# Oblique



## abraxas (Mar 21, 2008)




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## danir (Mar 22, 2008)

Beautiful photo Abraxas.
I usually like your photos but some how they feel oversaturated and a bit unreal. I guess you're aware of it and like it, but just to share my feeling.

Dani.


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## Arch (Mar 22, 2008)

yea this one is strong in colour but i dont mind it with this image... the composition works for me too :thumbup:


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## abraxas (Mar 22, 2008)

Arch said:


> yea this one is strong in colour but i dont mind it with this image... the composition works for me too :thumbup:



Thanks Arch.



danir said:


> Beautiful photo Abraxas.
> I usually like your photos but some how they feel oversaturated and a bit unreal. I guess you're aware of it and like it, but just to share my feeling.
> 
> Dani.



Dani,

Without going into a long-winded self exploration, I'll just say that I am a bit oversaturated and unrealistic.  I look back at some of my work and think- "Sheesh. Heheh."   But that was the best expression I could make of how I felt at that moment.  Every shoot and every editing session I try to bring that feeling and expression closer together.  Just about everytime I feel I move closer.  The difference between the emotion and the expression is what drives me.

At the top of my short list of influential photographers is Galen Rowell.
http://mountainlight.com/gallery.html

In my mind, Galen's work would be -just about perfect- if he would have spent more time in the Mojave Desert.  However Galen's work, no matter how good I feel it is, is not quite an expression of how I feel.  If it were, I'd sell my equipment, get haircut, a real job and buy prints. As it is, I feel it is my job to develop my interpretation.

Thanks for sharing how you feel.  It means a lot to me- I have to continue on the path I've chosen and see where it takes me.


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## Northsider (Mar 22, 2008)

Thats really great!  I love the way you captured the clouds.


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## abraxas (Mar 22, 2008)

Northsider said:


> Thats really great!  I love the way you captured the clouds.



Thank you.


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## thatguyyoudontlike (Mar 22, 2008)

Not concerned with originality are you?
Way too over saturated almost to the point of looking like a cartoon.


neato sky.

Try to find a way to take a photo of the same ol' scenes in a not so same ol
way.


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## Lacey Anne (Mar 22, 2008)

I love it. I think you've really developed a cool style with the oversaturation and it works.


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## abraxas (Mar 22, 2008)

Lacey Anne said:


> I love it. I think you've really developed a cool style with the oversaturation and it works.



Thank you.  I've been working hard at it and hope to get better.


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## abraxas (Mar 22, 2008)

thatguyyoudontlike said:


> Not concerned ... are you?
> ...



Wait a sec,... are you my little brother?

Mom was right, you are an idiot.


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## Ann75 (Mar 22, 2008)

Wow great shot taken from a great angle. Great light, beautiful colors and wonderful details! Great work! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Greetings,
Ann


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## abraxas (Mar 23, 2008)

Ann75 said:


> Wow great shot taken from a great angle. Great light, beautiful colors and wonderful details! Great work! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
> 
> Greetings,
> Ann



Thanks a lot- I have some fun with it.

I took a look at your gallery- Looks like you love where you're at too.


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## fadingaway1986 (Mar 23, 2008)

I love it. Its beautiful. But then, I completely love over-saturated.


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## DigiJay (Mar 23, 2008)

I'm a fan of saturation myself.. and I absolutely love this photo. Good stuff


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## abraxas (Mar 23, 2008)

fadingaway1986 said:


> I love it. Its beautiful. But then, I completely love over-saturated.



Thank you.  Saturation is, for me at least, hard to get a handle on.  I believe having a correctly saturated image best represents what is actually seen in the brief minutes/seconds of the half-light of sunrise and sunset.



DigiJay said:


> I'm a fan of saturation myself.. and I absolutely love this photo. Good stuff



Thanks!


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## NJMAN (Mar 25, 2008)

Hey, you are using your old avatar, the one from back in 2006, cool!  Interesting avatars you come up with.  hee hee   Sorry, Im being a bit off topic 

Excellent rendition of this scene.  I also like the composition and colors.  Very nice.  Thanks for sharing.  

NJ


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## Rick Waldroup (Mar 25, 2008)

I like the shot Abraxas.  I think the saturation fits the mood of the photo.

So this new avatar is really an old one?


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## abraxas (Mar 25, 2008)

NJMAN said:


> Hey, you are using your old avatar, the one from back in 2006, cool!  Interesting avatars you come up with.  hee hee   Sorry, Im being a bit off topic
> 
> ... Thanks for sharing.
> 
> NJ





Rick Waldroup said:


> ...
> 
> So this new avatar is really an old one?



Well, I was up really late doing a little disk cleaning and ran across this one.  I'm not sure why, but I haven't stopped laughing since I saw it again.


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## NJMAN (Mar 25, 2008)

abraxas said:


> Well, I was up really late doing a little disk cleaning and ran across this one. How it seemed to display the rich and complex tapestry of being. In less than an 100x100 pixel image it described the mysterious qualities of yin and yan swirling together to say;
> 
> "Here's an individual that is unnerving and mildy obnoxious, yet reliable while being modern and innovative, still showing stoicism and strength of character, possessing the duality of -I'm a 'people person,' but need my space- Conservative and calculating, at the same time happy-go-lucky, anything goes. Vulnerable, but evenly and perfectly tempered like an expertly-crafted weapon. Someone who enjoys not only classic music and controversial literature openly and without reservation, but can appreciate slipping comfortably into soft-porn and mellow mood-disco as a Black-widow does a southern drawl crossing state lines. Technical and artistic."
> 
> All that and more. And I'm not sure why, but I haven't stopped laughing since I saw it again.


