Branch, Water on Salt Flats. Death Valley National Park, California. February 21, 2011. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A forelorn branch sits near pools of reflecting water on salt flats of Death Valley National Park.
After the brief dawn light on the Panamints ended (see the photograph I posted yesterday) and the world went gray over in that direction, I noticed this odd log or branch sitting out on the mud in the salt flats between some of the ponds that streak this section of the flats. While the two minutes of beautiful color on the Panamints had ended, the increasing light was transforming what had been a fairly solid covering of gray into a transparency that revealed interesting layers and patterns of clouds in the morning sky.
I moved a bit closer and made one final sequence of Death Valley photographs before heading back to Stovepipe Wells to take down my camp and start the long drive home. I tried a couple different compositions, including some in which I was closer to the log, but in the end I prefer this one that put some distance between it and me and, I think, suggests the huge spaces that are among of the most compelling characteristics of this landscape.
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Thanks, Jessica. I still think I have a bit of work to do on this one, but taking it to print will tell me – hope to do that soon. I’m with you on curves. They are the most powerful and flexible tools in PS.
Dan
Really like this one. The layers, as previously commented, are really arresting. And using masked curves is my favorite tool in PS, by far.
Thanks, James! I’m hoping to try a print of this fairly soon.
Dan
A wonderful black & white image. I love the patterns created by the water, the hills and the clouds in the sky. Nicely captured and processed!
Thanks, David. Truth be told, as I made this photograph I was literally thinking of a certain other photographer whose work you are very familiar with. Yeah, Philip Hyde! I’m not making this up. I recall that as I stood out there sizing up this scene my mind wandered for a moment to some of his prints that I’ve seen at the Mono Lake Museum and Visitor Center.
Always important to acknowledge my influences… :-)
Take care,
Dan
This is a great pick because of the forms and patterns in the foreground mirrored by the detail and feathering in the sky. It has localized interest and stands as a large scene as well.
Thanks, Jim. I don’t use any third-party conversion tools, preferring to simply do the conversion within Photoshop. My BW workflow typically includes the use of the Black and White layer, often with one of the filters applied. (In this one I probably used the “red” filter, though I’ll often use others and sometimes I’ll use more than one.) I also make a great deal of use of masked curve layers. There are at least three in this image: one for the foreground, one for the overall sky, and a third with a gradient mask for the upper part of the sky. I also do a bit of spot work with curves and with the dodging/burning tools, both in additional layers.
Dan
I like the big open scenes like this one. The B&W conversion really brings the sky into play. Really nice capture. I am curious, do you use the NIK software for the black and white?
Thanks, Alex.
Fantastic composition and processing, nice layers!