I'm not sure what to say . . . it's been a tough year, and one not very condusive to taking pictures, what with the death of my camera and a complete lack of inspiration. I'm trying hard to get back on the horse . . . I'm not there yet, but my feet are in the stirrups. :)
Oh yeah . . . and I have a new camera. Yay!
About the photo: it was taken two days ago when, about 30 minutes before sunset, I realized the sky would probably be in good form, what with all the smoke from a nearby bog fire. So I raced down to the beach and power walked halfway down the trail before I realized I had to set up where I was and just shoot from there. Le result.
Becky? Becky V?? Where on earth have you been, my friend?!?! I see that you have gone digital - and not easing in, either - right to the 20D! :) I really like this photo, with it's wonderful muted palette of pinks, purples and grays! I think the contrails are a positive element in the composition, and I love the way they pick up the colors of the sunset and zig-zag the eye back down to the 'volcano' (it really does look like something out of Iceland or something!) Welcome back, girl!!
Colin, I failed to mention it (this is what happens when you start rambling), but this photo IS a crop! My one and only lens is pretty short, so I couldn't zoom into the "volcano" the way I wanted to. Instead, I cropped the photo to make it feel like it was closer. I wanted to crop as close as I could to the intersecting lines on the left, but after looking at your crop, I can see it's not necessary.
Stefan, I agree about the contrail (and now I know what they're called!) - without them, I think the shot would be a bit dull. I don't know what to do about the red channel adjustments - I've seen this photo on three different computers and it looks different on all three. But I'll play with it anyway. :)
Audrey, I'm very, very, very happy not to have to deal with bad developing and scans anymore. However, I'm still getting used to the digital, and have yet to take some clear, crisp photos. But at least I'm not paying for film! Thanks for your feedback.
Hi Becky, Sorry to hear you've had a rough year, hope time has helped smooth the rough. Glad you're over the photographic 'block'. Seems most of us at some point or rather pass through that stage. Getting a new camera must help a heap too. I seem to remember you beating yourself up over film...are you finding digital easier? The image is beautiful, the milky smooth tones give a dreamy feel. The far away tanker balances the bird in the sky perfectly. I rather prefer Colin's squarish crop.
Hi Becky - I was just wondering where you went off to, having been absent myself for a bit. In my case it seems like actually getting the cameras I wanted to try out cooled off my interest. A little strange maybe, but sometimes a little break is just what you need to get a fresh eye. Anyway, about this image - I like the pink to gray/blue canvas of the sky and the big sky feel is the main impression I walk off with. This may be one of those times when it would be a good thing to edit out a contrail but it is a little hard to tell since it is so dominant in this image, not just an "imperfection". I think the red channel got blown out in the "volcano" so if you have the latitude it could be good to back off a little bit there. Cheers, -S.
0 
