Could Have Should Have+repost
by Peter Coskun
I've been very fortunate to be able to photograph the grand canyon the last few years and has become one of my favorite places to shoot. It's grand vistas are stunning, and the intricate details within the canyon can sometimes be magical when the light hits it right. I've also had my share of good light over the canyon. Some of the best I've had anywhere while shooting. There were storms brewing up north, and a friend of mine asked if I would like to go up to the canyon with him and his girlfriend. I figured a free trip to the canyon wouldn't be such a bad day and the possibility of an incredible sunset. We wandered around the rim for a few hours mid afternoon until my friend asked me where I would like to shoot sunset. He knows I was there to shoot, and being the former photographer he is knew the chance for a spectacular sunset. After briefly making a stop at grandview point and running into Doug K for a chat, we headed to Lipan point. I shot this scene in the winter when it was -9 and it was about 90 degrees here. The storms moving across the canyon and clouds separating revealing some beautiful light gave me lots of hope until I heard five words from his girlfriend..."I want to go home". There was an hour until the sun would set, and I KNEW the light was going to break. My friend was in a pickle, well, one that didn't last very long. He obliged to his girlfriend and off we were back to Flagstaff to have dinner with some of their friends. She asked me if I would be upset if we left, and I told her the light was going to break, and there would be an incredible sunset. Leaving now would have been a waste of a whole day trip here. She scoffed and I told my buddy that if the light exploded on the way back to Flag, that I would like to stop and try to get something. Once we were on the 89 going south it began raining lightly, but I could see the sun still shining through the clouds to the west. By the time we reached the Wupatki national monument entrance, the sky was on fire. Orange, red, yellow, pink, every warm color that comes with sunset. Oh, and lighting and two rainbows! I almost caused an accident I was screaming so loud. I couldn't believe it, one of the best sunsets I have seen and I am sitting in a truck watching it all with the camera right next to me. We never stopped, thanks to the girl. My friend bought me dinner that night, and let me drive his brand new truck back to PHX. I could have and should have had an EPIC shot from here. I was kinda lucky here, and I think the light and processing emphasize how I felt that night. Soft and gloomy. Comments and critiques appreciated.
Canon 7d
Canon 17-40mm @28mm
f14
ISO 100
1/80th sec
Tripod
Comments
16 commentsThis must've been a sight to see!
--P
Chris
So, I dig the bottom half of the image, like, really nice! The top half has color issues. Cyan in the canyon, magenta up on that peak, a brown cloud in the upper right, and a white, kinda blown sky. I'd maybe try giving that sky another go. After that, it'd be a winner!
Ted, my friend doesn't go by the old saying bros before h#$ I guess haha
I hope your buddy dumps the girlfriend, for his sake and yours.
Peter, your repost is better but is that the way it looked? There's a weird "dirty brown" vignette in the top right corner.
Kane, this isn't really too far off from what it really looked like. There wasn't any smoke, just rain and a very humid atmosphere which created some haze throughout the canyon. I'm not seeing the brown in the repost, I did notice it in the original after Ted mentioned it though.