Desert Perspectives II

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Image Title: Desert Perspectives II

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By: Hugo de Wolf
Copyright ©2006

View Photo Gallery of Hugo de Wolf click HERE

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Photographer	Hugo de Wolf {Karma:185110}
Project	#50 Alternate Perspective	Camera Model	Nikon D2x
Categories	Landscape Travel Nature	Film Format	Digital RAW
Portfolio	Death Valley	Lens	Nikon 12-24mm f/4G ED-IF AF-S DX
Uploaded	3/30/2006	Film / Memory Type	ISO 100
		ISO / Film Speed
Views	2621	Shutter	1/60
Favorites	2	Aperture	f/22
Critiques	91	Rating	5.96 / 18 Ratings
Location	City - Death Valley State - CA Country - United States
About	A perspective on landscape photography? Part II: Flowers, just around the corner at Badwater, Death Valley, around noon 23 February 2005 Ingredients: Nikon D2x Nikon 12 - 24mm f/4.0 Focal length: 12 mm Exposure: 1/60 Aperture: f/22 EV correction: +0,0 EV ISO Speed: 100 With special thanks to Cessy Karina for reminding me about my own preference for a dominant primary subject. Your critiques are, as usual, very welcome! Cheers, Hugo

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To (through) the Roof II (or: What happens when you follow the blue lines....)

There are 91 Comments in 1 Pages
1

SaMiHa Jawad {K:1447} 9/7/2009

Very nice excellent
:)

Armen Haroutunyan {K:4787} 4/28/2009

excellent capture

Melinda Martin {K:698} 4/28/2009

This location is in one of my favorite photo wonderlands. The divesity of Death Valley is wonderful. Badwater give you the opportunity, which you have seized upon, to see beauty in desolation, color in what appears monochromatic to the untrained eye. Good depth, good color, excellent composition. I love it!

Vijay Kurhade {K:10118} 4/28/2009

lovely shot; flower field, mountain, great
take care

Mitra Nademi-Nassari {K:28234} 9/17/2007

Very beautiful!

Austin Yapp {K:508} 5/18/2006

awseome comp, love the picture

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 5/8/2006

Hi Agnes,

Thanks for the feedback, it provides an entirely new insight, and, frankly, one I wish I would've thought of myself...:) My intentions with this series were far from that deep; the background idea behind this series was to capture the Death Valley desert scenes from a different PoV; the perspective in the title refering to the primary subject being something different from what people usually capture, looking for strong diagonal interaction with the more common subject: the landscape itself.

I do like your thoughts, though. To me, any insight is as valuable, regardless of the photographic experience; usually, I spent a lot of thought behind my photos, and that's why I post them in series of three, sharing a common theme or element. If I manage to allow people to create their own views, I feel happy, as happy as when people perceive the image the same way as I do. I hope you understand what I mean. (as in I hope I explained myself properly...)

Thanks, I really appreciate your comment, it's great to see a photo through someone elses' eyes!

Cheers,

Hugo

Agnes Lemley {K:427} 5/8/2006

I think, after reading many critiques of these three works, and studying them with what little insite I have into good photography, I understand what you mean by desert perspectives. You are looking at the surroundings as the desert itself might see them from a sand level viewpoint. It's a great series laughing at man and his attempts to make the desert itself different. Hoping I am getting this and not just having a pipe dream! Best regards, Agnes

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 5/8/2006

Hi Petal, Thanks for your feedback! As you probably know, I'm not too fond of shooting flowers, as I'm no good at it, but I liked the contrast in tones, and the mere sight of flowers in the desert in this scene, and tried to combine the two, keeping in mind the similarities with the other two and idea behind this series...

Cheers,

hugo

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 5/8/2006

Hi Randy, thankd for y7our comment and feedback. I tried to achieve exactly what you described by protruding the flower into the sky, the contrast between the bright tones being one of the features, the contrast with the mountains on the right the other. Great to read it worked (in your opinion...:)

Cheers,

Hugo

Petal Wijnen

{K:50989} 5/8/2006

Hi there Hugo... am on a 'back in time trip'... and came across this grand view. Love it for the colors, the great depth/clarity of the shot and the wide angle view but mainly for the great composition: the flower in the left corner and then the gradual 'build up' of the mountains... Knowing me I probably would've taken just a close-up shot of that flower and missed out on a fantastic landscape shot... well captured!!
Zo zie je maar: nachtdienst hebben heeft zo z'n voordelen, weer wat geleerd.. ;-D!!

