Keep it within the Line, a photo from カリフォルニア, West

Photographer's Note

One more shot of Death Valley, my third and last day here as I took one last look at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, to the right was the highest point of the dune which rises smoothly about 100 feet from the Mesquite Flat. The rain clouds was all gone, not even a trace of moisture in the air, this is the way I remembered of Death Valley, This is about 9:00 in the morning, it felt like 12:00 and I already had my third bottle of waters and I am still dehydrated.

Ideally you want to be here in the spring time, but if you have not choice since your vacation time is fixed and it痴 in the summer. I suggest you do things in the valley floor early in the morning and later afternoon/early evening. In the middle of the day, take it easy, rest, or go up on the higher elevation, it will still be hot, but not as bad. The dune is best just before the sunset.

disturbia73, Floydian, pauloog, Sistercosmo, Colombiana, avene, BelCan75, shevchenko, sevy, fulvio52, BlueRaven, Atousa, jhm, Philippe, berek, ChrisJ, Cricri, holmertz, patdeph, zeca, Kielia, paololg, rginer, mphotographies, Angshu, Tue has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

sayeed_rahman (6461) 2009-05-05 9:28

Hello Way Ne

Well handled light and the control of exposure has contributed towards the depth and the sharpness of image..colours are waht makes nature shots stand out and youve done it well my friend..

I must say, i am enjoying the entire series on death valley..this oen never seen before..an original compo..

neat..will catch every eye !

Cheers
Sayeed

gildasjan (43826) 2009-05-05 9:35

Bonjour Way
C'est tout simple et c'est tr鑚 beau ce bleu ciel et cet ocre d駸ert.
Bravo et bonne journ馥
Amicalement
gildas

serp2000 (47063) 2009-05-05 9:36

Ni hao, Way,
Superb! Great composition, excellent colours!Fantastic sharpness! My congratulations!
Greetings from Russia,
Serghei

jonathan_hart (21276) 2009-05-05 9:38

It's very simple and efficient, that pure blue sky against the sand tones, it's just great. Icing on the cake, the human presence adding life, giving scale and taken in good timing as I like the fact they are not grouped
jc

Bartleby (13552) 2009-05-05 9:38

Hi Way,
a beautiful gradient in the sky, a strong line, bright colors...all the ingredients for a good shot! Congrats!

Philippe

disturbia73 (373) 2009-05-05 9:39

Hi Wayne,

Excellent lighting with a great composition.
The colours are so vibrant, the sharpness is great and the sense of vastness is immense in comparison with the size of the humans.
Great work,

regards,

Thomas

dta (98848) 2009-05-05 9:56

Hello Way ,
Wonderful curve . Only two colors , and the little people ... A great composition .
Congratulations

barni (15751) 2009-05-05 9:59

Hello Way
Magnifique courbe et belle couleurs.
Bonne soir馥
Christophe

Rafer (0) 2009-05-05 10:05

Atractiva l匤ea con buena composici y contr疽tes...saludos

baba_flies (8829) 2009-05-05 10:18

Hello Way!!! This is my kind of thing, tiny people in huge huge landscape :))) A great shot for me and I wonder what the two up there were doing, they seem to run ... a kind of marathon maybe, you never know what crosses people's mind, no matter how hot it gets (my boss prepares for a high altitude Alpine marathon ...). Love your endless blue sky and how you devided the picture into sky and sand. I have to come over ... and yes of course I knock on your door. Have a wonderful day, you made my evening ... Barbara.

Floydian (30970) 2009-05-05 11:12

Hi Way,

Like ants walking in the desert, what a great pov and timing you got here. Of course the people are essentiel here, but from the thumbnail it's the contrast between the perfect blue sky and the sandy colours what makes the most impression....wonderful shot.

