Vertigo
by Ben Horne
I have yet to come up with a title for this one, but this ledge here would be a nightmare for anyone with acrophobia. It was amazing to see how lizards can run right up these sheer cliffs.
I went for a different sort of composition on this one --- partially out of necessity, partially out of experimentation. The scan is not the highest quality possible, but the original sheet of film has good shadow detail.
For anyone curious about the large format process, or what's going through my mind when I'm shooting, checkout my blog. I have write-ups, as well as daily video journals that include a peak under the dark cloth when I'm setting up the shot.
http://benhorne.wordpress.com
Ebony RW810 | 300mm | Velvia 100 8x10
Comments
23 commentsLove it. I guess I'll have to camp out there a year and try to out do the lighting...
Nice job Ben.
Mark
Outstanding image; great color and visual mix between the wall and the canyon/river below. A perfect balance and juxtaposition. Kudos for the planning and execution of the capture. Enjoyed the video right up to the point where is see you with the 8x10 perched on the precipice. I'm one of those who wouldn't get near that spot - maybe with a handrail and a safety rope... yikes!
Great work regardless.
Lon
Russ -- This is at Toroweap, which is an out of the way overlook at Grand Canyon National park. It's 62 miles of dirt road from the highway. The road starts part way between Fredonia AZ, and Colorado City. It's a beautiful location. 4WD is not necessary, but high ground clearance is. Check out my blog for more info regarding the campground. Great place to visit!
Mark -- The composition was "forced" based on my lenses. My wide was too wide, the long was too long, so I chose the momma bear lens. Vertical didn't work, so I tried horizontal, and relegating the river to the right side. There were no clouds in the sky, so I didn't even attempt anything that included sky. Even with clouds, it would take a VERY strong grad filter to capture the necessary tones. The lighting is standard issue at Toroweap. Nothing special about this time of year, you just need a cloudless morning. The key is to use a polarizer though. You'd be amazed at how much glare that is on that cliff, and how much a polarizer will help.