem to be in the right place and time.

Keiji

jlbrthnn (38927) 2009-06-12 5:06

Hello Kristine,
The saturation and the contrast one magically emphasized this landscape. The Ranch bears its name well. A splendid image and of great quality. Congratulations.
Have a nice day
Cordially
Joël

AiresSantos (42902) 2009-06-12 5:10

Hi Kristine
Wonderful clouds and light in this fine picture of Sunset Canyon Ranch .
Great colours and contrast
Have a nice weekend
Aires

delkoo (34788) 2009-06-15 4:08

hi kristine

You're producing some real gems lately, and this is another: spot on with the exposure, colours and composition.

didier

Angshu (34099) 2009-06-15 23:20

Hello Kristine
The sky is amazing as in almost all your recent posts...especially the clouds, they seem to jump out of the screen. Thanks for posting the view behind you in the WS...there appears to be cloud bursts there! Excellent contrast between the strats of the red rocks & the clouds here & of course the signage is a fine invitation for the viewer to venture 'into the picture. I guess the dual 'dose' of Polariser & ND grad, adds to the mood with the colour tones here. Thanks also for the link to Kristaps' picture. Amazing formations there! Good work!
Best regards
Angshu

Waylim (11157) 2009-06-25 11:22

Hi Kristine,
This is a very familiar site, It almost felt like I have been here, but I know I have not. I think I have seen the photos of it from other members here in the past. What you got here is so special, the light and the the thick puffy cloud, so 3D like I can just reach out and grab it, like cotton candy. Yum. The red rock illuminated by the golden sun, so rich like carmel. Okay I have to stop thinking of food. It's almost lunch time I guess.
Despite the bad weather, you are luck to have such great window of opportunity for such a great shot, that make it special. The ws is really good too.
Way

guillaumejm (30) 2009-10-22 12:37

Hello,
these clouds are extraordinary captured!. So clear , sharp. 3D aspect.
OK perhaps I would have skipped the ranch sign but this is great capture
warm regards
JMarc

Photo Information

Copyright: Kristine KM (avene) (11138)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-05-26
Categories: Nature
Camera: Nikon D 200, Nikkor 18-200 3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S DX VR, Nikon CircPolar II 72mm
Exposure: f/11, 1/250 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2009-06-09 4:12