Regards,

Henk

rodgerg (55767) 2009-05-05 11:15

Hello Way,

Very minimalist, very original and very nice. The composition is very well balanced and the contrast between the sand and the sky arise very well. The aligment of peoples give an interesting element of life, an idea of the scale and especially a great graphic effect. Congratulations.
Roger

pauloog (11751) 2009-05-05 11:48

Hello Way,
An original view that springs to life by the profile of the walking and probably sweating people, providing also scale and depth to the view. A fine colour contrast too.
Regards,
Paul

MarcT (20964) 2009-05-05 12:35

Hi Way,
Nice title, and interesting idea behind this one.
A few ants running uo the dune.
Best wishes
Marc

Sistercosmo (242) 2009-05-05 13:02

Hi Way,
wow, what wonderful colors and an excellent pov in all its simplicity. Love those tiny people, too. Great shot!
Hope all is well! Take care,
Linda

tiagoalmeida (1475) 2009-05-05 13:04

hello,
nice shot i like the colours and landscape.
congratulations
tiago

emka (158962) 2009-05-05 14:21

Hi Way, you were lucky that all these people climbed the dune! It looks splendid so. They are so tiny! fantastic composition adn colours.

Regards

Maggie

Colombiana (2957) 2009-05-05 18:02

Hey Way,
This is really great! The people add an overwhelming scale while they seem so defenseless in the vastness. Excellent minimalistic approach and composition.
Kind regards,

Maryori :)

BelCan75 (2201) 2009-05-05 21:15

Hello Way,

Great shot! I really like those people walking up there, it's a nice additions of colours and they give scale to this place. Great POV with wonderdul colours, great contrast between the dunes and sky. Excellent work!

Greetings,
Ann

avene (12675) 2009-05-05 21:15

hello Way,
fascinating minimalism, I've always thought it amazing how just few elements - three in this case: dunes, sky and the people - can create such a powerful image. I guess in your photo it is the comparative size of the things that makes the scene so striking, people do look like ants against the smooth curves of the dunes. and for once I agree that cloudless sky is perfect, even a tiny cloud would destroy the minimalism. great shot, my compliments.

best,
Kristine

Haymotion (2761) 2009-05-05 22:19

Excellente compo..
Le nomvre de visite en t駑oigne facilement
Ciel bleu magnifique contrast� avec ce sable.
C'est du plus belle effet
Bravo
Vince

shevchenko (20560) 2009-05-05 22:28

Hello Way,
I wonder after three bottle of water where to find toilet, suddenly I feel this death valley become alive and not really lonely when I see many tourists walking on it, nice blue sky, good pov to frame it, well done.
Ally

ManuMay (36447) 2009-05-05 23:41

Hi Way!!

What a nice composition!!

You reached an image full of life thanks to this curved composition and the way that subjects are placed!!

Absolute sky and sand tones, really amazing!!

A great work!!

Have a nice day.

Best regards

Manuel

sevy (58) 2009-05-05 23:49

Hello Way,

Very nice shot using perfectly the clean empty sky as background. In fact looking the photo I can think I am back in Africa. It looks like very similar.
Good idea to include the people. They are well separated, well visible on the ridge and give the size of the dune.

Yves.

fulvio52 (8314) 2009-05-06 0:57

Hi, Way.
Wonderfully straightforward and minimalistic. Any other element, even a single tiny little cloud, would heve been one too many. It's simply perfect as it is. TFS! Have a good day, buddy. I'll be seeing you.
Fulvio.

carper (96) 2009-05-06 2:24

very nice one Way,
well composed shot here, nice contrast and fine details. I like it a lot, have a nice day.
regard jaap

vincz (19113) 2009-05-06 4:59

What a great contrast between the blue and the gold. I love the curve also with the small people there. very well seen.

BlueRaven (37) 2009-05-06 5:32

Hi Way,

This is one of the rare shots where a blue, cloudless sky is perfect. Breathtakingly beautiful - amazing colours and clarity.
On my last trip to Death Valley, I didn't spend more than a short while at those Dunes because it was too hot. You'd start sweating when you just moved as much as your little finger... Next time though, if it's not as hot, I'll definitely explore this area in more detail. Your shot just put this area much higher on my list of places to visit.

