WimKeesmaat

Menacing Beauty

Canyon in Bolivia, which we were exploring with our 4x4.

Canyon in Bolivia, which we were exploring with our 4x4.
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Canon PowerShot ELPH 330 HS

settings

Aperture f/3.2 ISO 80 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 5985/1000

upload_date

Mar, 2016

Views

Likes

Awards

People's Choice in Adventure's calling Photo Challenge

Peer Award

Absolute Masterpiece

Superb Composition

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

In Canyon de Duende, in the south of Bolivia, near the village of Tupiza, while we were traveling for two years with a 4x4 through South America.

Time

Later in the afternoon.

Lighting

The nice thing was that it was a day with sun-rain-sun-rain, and menacing clouds. So when we drove back to the village we were, we had the late sun behind us, which shone on these beautiful red, spikey rocks, and behind it that very dark sky. Vife minutes later we even had a rainbow, with the same circumstances, but the quality of that photo was less.

Equipment

Just a simple bridge camera, handheld. Canon Powershot SX30 is. Didn't have a DSLR yet at that moment.

Inspiration

We were kind of in awe of that valley, and the valleys around it (By the way, this the place where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are burried. Luckily no tourists in the valley at that moment). So we kept making pictures because of all the shades of red and yellow, and then we saw this. Our Land Cruiser 80 was no small car, but against those rocks it was dwarfed, which is much clearer at some other pics we took. There's just something that starts to bubble inside of me when I see these kind of things...

Editing

Some contrast to make the sky even a little darker, and some saturation, with Cyberlink PhotoDirector5. and I think I removed a powerline, which the Bolivians really hang in every beautiful location.

In my camera bag

Then just the Canon SX30is, and a GoPro Hero3 black for road or underwater footage. Since a few months though a Canon 70D with Canon 55-250mm IS STM, 50mm 1.8 STM, 10-18mm IS STM, Canon 28mm f/2.8 analog lens with reverse ring for macro, three macro extension rings, a polarisation filter, Yongnuo 685 flash, YN622 radio trigger, small diffuser, and a circular ND-filter that doesn't work. Oh, and hanging on my bag, a Dolica Proline 57" tripod with photo head and video head.

Feedback

Not much, I'm afraid. Half of it is being lucky that you are at the right place at the right moment. Maybe this: it's good to have a car or someone in the foreground, so you can see the dimensions of the scene. And just start shooting before the light changes. You can always throw the bad pics away. Go to a place you want to photograph before the sun is low in the sky, so you can check out the place, to find the nicest spots to take pictures of. If you have enough pixels, shoot a wider photo than you need, so you can play around with the cropping, with the placing of the objects in the shot.

See more amazing photos, follow WimKeesmaat

WimKeesmaat

WimKeesmaat

Menacing Beauty

Canyon in Bolivia, which we were exploring with our 4x4.

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow WimKeesmaat

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