Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

The sky had been uniformly gray all yesterday morning, but since there was no definition in the clouds, I'd pretty much written the day off as a non-shooting one. Then, around 1 pm, weather alerts --Rain! Thundershowers! Mayhem!-- 'extreme weather warnings' began popping up on my cell phone's weather app every few minutes or so. These, of course, prompted me to think, hey, maybe its time to change the plan then in effect (i.e., to stay inside and whatever rather than waste my time elsewhere, out in the blazing heat and the uninteresting skies). Grabbed some drinking water, my keys, and a couple of camera cases, and off I went.

Under circumstances like these, I seldom know which way I'll ultimately go until I reach the first cross street. There, I can better see which way the sky looks more 'promising' than I'm able to beforehand, but even then its a crap shoot since living in the bottom of a valley surrounded by thousand foot cliffs, it isn't possible to see what delicious madness might lie on the horizon until higher ground is reached. In any event, from what I could tell from that corner, it looked as though going north might be best. Now, there's an endless supply of destinations to choose from, of course, but any of those I considered would be in places accessible only by going 'off-road.' And were it to the rain as the app had been warning, a lot of off-road situations around here can quickly become epic. Usually, and almost predictably, when epic is not what you necessarily want. So I settled for the paved park road in Arches NP.

Shortly after entering the park proper --and chatting a few minutes with my favorite Fee Collection Ranger at the Fee Booth (and who mentioned that some 700+ vehicles had entered the park to that point in her shift)-- I topped the switchbacks and could finally see off into some distances. Rain? Out of those paltry clouds? No way! But there I was, so....

Shooting Mid-Day might lack the drama we otherwise seek, but its better than sitting at home and watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island. Plus, since the air was utterly still, it allowed me to shoot some stuff intended for focus stacking, often a tricky thing to attempt in the field. The shots? Nuthin' special, but I like 'em. Hope you don't find them overly blah.

It did, however, finally rain. Must've been around 3am or so, but I'm not sure.

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jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

Nice--especially the first one.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

When I saw the thumbnails I thought Oh Boy more of Cany's work. Then I looked at them and downloaded them and thought how utterly blah!...NOT! I suspect your Blah is most peoples' bragging rights for the rest of their lives.
I've never seen a photo from you with the main component centered in the frame. But it works. (Assuming the butte is the main Component)

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Yup, centered right there in the frame. Next, I plan to do a series of portraits that have trees or light poles or whatever in the background sticking up out of the people's heads. Gonna call it my neo-newbie phase. It'll make a million. Wait 'n see.

Alright, seriously now, you've probably never (though admittedly, even I'd have to check the accuracy of that) seen an image I've posted that has a single 'main component.' More typically, there'll be two --or sometimes more-- 'main components' that 'relate' to one another in some particular way. It's ok if you haven't noticed; nobody does. <sigh...>

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

OK. Let me try this again. I have, indeed noticed your propensity for encompassing more than one subject in most, maybe all of your photographs. That's what makes your work so recognizable. And I admire your ability to do that.
With the photograph in question I recognize the leading lines formed by the clouds pointing to the butte from both the right and left sides. I suppose that could be considered another subject. And of course the leaning, dead juniper that helps to balance the mass of the butte, except that the mass of the butte doesn't need to be balanced because it's dead center in the frame.
With the leading lines and the juniper leaning TOWARD the butte, I can't see how the butte is NOT the main component. Am I wrong?
Maybe I'm over analyzing the whole thing. Not meant to be a criticism, I already said it works and it's a great shot. I'm just trying to figure out why it works. I might want to do a little plagerizing and use the technique myself some day.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Without having to analyze or think too much (not my strong suit), I like this set, Jim.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

What UTMike said.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

You're not overanalyzing at all, Chief. Actually, you're seeing things pretty well. Except that while its accurate to say the butte is --due its center placement and the cloud's 'leading lines' within the composition-- a 'main component,' it is not the only component. The 'dead' (actually, despite appearances, its not dead) tree is nearer spatially, and it stands 'superior' from the point of view of the viewer. On my end, I could easily have taken a few steps to either side and eliminated the tree altogether, or I could've not crouched down as low as I had to produce an upward angle that places the tree superior to the rock. I could likewise have done as I've done (and posted) before, and 'placed' the tree slightly to the right of the rock, such that it appears to be in a leaning stance that moves away from the 'harder' more 'rooted' butte.

I do not view the things in a landscape as 'components.' I view them as elements, figuratively and literally. Likewise, I also view them as 'characters,' as if they were human actors in a play or a story. But more importantly, I view them as concepts that by their placement --their 'relationship' to each other--, and within the whole of a composition, as what is observable in the acts and the emotions of others. If I had to sum it all up, I'd call the 'better' of what I shoot social/psychological commentary. They're not always 'pretty pictures.' But what I observe is fact.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure I understand it all fully. But I'll nibble around the edges for awhile and see what I can come up with. Is it OK in the meantime if I appreciate them as "pretty pictures"?

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

Sure.

J-SPEIGHT Loc: Akron, Ohio

Nice set Jim.

pappleg

Hi Jim, Writers call it Pot Boiling and for Baseball Players it is Grinding-the process of pursuing one's craft day-in, day-out regardless of conditions or your your level of excitement about what happens to be in front of your lens. It usually does not produce one's most extraordinary work but it is always moving toward improvement in technique, seeing and responding to whatever is there. An early mentor of mine Fred Picker used to say "Chance favors the prepared mind". I am a firm believer that one of the most important qualities inherent to photography is patience. One of my favorite photos of all time is in a studio in Sedona Arizona (cannot recall the name) of a typical Arizona landscape of red rock mountains and desert with no structures and sparse vegetation taken at night. It was a dark sky area with no apparent light pollution in the distance. The photographer used a 5 X 7 view camera set up and framed and focussed at dusk and then he waited for the predicted thunderstorms. Some six hours later they finally showed up at 2:00am; seeing activity in the distance beyond the mountains he waited until the storm got closer and into the desert valley before he opened his shutter on bulb and within a few minutes it happened. Two simultaneous lightning strikes almost perfectly vertical and splitting his frame into roughly thirds appeared and fully lit his scene in ultra dramatic fashion. It is a fabulous image and I would love to have it but printed at 5' X 7' I have no place to put it-a bit pricey too at $4,500 but if I had the resources and space I'd own it. Keep boiling that pot, Jim. Pat

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

In my book, no photo in Utah is blah! And these are certainly no exception to that rule.

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good set, Cany.

Susan yamakawa

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