Island in the Sky

Heres the B&W.

Otherworldly is the only way I can describe this Stan...love it.
The B&W is cool, but the color version has more depth, IMO. Well seen!

Really nice Stan, and very well composed, and I especially like the little section of dunes surrounded in darkness. Color version most definitely. Beautiful work.
John

Hi Stan

this is just great

i like the contrast here btw the light & shadow

mmm i think something wrong with my screen because the shadow areas seems to be pixelated & colorized

Hamed

Lovely composition Stan.

I like the blue hint in the shadows.

Giovanni

This is very unique Stan, I really like the diagonals and the "floating" island, excellent stuff!.

Your previsualizing of abstracts certainly worked here. This is so well done it
almost has a three dimensional effect. There both worthy, but I prefer the B &
W.

I prefer the B&W with the strong contrast and diagonal comp. The shadows in the color version have a blue cast on my monitor. Is there any way to bring out a little more detail in the shadows without losing the great contrast? I'm straining to see whats in there.

The cast would have been a lot more blue if i hadnt have used a custom white balance, Barry. This was one shoot where i can confidently say that the colors are nearly identical to what i saw, because i checked them on site, its somethng ive been trying to do more of lately. I could easily bring up the shadows here, but that would destroy the whole idea of the shot, at least how i saw it (hence the title). I processed it with a little extra contrast so that there is just a hint of detail--its all in deep shadows anyways, so i didnt see any reason to show things (like the patches of old snow in the upper right side) that i could barely see in person. Thanks for your comment!

As soon as I saw this I knew it was signed Stan :)
Gorgeous, the only think I would have liked more than this is the background dune just lit at the tip, leaving the whole thing floating amidst the blank black background. I guess you too, but I dont think you are able to move mountains of sand at will (not yet, at least :)) That does not mean the image as it is lacks impact or interest. I like it Stan,

Rafael--thanks, if you stand a couple feet away and squint you can get the effect you're looking for

This is fabulous, Stan! The color version appeals to me a lot more than the B&W. At first I kept thinking the bright foreground was overwhelming the background, but the more I've looked at this, the more I've come to appreciate the balance between the two. I do think Rafael has a good point for an alternative comp, so you'll just have to go back.

Very, very cool image, Stan!!! Definitely other-worldly. I really like both, but I think the B&W has more impact and sense of mystery. Great work!

Sweet!

I'm partial to the B&W version myself, but the color is no slouch either. Very nice layering.

Top notch work Stan, i really prefer the color version- it has more subtle tonalities imho.

Color version for me Stan, stunning image, abstract for sure.

Love the color version. The thing that makes this image for me is the light hitting the distant dune. So definitely keep the deep shadows.

I like the graphic nature & simplicity of this image. I wish the shadows were actually a bit darker. I am surprised to say this but I prefer the color version. I usually prefer B&W with this type of image.

Killer shot Stan, you keep coming back with some outstanding work from here. Love that Island and the sense of space you've created. Great capture. I'm torn, but I think I prefer the color..

Crisp, clean and beautiful. Well done, Stan. Both versions.

Very ethereal Stan. I like the color version a little better. When I first saw the thumbnail, 2001 A Space Odyssey came to mind. Excellent work.

Awesome shot and effect! B/W version for my 2 cents.

Beautiful work Stan, I love this blue shadow. The contrast between these two colors are magnificent
The best thing here I really like is the proper exposure where we I can see details every where

Great work Stan


Waiting for the next awesome work

Love this one Stan!!! I love the color version...

Very nice, the color version is best for my taste. This a great example of composing with light

Very nice. I think I will call you Sand Rose from now on. I like how the dune in the background just appears out of nowhere. Color is my preference.

Stan,
I love this... The floating dune really pulls one into the image and makes you study the image. I find the color image more pleasing. There is some wonderfully subtle things going on in the blue areas of the image. You make me want to travel out to the dunes...

This is great, Stan. I like the color version much more. The play of light is just awesome.

Really sweet Stan, you outdid yourself again. I am enjoying both version, the b+w in particular. There is a certain mysterious quality about it. Now the color is great on it's own as well. I am wondering if the blues where toned way down how it would look. Spectacular shots btw.
Thanks for sharing

Hi Stan I wish i could comment on all your fine work, But my weak eyes need rest sometimes But i could not pass this one up. I really love this fine composition and awesome light. i'll take the color version Both are superb.
Albert Darmo Canada

This is very edgy. It seems like there is a lot of tension in the angles, and light/shadow. This makes the entire image very dynamic IMO. I'd like to see this in a print, in order to see all the little grainy details in the foreground.

Chris

excellent stan - this is where the compositional aspects of the photo are most important and yours works well. love both renditions.

That's fantastic Stan, otherwordly is exactly the word that came to my mind too! Color for me.

Stan,

i keep thinking i'll run out of subjects at the Sand Dunes,

I keep thinking you'll run out of subjects...... and you keep turning out winners! This is wonderful - I would say other-wordly. In fact, this could easily pass as an image of space; you know, the one where the space craft has a view of some distant planet's surface with a view back to earth - or vice versa? Well this has that look to me; and image from space with the surface of some planet in the foreground with the surface or some other galaxy feature in the background. The color or b&w version both do the same thing....

Outstanding imagery Stan. Ok, this is repetitive, but others haven't heard it... when is the book coming out???

Lon

It's easier for me to pick of those subtleties of tone in the shadows in the black and white version, which I very much like. On the other hand, the colors are not at all distracting, and they are a pleasing combination. It would be really hard for me to choose one or the other, but I lean B&W in this case.

I know what it's like to have a subject around with limitless potential. What a blessing.

Thanks for all the kind remarks, folks!
Lon, im glad this connected with you in the way it did--Eva mentioned 2001, which happens to be my all time fav movie, i love spacy things and thats probably the main reason i love shooting the dunes. As for the book--discussions are underway, i may wait til Spring to get a few more shots of the mountain lakes that are part of the park.

This is very very creative, Stan. The play of light and shadow has been done to excellence. I'd be really proud to have made an image such as this.

Amazing, Stan!
I prefer the colour version. If I were in the space, above a planet!
It could be very good, without foreground, just the "island", too.
Congrats.

Sweet capture Stan,

I love the detail and illumination in the immediate foreground, and of course the diagonals, comp and contrast rock!!!!

Phenomenal image Stan. Color image wins hands down in my book; the light glows. Love it.

Stan, you da man! Love it.

Mark

Reminds of the view the first astronauts had looking back at the earth.
Beautiful and "other worldly"

I really like this, Stan. Wonderful concept for a sand dune. Technically, I would prefer a little burning at the top right of the foreground dune. The brightness in this area feels like it's strayed a bit too far from that of the rest of the dune.

The BW really makes it look like something oozing out of the primordial muck, the eyes and back just breaking the surface, very cool

A seriously excellent photo. Color for me.

Very cool Stan. I love the color version. A very 3 dimensional image. Very well composed.

Thanks for all the comments, folks!