On The Way
By: Greg Parker
Coyote Buttes Wilderness Area, 10 am, on the way to the famous Wave formation. Sun unrelenting… It’s a moonscape of strange and beautiful features that is so completely alien to someone who grew up in Northern New England. I was trying to get some foreground elements included with the (very suggestive) cone formations in the background. I called them the Mansfields, although I was also thinking of naming them the Jane Russells.
Comment:
The first rule in the f-8 and be there rule book (I'm proud to say that there is no such book!) is to ... well, f-8 and be there! Sounds silly but being out there is the most important element in my photography. You don't have to be on your way somewhere, you just have to be on your way!
Here Greg evokes many feelings. I don't think we have to stretch very far to understand what story he was telling, or why he was attracted, but the images brings a lot to the table for me.
Coyote Buttes is a vast wonderland of shapes and textures. Greg shows this well with the hint in the foreground and the payoff in the swirling peaks. His "struggle for life" foreground makes his statement about the unrelenting heat and the crack leading into the composition helps us continue the journey. The angle of the sun created very well placed shadows and the exposure is perfect to show enough detail there and still hold the deep blue of the sky.
On a person note, and one that I think all of you that have experienced this wonderful place will recognize, it that these landmarks are just that. They mark the border between Utah and Arizona.
Want to go? Watch for the next Landmarks Of The Southwest workshop.
Your comments are always welcome. f8andbethere@cableone.net