+++ The Weekly Landscape Thread - #2, 2025 02.14

A buddy and loaded our horses and headed to Big Bend for a week one February many moons ago. It was one of the most unique places on the face of the earth. It is also an international dark sky destination. When there is no moon, it is pitch black and night and one understands the Carl Sagan comment about billions and billions of stars because you can see them. A full moon is so bright, it cast shadows.

Nice image. Well seen and well captured. It captures the beauty of this unique place.

It’s a great area to visit. The shot shows this well. Amazing that it was all made by natural processes. The inclusion of the people on the left gives an idea of the huge scale of the fairy chimneys.

On an aside,… I visited them many moons ago and found them fascinating. And recently I’ve been cycling past by them “in the gym” 😊 They have a monitor screen there that shows you a trail path that you can virtually “cycle through” and Cappadoccia is one of the trails I select.

A Trio of Sea Cliffs.

Once upon a time I was a geologist, and in my landscapes I often aim to see the 'bones beneath the skin'. Sometimes the bones come right through 😁

Woah!! That's a bit vertigo inducing!
The red of the rocks complements the sage greens of the vegetaion so well, and the little glint of water at the bottom draws you in.... !!

A more classic composition than last week's, but I think I prefer the previous one, with the veil effect and muted colours.

So typical of those canarian tree-heather forests. Nice inviting path leading somewhere... Makes me want to plan a winter break right now. I think I would lift the shadows a bit.

I spent quite a while gazing at this - lots to explore. Definitely my kind of landscape 😀 The cloud along the top balances the scene nicely.
Personally I rarely do B&W, though I recognise it works well here and in many other situations. I just wonder out of curiosity what the colours were like?

This is a great shot! You've composed it so well, with the curve of the rocks picked up by the shape of the dark clouds. And the colours!

Beautiful! Another fine composition with the foreground yuccas nicely balancing the sunlit cliffs. The snow is a real gift, transforming the scene and creating wondeful textures in the vegetation.

I prefer the second one here, with the boulder cut in half; it frees up a bit more room in the rest of the image, so I can better enjoy the open space and the view of the lake. I would probably also crop off a bit more from the bottom, so that we see less of the “untidy” looking brown and rotting leaves. Would have been nice to see some more of the lake on the left side too, to open that lake view up even further.
In the first image here, the boulder is the main subject for me and it keeps pulling my gaze back to it, so that I somehow miss the calming atmosphere of the lake and the little white pagoda and all the reflections

Landscape photography book recommendation

Over the years I have collected quite a few landscape photography books.
It’s always interesting to see what others are doing, the results they’re getting and perhaps gain a few tips on how to improve my own skills.
This book recommendation is all about the inspiration and the enjoyment you get when the light is good

David Noton, Photography Essentials: Waiting for the Light
Here’s one link

His specialty is to plan photo trips to include situations where the light might be good, be “in place” and then wait & wait for the magic to happen.
Most photos in the book are panoramic style and they all have one thing in common. Fantastic Light and inspiration

Color, sky was blue. Bentonite formations light brownish with a little red and clouds. Depending on how wet the spring, there might be some vegetation. What makes the badlands interesting is the forms and textures - not the color.

www.nps.gov/articles/000/badl-geologic-formations.htm

This is the South Dakota badlands. This summer we are spending some time in the North Dakota badlands, i.e., Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It will be interesting to see the similarities and differences.

Very nicely done. The lines of the yellow hill side rising to a peak at the ouse and the road is striking.

One of my favourites is "Landscape Within; Insights and Inspiration for Photographers" by David Ward. www.amazon.co.uk/Landscape-Within-Insights-Inspiration-Photographers/dp/190253834X David Ward tends to focus on what is nowadyas referred to as 'intimate landscapes' - the details that make a place special. I'm also a big fan of Mark Littlejohn's work marklittlejohnphotography.com/ I'm afraid I'm too impatient to wait around for ages for the perfect light (plus I usually have 'other half' in tow), so Mark Littlejohn's more spontaneous philosophy suits me well.

The upside down version is definitely my preference. The stream reminds me of a mini Rio Tinto 😁

I guess colour is in the eye of the beholder. Definitely yes to forms and textures. Badlands are landscapes that fascinate me and I seem to gravitate towards such extreme landscapes when travelling. I've never visited the States, but Dakota would definitely be on my list. Looking forward to seeing some of the results of your upcoming visit to the north.