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The Race Track - Death Valley #14613
04/13/08 11:07 PM
04/13/08 11:07 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
James Morrissey Offline OP
I
James Morrissey  Offline OP
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Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
The Race Track is one of my favorite places in Death Valley (outside of the Dunes at Stovepipe). For those not familiar with the Race Track, the rocks actually move over time creating the tracks in the ground. While there are many theories as to what is causing the movement of the rocks, it has not been categorically proven, to my knowledge, what causes it.

Cheers
James


Re: The Race Track - Death Valley [Re: James Morrissey] #14614
04/14/08 06:26 PM
04/14/08 06:26 PM
Joined: Feb 2006
Donner Summit, CA
glamson Offline
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glamson  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2006
Donner Summit, CA
Quote:

The Race Track is one of my favorite places in Death Valley (outside of the Dunes at Stovepipe). For those not familiar with the Race Track, the rocks actually move over time creating the tracks in the ground. While there are many theories as to what is causing the movement of the rocks, it has not been categorically proven, to my knowledge, what causes it.

Cheers
James





James,

I'm really sorry we ran out of time and I didn't get to visit the racetrack. Actually we did have some time on the third day we were there, but the wind was really blowing sand in that area, so we decided to go down to Artist drive.

Now as far as critiquing this, my problem is that it lacks drama for me especially in the sky. Also the real subject here for me, the rock, doesn't really pop and the leading line of the mystery rock trail doesn't really take you anywhere. Now I guess if you just darkened the sky and brought some of the detail up in the rock that might help. But to tell you the truth if I was going for a really dramatic image here I would have to go more radical and do a little cheating. Now I know I'm taking great liberties here, but just for fun how about this. This would be the lighting conditions I would dream about having at this place.

Geo


Re: The Race Track - Death Valley [Re: glamson] #14615
04/14/08 06:49 PM
04/14/08 06:49 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
James Morrissey Offline OP
I
James Morrissey  Offline OP
I
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
LOL, George, spectacular! I agree with you about the lack of clouds and great color in the sky. It does not really do much for me as a result. There is no question that your version just rocks.

I do have a fundamental problem though with adding in skies and other such features into a photograph - though there is no question that the special effects are great looking. It feels like legerdemain to me...though admnittedly it looks much better than what was really there. :P

James

Re: The Race Track - Death Valley [Re: James Morrissey] #14616
04/14/08 06:52 PM
04/14/08 06:52 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
James Morrissey Offline OP
I
James Morrissey  Offline OP
I
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
Let me take you to the other end of the track then with a different composition to it. The sky still has nothing exciting to it, but the rest of the composition may have more to offer...LOL, and if not, you can always add some more clouds. :P

James


Re: The Race Track - Death Valley [Re: James Morrissey] #14617
04/14/08 07:06 PM
04/14/08 07:06 PM
Joined: Feb 2006
Donner Summit, CA
glamson Offline
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glamson  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2006
Donner Summit, CA
Quote:

LOL, George, spectacular! I agree with you about the lack of clouds and great color in the sky. It does not really do much for me as a result. There is no question that your version just rocks.

I do have a fundamental problem though with adding in skies and other such features into a photograph - though there is no question that the special effects are great looking. It feels like legerdemain to me...though admnittedly it looks much better than what was really there. :P

James




James,

I agree with you about the cheating and adding things to pics that weren't there. Let me say that I never do the kind of thing I did to your pic to mine. I will remove things sometimes (usually man made things like trash and people) and as in the case of the moonset pics, drop in a properly exposed moon that I take at the same session.

The fun thing about your pic was that it wasn't mine so I could go crazy and have some fun with a low res web version.

All I can do is hope that someday I'm at the racetrack and get that kind of sky.

Geo

Re: The Race Track - Death Valley [Re: James Morrissey] #14618
04/14/08 07:09 PM
04/14/08 07:09 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
NY USA
Jim Rickards Offline
Journeyman
Jim Rickards  Offline
Journeyman

Joined: Oct 2007
NY USA
I would be tempted to just add some intensity to the blue of the sky and then not show very much of it. Crop the top, right through the left-most hill, which is enought to show the scale you want. The subject is the rock, so keep attention on it. If the sky disappoints, why show much of it? As with so many pics, everybody has a way they would do it.
The movement of the rocks is something I find facinating, and I would like to learn more about it.

Post Processing Challenge!! [Re: Jim Rickards] #14619
04/17/08 10:17 AM
04/17/08 10:17 AM
Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
James Morrissey Offline OP
I
James Morrissey  Offline OP
I
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
Hey Everyone,

I like the 2nd shot a lot in terms of composition...but I also agree that the sky is relatively ho-hum. Would anyone want the full size file and to make a stab at it?

James

Re: Post Processing Challenge!! [Re: James Morrissey] #14620
04/17/08 06:47 PM
04/17/08 06:47 PM
Joined: Mar 2008
Ontario Canada
JimmyD Offline
Tracker
JimmyD  Offline
Tracker

Joined: Mar 2008
Ontario Canada
Hi James

I would take a stab at it. The biggest issue I see with it is the sun looks pretty harsh, looks like it was taken close to mid day?

Jim


Jim Davis Spiorad an Dúlra http://jimmy-d.smugmug.com
Re: Post Processing Challenge!! [Re: JimmyD] #14621
04/17/08 08:08 PM
04/17/08 08:08 PM
Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
James Morrissey Offline OP
I
James Morrissey  Offline OP
I
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
Hey Jim,

Thanks. Shall I e-mail you the raw, or would you like a jpeg? As to the time of day of the shots, take a look at the shadows, particularly on the first one. They were taken about an hour before the sun went over the mountain ridge...probably around 6 PM. The 2nd shot was taken was actually taken earlier, but not much earlier. I was shooting from a different angle attempting to keep the Race Track Playa in the photo (with a long lens stopped down).

Cheers
James


James

Re: Post Processing Challenge!! [Re: James Morrissey] #14622
04/17/08 08:22 PM
04/17/08 08:22 PM
Joined: Mar 2008
Ontario Canada
JimmyD Offline
Tracker
JimmyD  Offline
Tracker

Joined: Mar 2008
Ontario Canada
E-mail raw is good, bladman at rogers.com

I was referring to the second for the time, the shadow looks short. The other definitely looks like around sunset time.

I wanted to get to the Race Track but the time of day we had left we never would have made it on time for sunset. Will have to get there next time around.

Thanks
Jim


Jim Davis Spiorad an Dúlra http://jimmy-d.smugmug.com
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