Thanks and best wishes
Claudia

Atousa (7131) 2009-05-06 5:57

Salam Way,

I like the graphic effect of this shot..its really attractive n well balanced..nicely captured..thank you.
Best regards, Atousa

sacimar (38173) 2009-05-06 9:20

Hi Way,

excellent composition, I like the contrast between sky and dunes colours, it was a good idea to show people walking by the sand, great sharpness and contrast, great job!

Best regards

Sergio

jhm (211738) 2009-05-06 9:56

Hello Way,

This is extraordinarily with the light curving of desert.
Soft contrast between the yellow sand and the strong blue sky, splendid with the walkers.
Very good composition, sharpness and clarity are superb.
Nice done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

janusz2054 (2) 2009-05-06 9:58

Hi Way
Great composition .Beautiful desert dunes and people from them.Very nice colours.
Well done.
Janusz

Philippe (11836) 2009-05-06 12:57

Hi, Way. The dune makes a very nice curve and also a good diagonal line in the image. The contrast between the sand and the sky works very well and the people walking give a good idea of the scale. They also stand out very well against the sky. Very nice colours.
Have a nice day,
Philippe

berek (50518) 2009-05-06 12:57

Hi Way,
you managed very good light strong sun light and clear colours. I love simple composition , line effect and beautiful pastel colours.
Greetings.
Burak

bracasha75 (24591) 2009-05-06 14:44

Helo Way
One more master work and view in a totaly difrent "light" this desert and hapend there
Excellent idea and realisation
Bravo
Cheers,Braca

ChrisJ (172442) 2009-05-06 23:50

Hi Way

Good composition using the rule of thirds, & the people add scale to this very large dune. The warm cold colour contrasts are superb. Have a great weekend!

Cricri (176) 2009-05-07 5:07

Hi Way
Simple et merveilleusement belle, belle courbe de la dune avec les personnes, excellent contraste des couleurs magnifique
Friendship
cricri

holmertz (103732) 2009-05-07 6:48

Hello Way,
Another master shot. So simple, so attractive.
Kind regards,
Gert

Tobias__Ortmann (2638) 2009-05-07 7:19

Hi way my friend,
I really like this shot
great use of polarizer makes this sky so nice blue
great contrast between the sand and the sky
I also really like the people having a walk on this dunes.
Very good one
Toba

patdeph (35750) 2009-05-07 9:00

hello Way
this is a simple but very beautiful picture!The contrast of the blue sky and the golden sand is superb,the curves of the dunes are really beautiful,and i like very much the line of people walking just on the summit of these dunes!Wonderful!
Regards
Pascale

pablominto (53746) 2009-05-07 11:20

Hello Way,

The lines and the colour palette is what first draw my attention!
What appears simple is often the opposite, and a composition like this never comes out of nowhere hehehe...
The point of view is perfect and the result very attractive!

Greetings,
Pablo -

chawax (20764) 2009-05-07 13:20

Hi Way,
Fantastic shot ! I didn't know there was such deserts in Death Valley ! I love the curved lines of the dunes and the people top of them that give a good idea how huge they are. Colours are outstanding. TFS.
Regards,
Olivier

zeca (19762) 2009-05-07 20:27

Very nice capture, Way! I like the clean line cutting the sky and the people are helpful to understand the proportions here. Well taken!
Regards,
Zeca

dvlazar (6662) 2009-05-08 21:40

Great framing of this scene - thats the part of it - the composition. Nicely shot and processed!

