~Visual Rhythm

[abraxas]

Strongly contrasting lines from raking sunset light add texture and vitality to scene at dry lake.



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[kundalini]

I've heard this term many times, but can you explain "raking light". All I have been able to discern is that it is very low in the sky, near horizontal. This appears to be what you have here. Is my assumption correct or misguided?

Love the texture of the dry lake bed.

 

[abraxas]

I've heard this term many times, but can you explain "raking light". All I have been able to discern is that it is very low in the sky, near horizontal. This appears to be what you have here. Is my assumption correct or misguided?

Love the texture of the dry lake bed.

Yep. You got it right.

Both in mid-morning and late afternoon the low sun cast oblique shfts of light which will bring out contours (ie:enhance rolling hills) and textures that the high sunlight beats out. In this case, a normally flat and non-descript playa/plain takes on at least a bit of attractiveness and visual appeal.

I love the way this type of light hits the tops of the little dry lake crusties. Brings that right out. Bad point though is that tire tracks are "enhanced" and jump right out at you on the screen if the shot isn't carefully set up.

 

[invisible]

Holy freaking wow, what a beautiful image!

 

[Miaow]

Very nice - Really like the colours and the way the shadows are

 

[abraxas]

Holy freaking wow, what a beautiful image!

Thank you.

Very nice - Really like the colours and the way the shadows are

Thanks.

I was looking all over my drives for this shot a week or so ago. It doesn't help that I have been there a countless amount of times. But I don't know how I could have missed it because I kept looking where it was, just didn't see it I guess. Until tonight, dinking around. Just popped up.

 

[BoblyBill]

Hmmm... I'm going to have to work in getting the light right now that I look at a lot of mine... you have inspired me.

 

[abraxas]

Hmmm... I'm going to have to work in getting the light right now that I look at a lot of mine... you have inspired me.

How cool.

This scene is usually so nothing and boring. Just dirt and bush. I was watching the shadows (cause there ain't nothing else to do there) and looking for a place without tire tracks. I noticed that the shadows, although parallel, seemed to be growing toward pointing toward the center of a large hub or circle. So I set up and waited. Only about 3-4 minutes or so, then I shot the picture. I felt like I caught it, so folded up and moved on. I love it when I do it right (IMO).

 

[MissMia]

Perfect capture! Thank you for the continued inspiration.

 

[abraxas]

Perfect capture! Thank you for the continued inspiration.

Thank you. The encouragement is very much appreciated!

 

[Corry]

Great shot! You did an awesome job at achieving your 'vision' here!

 

[abraxas]

Great shot! You did an awesome job at achieving your 'vision' here!

:blushing: Great- Thank you Corry!

 

[Rhubarb]

This is another fine and strong image abraxas.

The foreground detail makes for an excellent subject alone and leads me deeper into this photo.

The perspective is excellent. It allows me to naturally inspect the foreground and then be drawn upwards into the image, as if I were standing on the floor of the lake and was lifting my head.

The diagonal lines going up from left to right work well, and also help draw the eye up into the photo. The fact that they pull to the right isn't a problem as it leads the eye to the mid ground and straight into a 'clump' of a dry vegetation. From here it feels quite natural for they the eye to move around to the other clumps of vegetation. In fact the next clump of vegetation resets the eye to the right hand side of the photo where it can once again naturally follow the diagonal lines deep into the image, inspecting the texture that clumps produce in the image along the way.

The warm earth tone to this image makes it great for it to be in colour. I also think due to the strong contrasting diagonal lines, and the excellent texture in the foreground that this has the potential to be a great high contrast B&W image.

 

[abraxas]

Thanks Rhubarb- I'll give the B&W a shot.