The Quiet + B/W Version

B/W version.

I prefer the b&w because it shows the contrast of the playa much better and is more appealing in midday light.

The color palette is beautiful so I like the color version better. The B&W is interesting as well, but I'd dodge the clouds a little more. Wonderful place!

Tough to choose between the two, but I think I like the color more. Great work.

I like both with a slight nod to the b & w. The foreground is really interesting, like you could do some abstracts with it.

I prefer the color version, Scott. I think I'm a sucker for golds and blues, especially when they're together. This place has a barren beauty about it.

Both versions look good--color has nice warm/cool contrast and B&W has nice overall contrast. What a great title to go with the image.

A beautiful and peaceful place for sure - love it there.
Excellent images - both of them.
The color showcases the great sky, mountains, and deseret patterns, so is my favorite of the two.
However, the B&W emphasizes the patterns since there is no color to pull the eye.
Such a great vista would work well with a landscape orientation too.
Sandy

This is a very nice photo of opposites. First, there is the color -- blue versus tan. Secondly, there is the texture: cracked playa versus high clouds in the sky. Finally, there is the environment -- desert versus mountain. The result is an almost dream-like feel.

My only nit is the angle of the shot. The mountains in the background taper off in the distance as they span from left to right. My eye moves with the diminishing mountains right off the right side of the composition. I feel like a step to the right, and shooting back toward the left would fix this.

This is of course assuming that there isn't something just outside the left side of the frame that would prohibit this, or that the mountains do not continue in similar fashion to the left.

Very well done, especially for midday. My vote goes to the color, although they're both great.

It sure is an incredible place out there, huh. I prefer the color version, as it makes me feel like I'm there better than the black and white.

Scott, nice work. You turn out the ordinary subject to be part of beautiful image. BW version look very nice for me..

Prefer the colour version. Somehow the BW looks rather flat. The colours come through quite nicely despite the midday light. Good result under tough conditions.

Scott,

Excellent near/far composition. The patterns in the dried mud anchor the scene well. The color combo works well, although they're mid-day color... And for that alone, I think the b&w really stands out for me and actually portrays the location beautifully. Great contrast and tonal range and I think even the patterns in the mud are enhanced with the conversion.

The color version is good, but I really think the b&w version is a winner!

Lon

Amazing. B/W because the details stand out better.

Great work...I prefer the colored version

Brigitte

I relish the quiet, something few people get to experience in this world filled with ambient noise, both literally and figuratively. Beautiful scene. I prefer the B&W.

Lori

I think the black and white brings out the textures better, and has a "cleaner" look to it. However, the rock in the middle of the mud cracks is better emphasized in the color version, and the color contrast does work nicely. I would lean ever so slightly toward the color just because the rock is such a focal point in the composition and seems to get lost in the black and white. I'd keep both of them because they're both great images.

I think the colour works fine, Scott, but the whole thing looks a little light to my eye. Have you looked at it one to two thirds of a stop darker?

Very nice scene Scott, love the contrasting colors and great detail. Has a nice crisp feel to it. Great capture.

Such stark beauty, I love it! I can see the affinity for the b&w, but, I still prefer the color. Both are excelllent!

Chris

Wonderful composition, I like the B&W better due to the constrast layers between the dark sky, snow capped mts and cracked earth with one lone rock. Well done.