Dave

gilou530 (34) 2009-05-09 5:28

salut way
an image which points out the desert of Libya to me, although it is with the states, a color of sand in this saturated and polarized sky which brings out the characters well give well the scale of size of the landscape, well done
amiti駸
gilbert

Kielia (24077) 2009-05-09 12:21

Hello Way,
this minimalist impression looks like art work! Fantastic colors and outstanding management of the light. An excellently composed impression of the dune! The title is also very nice. Congratulation!
Warm regards
Harriet

delpeoples (60342) 2009-05-10 3:20

Hi Way, fantastic bit of photography here, almost an abtract with the large blocks of colour and contrasts. The people really add dynamism and scale. Great spotting, Lisa

jemaflor (148368) 2009-05-10 12:02

Hi W,
Interesting contrast between blue sky and dune, well the detail with tiny people, well seen and taken.

paololg (31448) 2009-05-11 14:35

Ciao dear friend,
it's impossible not to favorably comment this beautiful image, done with excellent technical quality but above all with great artistic sense. With few elements and only two colors you have made a photographic masterpiece. Compliments!
Ciao, have a nice day!
Paolo

rginer (881) 2009-05-13 11:18 [Comment]

Show Comment

mphotographies (1976) 2009-05-14 22:35

Hey Way,

Keeping it within the line that is training your eye to see shapes and 'tiny' people walking across this beautiful abstruct. I like the stunning colour that shapes the picture. Shaping using the perimeters of the sand dunes, the 'edge' that forms the basis of a successful shot that defines a fine and skillful photographer like you. I have nothing to say on its technicalities, the organisation is superb and needless to say you're an artist!

Have A Great Weekend!

:)

Angshu (56760) 2009-05-17 21:05

Sabaidie Way
What a wonderful vision...ant like people walking along the spine of the giant sand dune. Almost an impression which reminds me of Gulliver & land of lilliputs! Well conceived, well captured! The contrast betwen the warm tones of the dune & the cool of the blue sky also makes it attractive. Fine, fine work
Best Regards
Angshuman

Tue (93592) 2009-05-21 7:19

Hi Way,
Fantastic photo and I like the colour contrast between sand and sky a lot. Excellent inclusion of the people to add an idea of scale. Thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

jimkil (1706) 2009-06-17 4:38

Hi Way
Beautiful, these people look like ants, however the strong curves from the the dunes are a important feature here and that graduated sky is a bonus.
Well done
Jim

BilboCA (734) 2009-08-12 20:58

Hi, Way,

In some ways, this photo is like the spiritual brother to my "edge of the earth," which you recently critiqued. Minimalist composition emphasizing humankind's physical insignificance when measured against the immensity of nature. And in some ways, the two images are very different. The wet ocean is the exact opposite of the dry sand. The cloudy sky versus perfect blue. The backlit image versus your low sun angle behind you. The brilliant colors in your image versus the black and white in mine.

In this photo, I like how the shape of the sand and the sky are reminiscent of the yin and yang Chinese symbol.

I like that we can almost make out subtle details of these mini-people.

The visible tracks in the sand along the ridge and the peculiar and interesting pattern near the bottom of the frame also contribute to your achievement of a story told in broad strokes but with rich detail.

Regards,
- William

kiks (12805) 2009-09-30 8:26

Something funny about this minimalistisch composition. I realy like it the well contrasting colors but also the POV
Greets
KIKs

abmdsudi (95869) 2012-07-06 21:47

Sabaidee Waylim
The title makes a lot of sense to this almost 2D image Way, it seems everyone is trying to keep within the thin curvy line and advance to the peak and this renders a strong graphical effect in sublime light, a strong eye puller and effective play of lines, shapes and bold contrasting colors to attract attention. The two guys are real bonus to the shot. Another awesome shot with immense depth and sense of open space. Congrats, TFS
KInd regards

Bluejeans (64251) 2012-09-05 12:38

Ola Way ,
Belo momento com estas pessoas a caminhar nesta duna com esta eleva鈬o enorme , bonito contraste dourado azul , parab駭s!!
Um abra輟 Gon軋lo