 
Man, that was deep!  You got all that from a bald head, a quirky grin, and a shirtless chest.  Bravo.  hee hee


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## abraxas (Mar 25, 2008)

NJMAN said:


> Man, that was deep!  You got all that from a bald head, a quirky grin, and a shirtless chest.  Bravo.  hee hee



I'm kind of glad you got that before I chickened out and deleted it.

My imagination runs wild when I'm tired.

And thanks to you and Rick for the comments on the photo.


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## MissMia (Mar 25, 2008)

Stunning! I love the light at that time of day.


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## abraxas (Mar 25, 2008)

MissMia said:


> Stunning! I love the light at that time of day.



Thank you MM!  I wish I could capture the entirety of those moments- The sounds, smell, and feeling the natural progression of change just sweep me away.


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## RKW3 (Mar 25, 2008)

abraxas said:


> Wait a sec,... are you my little brother?
> 
> Mom was right, you are an idiot.



Lol.

This shot's intense! It kind of reminds me of the movie 300. Nice work.


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## MarcusM (Mar 25, 2008)

abraxas said:


> Wait a sec,... are you my little brother?
> 
> Mom was right, you are an idiot.



I really like that shot Abraxas.

As far as thatguyyoudon'tlike's comment, he is a troll. I saw his comment on your photo, so I was like, well, if he can make a comment like that, let's see what his photos look like. But of course, he hasn't posted any, but has made several extremely intelligent comments that serve no other purpose but to piss people off. Here's a few gems I found. I'm really surprised he hasn't been banned yet. I wonder how old the guy is. I mean, I really hope he's no older than 10, because that's about the level of his actions:



thatguyyoudontlike said:


> What a stupid photo.
> You give yourself way too much credit dude.
> Your not unconventional.
> If a photo sucks you cant just call it unconventional and expect that to make it good.





thatguyyoudontlike said:


> #3 is good.
> The guy is a dork and ruins the photo.
> If the girl in #1 didn't have boobs she would be worthless.
> She must be a stripper.
> ...


 


thatguyyoudontlike said:


> If it wasn't true it wouldn't be hurtful.
> Stop being so sensitive.


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## kundalini (Mar 25, 2008)

MarcusM said:


> ...


No worries. I have little doubt that any of us who have wasted our time reading that guys post will put any merit into his words. Saying that, abraxas still has the best come back.



abraxas said:


> Wait a sec,... are you my little brother?
> 
> Mom was right, you are an idiot.


 
:lmao:


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## Arch (Mar 25, 2008)

MarcusM said:


> ....



Although i appreciate your concerns there is really no need to do this. The guy in question has been delt with and wont be coming back. Trust your mods.

If you have any further concerns or questions feel free to pm me.


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## abraxas (Mar 26, 2008)

All that aside, I'm excited about going out to the desert again this weekend. The weekend before last I took a class in 'Rocks and Minerals of Joshua Tree National Park.'  Here's how it goes- Atoms/elements make up molecules, molecules make up minerals, minerals make up rocks and rocks make up,.. zzZZZzzZZzzz, snore, snuck, gurgle.. drool...

But I woke up long enough to hear something about the location of a seldom photographed formation of hexagonal columns.  Apparently these columns are formed as part of what is known as a 'stock', a body of magma that never reached the surface to become lava. The magma cooled slowly under the ground giving it time to form these huge six-sided crystals.  The stock may have been exposed by millions of years of erosion of the earth above it, forming a large, steep hill.

From the shots I've seen in other locations in reasonable proximity to these, they look like the columnar formations found at the Devil's Postpile (National Park?) in the Sierra Nevada in California. These are probably 100-150 miles closer to me though and nowhere near as photographed.

There are two sets on this exposed stock as described by the geologist.  The first set is somewhat easily accessed by about a mile and a half hike.  The second set is up the hill and behind it from the first.  The first set is facing east and may make a good sunrise shot. The rock is dark gray to black and hopefully there will be some wildflowers to accent the edges of the shot. Likewise for the second set, which faces the west- Maybe best at sunset.  The unique features of the west formation are described as the colmuns rise from the ground and jut up into the air like a New Mexican starburst. I can only imagine what that means.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I'll be attending class for wildflower identification.  The class will be given by the JTNP resident botanist, who has been with the NPS in Joshua Tree for 20 years. Also co-intructed by, from what I understand, is a representitive from Jepsen, a noted reference/official in the field of botany.  This is a unique event as usually the class is given by masters of the field, this year's instructors are -the- class act.

Itinerary:
Friday night- Arrive early, drink, chase loose women, dance and party without brains until 5am (actually become familiar with refence materials, clean lenses and get a good night's rest).

Saturday, 5am. 49 Palms Oasis or Indian Cove for sunrise photos. 8am, class starts- ID and shoot flowers all day.  4:30pm, sunset shots in JTNP- maybe White tank or Belle campground area).

Sunday, Oasis of Mara (Oom series) sunrise photos at 6-7am. Class 8am-2/4 pm ID and shoot flowers all day.  4:30-sunset hike to formation location #1 and up hill to location #2 and shoot until dark.  Go back to room and sleep with face in pillow until 4am.  Wake up, check out and go back and do hike to location #1 and shoot east facing formation at sunrise.  

If I did get it right the night before, sleep on face until check out time and go look for rare crucifiction cactus in Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness.  

Sorry to ramble.  At least I have a rough plan typed out now


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