Desert ...

[GB1]

The barren ol' desert.

C&Cs welcome.

G

[LeeIs]

I like it, very western. love the leaning electric post. i don't mind that the water tank is centered either. i wish the foreground was a little less exposed since the sky is a bit dark. nice one

[gahspidy]

Love the subject, the scene and especially the leaning post. I'm feeling there is too much space all around and I'm not crazy about the heavy dark area in the top sky. I suggest cropping the sky just down past the dark, and then cropping from the left side about a 1/3 of the way in towards the water tank.
Very cool American western scene

[kisu]

The water tower, old building and the leaning telephone pole work for me but i think the sky is too dark and i'd be tempted to crop the bank to the left of the image out.

[Wolfy]

Is that the way the sky came out or did you burn it in? Either way, It's cool except for that. I might crop is narrow to give it a sense of constriction.

-M

[daq7]

You know, I think that dark sky really makes this shot. If you had the same crop and a totally bright sky, I think this might look like a poorly chosen snapshot. I really hate to say that, because it sounds bad, but the sky somehow gives the structure some, uhm, gravitas that I think it would not have if the sky were gone.

I might be off the rails though, so...

[jetrim]

I don't find the dark sky particularly bothersome, but do think I'd like to see it as a square crop or 6x7 (medium format orientation), losing the left side.

[GB1]

Thanks all... an American West pic it is. There are just so many of these deserted buildings out there. I think of all the failed business ventures - restaurants, gas stations, etc - these represent, and how nobody wants the buildings.

But what great R.E. Plenty of land, your own water tower, and close to a major highway! Only thing you need to worry about is that pole coming down on your house and possibly electrocuting you.

Leels - Thanks, I sort of feel the leaning power (telephone?) line makes the shot.

Gary, Jet, I have several, but the neg. space is actually what drew me to this particular image. Alas, I see your point... see the attached 7/6 ratio crop.

kisu, Wolfy, I used a polarizer. You really have to in the desert if you plan on shooting in the daytime. What you end up with is a wild looking sky like this, but it beats a washed-out one, as Daq mentioned. See the edit where I tried reducing the contrast between foreground and sky (I personally don't think it works, but post it anyway).

Daq, I think you are right on on what would have happened w/o the darkened sky. When one's driving through, you get what you get at the time of day you hit it.

An interesting side story on this trip. I was driving out to El Paso last Feb to run a marathon, and did a lot of photography along the way. There was one small town named Bowie, AZ had some interesting semi-abandoned old farm houses, etc., just off I-10. As I was shooting them with a tripod, a gal stopped her car and inquired what I was doing ... she said some folks in the town cook meth and might think I was a Federal agent, and that they may react in a hostile fashion. Seemed reasonable ........

[jetrim]

Yeah, I see your point. It tightens it up, but a bit too much.

[Greg McCary]

GB I like the second edit better. I like that the power lines darken as they leave the frame. The color seems off it the foreground, did you use a polarizer? I also see banding in the sky.

[GB1]

Greg, I did use a polarizer. I see that banding, not sure why the software injected it into the image. Not sure what to do about this one ... seems a little harsh due to time of day, intense sky gradient adds a surreal effect ,etc. It might just have to be what it is.

Jet, a little more playing with it may work, say cropping some but not as much.

G

[gahspidy]

I like the crop, GB but too much off the left side. i like it cropped down just above the pole but open up the left side to about an 8x10 format. I think that will be the crop.
Interesting side story.

[draymorton]

Very nice work, GB. Convincingly vintage. I would crop down, but not nearly as much. I like some of the dark blue in there. Great image.