Randy Lorance {K:24769} 5/4/2006

Very well put together composition Hugo. The perspective gives good feel of the breadth of this formidable land. The contrasts between the flat plain and hills and the parched earth and delicate flowers, and the vibrant blue and yellow next to the flat gray and brown of the land forms a strong image. Good placement of the plant reaching up triumphantly before the open horizon to the left, which opens up the photograph to eye movement, whereas the hills streating entirely across the picture would leave it more static.

Randy

Meldijana Omerbegovic {K:4079} 5/2/2006

So beautiful flowers in very interesting but unfriendly environment...very impressive strength of Life...beautiful colours and composition ..very nice image.
Cheers
Meldijana

Maurizio Massetti {K:30463} 4/23/2006

I like tones and panorama, good cropping.

Dave Stacey

{K:150877} 4/16/2006

Amazing colours here, Hugo, and I like your low point of view, it's a great perspective!
Thanks for your comment, too!
Dave.

Brian Fillmore {K:4016} 4/16/2006

Very nice perspective of this terrain so barren and yet dotted in bright coloured flowers

Mireille Heirendt {K:7258} 4/10/2006

Hi Hugo,
Now there is so much that has been said about this image and I tell you, I loved it right from the beginning and now after reading the comments, especially the negative ones ( including yours), I love it even more.
The angle and of course the composition are awesome! I'm sure not many would have dared to make this choice and it works perfectly.
What's more you did very well with the negative space in the foreground as it would have been too busy otherwise.
In conclusion, this is such a powerful image in angle, composition, colors and patterns you should be very proud of !!!
Best regards,
Mireille

Muhammad Usman {K:214} 4/10/2006

thats realy kool sir

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 4/10/2006

Hi Omar,

Thanks for the feedback, Great to read your explanation and about what you see in it; thanks!

Cheers,

Hugo

Omar Rifaat {K:10141} 4/9/2006

Hi hugo,
not that this image has been under-commented, but my two cents worth:
I like the angle and perspective because to me the flower says: 'why do you always look to the mountain, when I too am as majestic and beautiful in my defiance of drought and death... year after year, for as long as the mountain has stood, I too have burst forth..'

Jim Aho {K:95} 4/9/2006

Beautifully composed, Hugo. Perfect exposure and execution as well. Nicely done as are so many of your images. Regards, Jim.

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 4/8/2006

Hi David, thanks for your feedback, very insightful. I think what you described comes very close to what I had / have in mind with the collection of the three, yet to me, this is the least interesting one, primarily because of the subject... All purely subjective of course!

I've gone through my photos, and I have a few taken from a higher PoV, but the higher view point reduces the dominance of the primary subject, and as the density of the flowers was not that high, the yellow "haze" is also less aparent. but having said that, I deliberately shot from this low PoV to create this series, and I didn't put much effort in the photos taken from a higher PoV, I'm sure there's more potential in that scene than I managed to capture.

I really appreciate your thoughts, as it facilitates assessing this series myself!

Cheers,

Hugo

David Bourke {K:2239} 4/6/2006

Well, I find this shot much more appealling that the fence picture. The first thing I find appealling is the subject. The flowers blanketing the desert floor, becoming a blur of yellow at the horizon is a truly worthy subject. The second thing I find appealling is the balance of the elements--principly the flowers and mountains and sky. I also think the lines of the picture, converging below the flower; they help to reinforce the balance.

Now I do think the phenomenom of the flowers blanketing the desert floor might be better shown from a higher point of view.

Mohamed Banna {K:34237} 4/6/2006

still the NATURE is the MOTHER of INSPIRATION
and always it gives us amazing vision
great nature shot
very artistic

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 4/4/2006

Hi Ray, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate your views on the "negative space" in the foreground; I'm still struggling with that part a bit. There's still room for improvement, but I don't know in which direction.

Cheers,

Hugo

stingRay pt.4 .

{K:250401} 4/4/2006

Excellent shot Hugo with stunning colours and a wonderful perspective. I think the aforementioned 'negative' foreground space contains some great texture and increases the great depth to this landscape. Well shot sir. Best wishes to you....Ray

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 4/4/2006

Hi Manu, about the alternative, some believe that that one is a "serious abuse to the Art of Photography"...

So I'm afraid you didn't look at the alternative properly.. heheh.

Cheers,

Hugo

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 4/4/2006

Hi Manu, Thanks; I understand exactly what you mean. Much appreciated; it pinpoints my thoughts exactly.

