Heat and Dust, a photo from Aqaba, South

Photographer's Note

In the afternoon heat, a party of desert travellers bring up a cloud of dust.

I didn’t like the original version of this shot so much as there was some noticeable lens flare in the foreground. After cloning it out, this is what I was left with – still quite some flare in the sky but I liked the atmosphere and effect of the shot anyway.

bibiweb, jiherka, riclopes, aloyho has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

tjanze (5674) 2006-03-18 13:47

Hi Susanna!
Very good show desert heat.Light and colors are fantastic.Also the landscape.Excelent shot.

gigi (2668) 2006-03-18 14:42

hi Susanna
tres joli contre jour
les personnage se detache bien ...
bravo
jean louis

designsoul (17843) 2006-03-18 15:37

THe flare, in fact, works in your favour, imo, Susanna. It gives an otherworldy quality to this tremendous shot that has so much to offer in terms of composition, light, tonal values... superb work!
sasa

azuri (1598) 2006-03-18 15:42

Hi, Susanna! Nice shot - light and composition are very good. THe dust in the air and many of mountains are especially great/

Well done,
Natalia

Framboisilla (5277) 2006-03-18 16:23

Bonsoir Susanna,

J'aime beaucoup cette photo, le lйger contre-jour donne un bel effet. Jolis contrastes, belles couleurs qui me rappelle mon voyage lа-bas !

Cordialement,
Stйphanie.

toni_al (15875) 2006-03-18 17:37

Salut Susanna
Joli contre jour avec cette petite carvanne qui donne vie a ce paysage desertique.
Amicalement
Toni

Berat (1580) 2006-03-18 18:14

Salut Suzanna
Trиs belle prise de vue.
La lumiиre est magnifique, et comme ont dis les autres le contre jour donne un super effet qui dйtache bien les personnages.
Salutations
Berat

rowanb (864) 2006-03-18 20:27

very harsh light, worth returning to at a different time of the day if possible, but you've done pretty well for the conditions and i really like the shot

rushfan2112 (2965) 2006-03-19 2:34

Susanna, I like this shot. It reminds me of a scene from a "Spaghetti Western" or should that be a "Cous-Cous Western" in this case? Paul.

bibiweb (8) 2006-03-19 3:28

Bonjour Susanna,
Beau contre-jour oщ la pourripre crйe un йcran sur lequel cette caravane se dйtache parfaitement. On a l'impression d'y кtre et surtout de ressentir la chaleur des lieux en regardant cette image.
Bon dimanche.
Brigitte

nwoehnl (122) 2006-03-19 6:31

I think this was really worth the extra post-work you put in, Susanna, and the remaining flare is rather an asset than a weakness. The photo has a strong atmospheric element from the way in which the opposing sun renders the dust and the layered mountain silhouettes in the back. Also nice to have these lines and footprints in the foreground converging towards the center. Very nice, almost like a scene from a David Lean movie.

PixelTerror (0) 2006-03-19 6:49

Salut Susanna,
Je trouve que tu as bien reussi le sauvetage de cette vue avec ton PP, il en resulte une ambiance tres western a la sauce arabe, il y avait le western spaghetti, ca ca doit etre le western merguez ;-)
J'aime bien aussi la succession des cretes avec les differences de lumieres, on est plus habitues a voir ca sur des photos des Alpes, mais toi tu as choisi de faire original...
Bon dimanche,
Jean-Yves

capthaddock (28790) 2006-03-19 15:13

Hi Susanna - indeed great timing, I like how the brightest ray of light is right on top of the "cowboy/girl", I also like the way the backlighting with haze defines the mountain ranges. The only thing I would change is the footsteps and vehicle tracks, only because there is so many of them.

jiherka (4552) 2006-03-20 16:23

Hello Susanna,
Nice composition. I like the back light on the camels. The light of the sun on the dust is also making some beautiful and strange effect.
Well done.
Salutations
Jacques

Tracker (1942) 2006-03-28 9:26

Hi Susanna,
Nice well composed picture. It looks like a small expedition to catch the hidden treasures :)
Thanks.

riclopes (35577) 2006-04-04 9:58

Hi Susanna,
I haven't visit your gallery for a while and was surprised with some impressive shots. This particulary one has an amazing atmosphere. I feel that I'm inside a movie scene. The dramatic light, the dust, the layers of the rock hills in the background and the travellers's sillhouettes in there, make this a magnific image. I love the detail of the light on the white cloth. Excellent work!
TFS,
Ricardo

aloyho (6798) 2006-05-23 2:26

Hi Susanna,
I just can't help but be attracted to this shot. The back lighting really brings out the atmosphere and you have made the right choice. I enjoyed the scene and the good tonal effect of the distant mountains, the travellers and the drifting dust cloud. A very successful shot!! Regards and thanks.