Surreal, a photo from Lima, South

Photographer's Note

This is not a painting, that is not snow in the background, this is not taken in Asia. It is hard to believe that Peru is the proud owner of this dramatic landscape. This was taken on the Pacific Coast of Peru, on my way from Tumbes to Lima. The shot was taken through a window on the 2nd level of a bus. The mountains/hills in the back are covered in sand like much of the landscape along the way. Gas stations, towns, and anything other than sand and ocean are far and in between. This place is no man's land. For some reason, it reminds me a Salvador Dali painting. The place is so surreal.

hajle, Cool-ice, Galeota, AmiBe, hispic, Wirraway, maphoto, jeanfrancois, jurgen, Curioso, hamster, alejandroguzman has marked this note useful

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hajle (1087) 2005-02-24 3:45

wow! it's really surreal! it looks like painting!very impressive!well done!greetings!

Cool-ice (5289) 2005-02-24 3:46

Real impressive landscape, Middle of Nowhere is just the right word !
The composition is original with the truck going out of the photo in the right rather than a more traditional place in the left of the image, but it works well.
Excellent, Mark !

RegisMinot (1543) 2005-02-24 3:48

A very good picture. First, because the landscape is exceptional and second because you made a very good composition by adding the truck. The truck integrates very well with the landscape with its almost fully white colour.

Galeota (10352) 2005-02-24 3:49

Hello Mark. In fact an almost surreal landscape. It also calls for our imagination for the "on the road" spirit. YOu're right in mentioning Dali's painting. That is due mainly to the colours rather than the subject IMO. Nice compo.

mark88 (2) 2005-02-24 4:50 [Comment]

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naxius (16685) 2005-02-24 5:24

Hi Mark,
That's a really good composition. The DOS is great and gives superb detail of these mountains.
Excellent light.
Compliments.
Alexandre

AmiBe (6042) 2005-02-24 5:32

Spectacular landscape, very unreal !
Good composition, I like the presence of the truck. Good sharpness, too.

joseelias (0) 2005-02-24 8:15

Yes it’s in fact surreal. The color and textures in the back sure looks like a painting. Also like the overall cold tones of the photo in contrast with that golden sand. The composition is well managed with a great positioning of the truck, which fills well that space and add an extra interest to the scene.

Wirraway (1985) 2005-02-24 10:47

Absolutely facinating shot Mark, I had no idea
anything like this existed, well captured,and
thankyou for the informative note.

Regards Ian

lucinka (9976) 2005-02-24 17:48

Great travel shot. It expresses the space as well as the lonelyness that you experience in that far part of the world. I like the colors as well as the compo. L.

maphoto (8082) 2005-02-24 22:48

Very nice photo Mark, unique point of view, very sharp and amazing landscape, well seen.

Ebbe (9625) 2005-02-25 9:44

Like a charcoal drawing, surreal as you say. Good composition though with the road as a lead in. Glad you did not fall for the temptation of letting it go straight in. The truck adds the human presence without actually showing a human. Adds a Swedish presence too ;o)

jeanfrancois (1260) 2005-02-26 18:31

Great frame and amazing perspective..
And thanks for the note, I thought it was ice..

karina (1109) 2005-02-26 18:38

Hi Mark,
I personally took so many photos along this stretch of road.... This is a good one Mark, well composed, particularly in view of the road and truck. You did well to exclude the (usually) hazy, dull sky too.

rbcy1974 (20758) 2005-02-28 9:51

WOnderful colours, it is ironic that in years of going south on the peruvian coast to my parents beach house I got bored to tears with the road and didnt notice such beauty.

bboss (3578) 2005-03-03 15:23

Excellent photo, the hills look amazing, hardly real at all. Its very geometric as well, the pylons really make it.
I remember this route - I didnt realize that there was such a vast desert in Peru until we drove through it. And all the towns smelt of fish...

trip (860) 2005-03-04 18:29

This was so well seen, the elements are all rather ordinary (possibly except the mountains) but you have composed a spectacular and exotic photograph, accentuating the beautiful patterns of the dusted mountains - very impressive.

jurgen (2074) 2005-04-03 8:45

A classic shot of the peruvian coast: the highway, a Volvo truck loaded to the top, the desert and some electricity-transmission towers. But what I have never seen are the white hills in the background.
Are you sure it is in Lima?
Here you really represent the peruvian coast, better than in any geography textbook I've ever read about it in school.

AnimeshRay (9089) 2005-04-07 22:11

Wow, Mark, this is so wonderful a view. Your photo is tack sharp. The color and contrast are very pleasant, and has an overall cool cast though evididently you took the shot on a very sunny day near mid-day. How do you filter your noise? Do you use NeatImage?

nygus (8178) 2005-04-08 11:44

impressing ..............................

sengir (4956) 2005-04-08 19:43

stunning shot, really good

alejandroguzman (4684) 2005-10-09 17:04

Hi Mark:

WHAT AN AMAZING SURREALISTIC PICTURE !!!

It are interesting places all over the southamerican altiplano (Peru and Bolivia) that u can appreciate. And this one, is a great example of that. GREA Work !!!

Take a look at my bolivian altiplano pictures :-)

Cheers
alejandro

Mistral (15416) 2005-10-28 14:50

great composition and shot for an interesting place.
Well done!