Cheers,

Hugo

Manu {K:13082} 4/4/2006

Didn't see this one...I like this alternative version

Cheers mate

Manu

Manu {K:13082} 4/3/2006

Excellent color and well composed but once you get past the pretty yellow and the low POV my eye starts to wander.....I did not mean for this comment to be as strong as it came out...but I think you at least understand me...eh, Hugo

Cheers mate

Manu

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 4/3/2006

If you say so, Rashed, it must be true. I must be the worst excuse for a photographer, abusing the art of photography.

Great comment! It really makes my day. Very funny indeed!

Cheers,

Hugo

Rashed Abdulla

{K:163889} 4/3/2006

My great friend Hugo,

the attachment is very distractive and a serious abuse to the Art of Photography, there is nothing called “a new way to photograph a desert landscape”

What’s wrong is wrong and not you who should make it look good. I do not know how long you gonna maintain this attitude; I think people around here are more intelligent than to be fooled by any one.

I am really sorry my friend, as much as I like you, I feel there are many great photographers on UF both males and females. And they have very great images here but they never did post distractive images and insisted that their distractive images are of new techniques or new methods of photography.

I do wish you my entire the best great friend

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 4/3/2006

Sorry, I forgot to attach the image, so here it is!

Cheers,

Hugo

Desert Perspectives II (Alternative)

Hugo de Wolf {K:185110} 4/3/2006

Dear Rashed, That's an interesting question, and an easy one to answer...

But first let me reassure you that I definitely do not consider myself one of the best photographers on UF, I just treat photography seriously, and say what I think to the best of my abilities. I try new things, to see if they work out or not, and I rarely post a photo on Usefilm which I'm completely satisfied about.

This series is all about an exaggerated difference between foreground and background and a new way to photograph a desert landscape (or more precise, capture elements within that desert, sketching the area and feel around it) I tried to achieve that by placing the primary subject extremely to one side, as well as using a low point of view to let the subject (the flower in this case) protrude the various levels, and deliberately seeking the contrast with the sky. It's not the easiest type of composition to look at, but I think it places things in a different perspective.

Where most people would photograph the landscape itself, I tried to use the landscape as a backdrop. In all three images, I think that turned out quite consistently.

The weak points about this photo:
- The flower is too close to the left edge of the photo
- Compared to the high saturation in the blue and yellow levels, the tones in the desert landscape are a bit weak (although they are better balanced in the original upload)
- The flower is a bit out of focus, if that's due to a motion blur or a a bad choice for hyper-focal length, I'm not sure
- This photo lacks a second (subsidiary) subject to complete the imaginary line towards the right of the image (the mountains)
- There's too much empty space in the foreground
- The cut off rock in the foreground next to the stem of the flower bugs me.
- there's a tilt in the horizon which nobody (except for Teunis) has noticed.

The strong points of this image:
+ The wide angle distortion exaggerates the composition nicely in line with the two others
+ this photo fits well within the two others (although I do have an alternative option for you to consider, see attached)
+ I like the colours and the yellow haze created by the flowers to separate the field and the mountains in the background

As you see, I can find more weak points about my own photo as positive points, but to say that there's anything wrong with this photo is something quite different. In photography, which is subjective, there's no such thing as right or wrong, I believe. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, and they may like it or not, and I can only respect their opinion.

Hope this answers your question, and thanks for your comment, I really hope you understand what I'm saying...:)

Cheers,

Hugo

Rashed Abdulla

{K:163889} 4/3/2006

My dear friend Hugo,

This time I will let you critique this image and not me.
You please view this image and work out where should the eyes first look and focus on?
When you achieve that you will find for sure what’s wrong with this image.

Yes I treat you different as you already considered yourself being one of the best photographers on UF and that’s itself makes you a subject for the serious critiques.

I like Hugo and I respect him, but I also love working out honestly on his images.

All of the best my dear friend Hugo

Joel Aron {K:14920} 4/3/2006

I feel your pain. Was just printing all day for a friend, and had the same issue, and on a few had to bite the bullet, and say, 'okay, this is going to be one of those small images with a HUGE matte'.

good luck! curious to hear how it turns out!

cheers,
-joel

Roberto Arcari Farinetti

{K:209486} 4/2/2006

to you too my dear hugo..
have all the best

cheers

roby

Ali Naghizadeh {K:19600} 4/2/2006

Fantastic shot dear Hugo .. Well done .. Great Composition and brilliant DOF .. I love the contrast between the yellow of the flowers and the blue of the sky ..
7++

My very best wishes,
aLi