A Dark Day in the Bad Lands
Badlands National Park, South Dakota--2014
As almost always with landscapes--best seen in lightbox, i.e., clicking on the expand arrows at upper right.
From my first visit to the Dakotas. I tried mightily to process this in color, but it always felt that B&W was the way to go. That was eventually an easy call--harder was how bright or dark should the image be. It was fairly dark when I took this--clouded over and just after sunset--but of course I'm under no obligation to make this look as much as possible like it did at the time to my unaided eye. My obligation is to the image, not the real-life scene. I have a tendency to initially process such images too darkly. They seem right to me at the time, but a day or two later I look at it and scratch my head wondering how I could have left it so dark! Perhaps this will be my reaction once again. If YOU have an opinion--about that or any other aspect of the processing--go ahead and voice it. I love constructive feedback, even if I ultimately decide not to follow your suggestions.
I presently have no idea where in the park this was taken. I did leave a few breadcrumbs so I may eventually be able to figure it out.
A Dark Day in the Bad Lands
Badlands National Park, South Dakota--2014
As almost always with landscapes--best seen in lightbox, i.e., clicking on the expand arrows at upper right.
From my first visit to the Dakotas. I tried mightily to process this in color, but it always felt that B&W was the way to go. That was eventually an easy call--harder was how bright or dark should the image be. It was fairly dark when I took this--clouded over and just after sunset--but of course I'm under no obligation to make this look as much as possible like it did at the time to my unaided eye. My obligation is to the image, not the real-life scene. I have a tendency to initially process such images too darkly. They seem right to me at the time, but a day or two later I look at it and scratch my head wondering how I could have left it so dark! Perhaps this will be my reaction once again. If YOU have an opinion--about that or any other aspect of the processing--go ahead and voice it. I love constructive feedback, even if I ultimately decide not to follow your suggestions.
I presently have no idea where in the park this was taken. I did leave a few breadcrumbs so I may eventually be able to figure it out.