Fairy Chimneys

Earlier this year I visited Turkey to scout for new workshop locations. The region I selected was Cappadocia, in the south of Turkey. It's an area of exceptional natural wonders and a unique historical and cultural heritage. The volcanic landscape is entirely sculpted by millions of years of erosion. Wind and rain have created a bizarre field of hundreds of conical formations. Many of these sandstone pillars, also known as fairy chimneys, contain labyrinths and caves where Christians once hid to avoid persecution.

As usual, I had done my research before I began exploring this area, but I was stunned when I actually walked there myself. When I took this shot, I had not been very lucky with the weather that day. The sky was nothing but a featureless, dull grey blanket. So I decided to just limit myself to exploring, finding angles, looking for the best shooting positions, and putting it all in my GPS. After a couple of hours, the weather started to change. The clouds became thicker and darker, with more definition. The darkness of the clouds contrasted nicely with the yellows of the rocks, so I decided to set up my gear and wait for whatever would come. When the clouds behind me suddenly parted for a few seconds, just enough for the sun to peek through en throw some light on the pillars, I took this shot.

This kind of perspective distortion is usually something I try to avoid, but in this case I thought it emphasized the height of the pillars, while at the same time pulling your eye into the center of the shot.

Your comments and suggestions are appreciated as always.

D3X, AF-S 14-24/2.8, 1/50 @ f/16, ISO 100