Sunset at Monument Valley as a storm moves through accentuating the sidelight.
Sunset at Monument Valley as a storm moves through accentuating the sidelight.
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Awards
Contest Finalist in In The Desert Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Vol 10 Photo Contest
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Genius
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NatureLoverJJWal
March 22, 2015
Wow you have fantastic lighten there. I voted this for Foto digital. I love the colors of those rocks. I know I went one in NM they are so beautiful when the light hits. And you capture the beautiful clouds too. It is Awesome!
RDVPhotography
April 26, 2015
Thanks much GigiJim08, been off to Hawaii for last couple weeks and trying to catch up.
RDVPhotography
May 02, 2015
When you go back be sure and stay in the View Lodge right in the park. Stunning views from your room.
RDVPhotography
May 02, 2015
We were lucky, this weather was moving in as we arrived and this was from the balcony of our room.
kathykuhn100
June 18, 2015
Congratulations on your gorgeous finalist! This is definitely on my bucket list!
RDVPhotography
June 18, 2015
Saw your comment/message before seeing the email from VB on the finalist selection, thank you very much Kathy. You need to stay at the View Hotel in the Navajo Park when you go and I can give you some tips also.
NatureLoverJJWal
June 19, 2015
Ron, Congratulations on your Award! I love this capture a lot. I love the lighting and the clouds play.
RDVPhotography
July 11, 2015
Thanks, I know you have been here before so it means much more to me that you are 'inspired' with this one : D
RDVPhotography
June 27, 2016
Thanks, Gigi, none of mine even made top 30% this time. Lots of competition.
RDVPhotography
March 19, 2017
This was taken right off the balcony of the room at the View Hotel, highly recommend staying there, but a bit pricey. Summertime is to busy so go spring or fall or even winter. Just posted 2 or 3 from that trip
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal park from the balcony of our room at the View Hotel. We had just checked in and it had been raining earlier, so we decided to see what we could get from the comfort of our room and mother nature delivered.Time
It was about 10 minutes before sunset, 8:08 PM on May 11, 2011. You can see the long shadows in the photo as the sun is setting. Sunset was at 8:17 PM.Lighting
The light was exceptional due to the setting sun and the clouds rolling in from the east reflecting soft light across the landscape. There were occasional gusty winds that stirred up the sand, which also added to the soft light conditions.Equipment
I used my Canon 5D MkII with a Canon EF16-35 f/2.8 lens mounted on a Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball head which was on a Gitzo tripod. Due to the lighting conditions, I was using a slow shutter speed.Inspiration
Basically we were in the right spot at the right time. In fact we had been hurrying a bit because of rain we encountered on the way to the View Hotel. This is an iconic image of Monument Valley and we had planned for this but just not this light and weather. We were truly blessed.Editing
I used Light Room to develop this image. I cropped the original to give it a panoramic look then reduced the noise and sharpened for scenic landscape image. I then adjusted the white balance to cloudy from sunny and made adjustments to the shadows and highlights and also small adjustment for black and white clipping. I reduced the orange saturation and adjusted the hue just a bit. I thought I was done until I spotted three spots from my sensor so had to use the spot removal tool.In my camera bag
I have two bags and each has a purpose. The bag with my 5DMKII (Full Frame Camera) has my 16-35mm f/2.8, 24-105mm f4.0 and 70-200 f/2.8, mainly for everything except wildlife. Bag with the 50D (APS-C) has 24-70 f/2.8 and 300mm prime is mainly for wildlife. If I am traveling by car I take it all, which was the case for this trip. If traveling overseas only bag one goes unless going for wildlife, for that I take bag one with both cameras and swap 70-200 for 300 prime.Feedback
I think spring time is the best time of year to be here as this region of the country gets thunderstorms and monsoons that time of year. To me it was the clouds that gave this image impact.