Forgotten Images

A couple of the bloggers that I read on a regular basis have been talking about the value of taking the new post-processing skills that you have learned and revisiting an reprocessing images from the past.

That encouragement, along with a new e-book on processing landscapes, led me back to the images from an outing that is almost three years old. Debbie and I took a trip to Moab, UT where big skies, puffy clouds and castle-like towers abound.

These images are taken one evening as sunset approached. The first reaction of some people who have seen these images has been "Monument Valley!" I assure you it is not.

Moab is noted for the arches of Arches N.P. and for the courses of the Colorado and Green rivers in Canyonlands N.P. But upstream from Moab the Colorado valley broadens out for a few miles and it is ringed by these formations. If you look closely in the background of Road to LaSal and A Big Sky you will see the snow rimmed LaSal Mountains (famously seen in the background of photos of Delicate Arch or Mesa Arch and the Washer Woman).

Enjoy the images as I have in reliving the trip while inside on a rainy day.


Road to LaSal

Storm Castles

A Big Sky

The Red Barn

Today took me on a errand up into the rural area north of Kansas City. When I left the house it was grey and overcast. But on the way home the skies started to open up.

The high sun and rows of clouds made for a nice image of this red barn. The slope of the hills, the surrounding fences and trees, and the color of the barn makes this a location to return to for fall colors, early light, possibly even an early snow fall.

Enjoy!

Nikon D7000, Tokina 100mm f/2.8, PP with ACR & CFX

Storm Clouds

We are in the midst of the summer storm season.  On Sunday the day's storms generated on a line just east of Kansas City.  Here are a couple of images of the building thunderheads.

D7000, 35-70mm f2/8, polarizing filter, conversion in ACR 6

High Plains Skies

The High Plains are the region of my birth, and where I spent my childhood. The broad expanse of sky is one of the trademarks of the region.

I've just finished up a week visiting family. The weather was not very cooperative for photos in general, and particularly of the skies. Several rainy days, preceded by dust and haze limited the opportunities. On my day of departure the skies had been washed clean by the precipitation and polished by winds that were blowing out of the northwest.

These views of the clouds appeared as I was driving in Kansas. The clouds began filling what had earlier been clear skies.

Country Hiway

High Plains

These photos were taken with my D7000 and 35-70mm. The conversion to Black & White was done in ACR 6 and final prep was in CS5.

Finding ways to portray these skies and the level horizons has been one of my photographic challenges. Using B&W and the ability to use the tools of the digital darkroom give me some pleasure with the outcome of this attempt.