Mesa Verde Poster
Jan, 2015Views
311
Likes
Awards
Chatter Award
Thumbs Up
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Top Choice
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank week 1
Top 30 rank week 1
1WolfPhotography
November 05, 2016
Is this a Photo of a Poster? Did you take the Original Photo in the Poster?
Platinum
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Square Tower House Mesa Verde National Park Cortez, ColoradoTime
Eleven in the morning on an overcast day in mid September.Lighting
I shoot ancient ruins all over the American southwest and it's really hard to get good lighting that showcases the colors and details of the remains. I have learned the hard way to save my trips for late spring and early fall to coincide with the desert monsoons whenever possible. The rains wash the rocks of their usual dust, amplify the natural beauty of the stone and the clouds filter the light to beautiful hues.Equipment
Hand held Canon Rebel XT with a telephoto lens. Despite it's age I love this camera it has given me years of trouble free service and produces beautiful photos -- often better than those of my friends who have thousands of dollars in the latest gear. Despite what everyone advises, I never use a tripod and the weight of this camera helps to keep it more balanced and stable than my newer, lighter weight cameras.Inspiration
I love the national parks, they are our nation's greatest public treasure. When we lived in Sedona we used to hike through the ruins of what is now the Palatki Heritage Site. At the time they sere simply a part of a local hiking trail and the road to the area was known as two trees because there were two huge pines next to the road where it joined Highway 89A. My curiosity about the remains led me to seek out information about the ancient inhabitants who built them. As my husband and I traveled farther afield, I would always ask to visit whatever archaeological remains were in the area.Editing
The only post processing I did on the photo itself was to touch up a few areas with very obvious bird droppings that were distracting to the image and a poor reflection on the stewardship of these magnificent structures. The photo was then placed in one of the InDesign layouts that I created to encompass a whole series of photos, posters, books, organizers and other items that I entitled "Spirits of the Ancients". My greatest thrill would be to have these items sold at the park service stores.In my camera bag
I don't carry a lot of stuff as a general rule. My old Rebel XT with a 70-200 telephoto lens and a smaller camera with a wider angle. I toss a polarizing filter and a second lens in my vest pockets along with extra batteries. I'm always in hiking boots because you never know where you'll end up and I carry a hat in my vest, as well as a chain for my glasses because I cannot shoot with them on for some reason. Basically, if I can't throw it in the pockets of my vest it stays in the car....Feedback
The best advice I can offer is be patient and keep an eye on the weather and shoot what you LOVE. If you have no interest in the ruins, shoot the flora and fauna, the people or whatever -- just have a passion for it because it will show in end. It's also helpful to have a partner who's willing to be dragged along and help you climb up hills and through doorways - not to mention keeping you from falling down those same hills and cliffs.
