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Merzouga Desert, Early morning
Image Title:  Merzouga Desert, Early morning
 
 By: Hugo de Wolf  
  Copyright ©2004



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Photographer Hugo de Wolf {K:184670}
Project #32 Lines Camera Model Nikon F100
Categories Landscape
Travel
Film Format
Portfolio Dossier Morocco
Lens Nikon  28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D IF AF
Uploaded 11/5/2004 Film / Memory Type Fuji  Reala
    ISO / Film Speed 100
Views 659 Shutter 1/125
Favorites Aperture f/16
Critiques 64 Rating
5.65
/ 34 Ratings
Location City -  Mear Merzouga
State - 
Country - Morocco   Morocco
About All comments are welcome!

Cheers,

Hugo
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There are 64 Comments in 1 Pages
  1
Roberto Okamura   {K:22842} 11/5/2004
wowww!! Excellent composition, dof!! Very beautiful!


eleonora frago   {K:2472} 11/5/2004
le dune hanno sempre il loro bravo fascino.
bellissima luce :-)


Regina Rianelli   {K:24147} 11/5/2004
WOW......... Hugo!
superb capture of a fabulous place!

sooo... You 've also visited the desert, my Friend: Cheers!
i enjoyed seeing the 'tour guide' explaining the view in his own way... cute!
Thanks for sharing...

keep up the great work!

Groetjes,
Regina Rianelli


Lukasz Kuczkowski   {K:14684} 11/5/2004
like these persons on the desert and their place in the composition;
however, to be honest - this dark shadow in the middle of picture distracts my view, especially when I combine it with these persons - they do not combine with each other;
from the other side, I love the color of the sand - it is so warm and seems to be subtle (light is great), but the color of sky is IMHO a little bit unnatural - have you changed it in PS?
to sum up:
- I would like the shot with the persons and without the shadows in the middle or
- I would like the shot without persons with desert only but in that case I would crop the bottom part of the shot a little bit (this dark part)
do not take this comment personally please;
regards
lukasz


B:)liana    {K:30945} 11/5/2004
wow. dear Hugo. this is wonderful. great people in the middle of such beautiful dunes!
Kisses, Biliana


Maria Luisa Vial   {K:36017} 11/5/2004
Hi Hugo...

Excellent compostion... Love the persons in the forground... They give life to the picture... Great colors!!! Wonderful shadows...

Cheers,

MaLuisa


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/5/2004
Hi Lukasz, Of course I do not take your comment personally; on the contrary! I find it very perceptive, and extremely helpful! You sum up my feelings pretty well, I felt a bit ambiguous about the shadow in the middle too, but decided against a different composition as the lines seem to "swirl" to the left, emphasised by the guesture of the boy.

For a shot without persons, I'd like to refer to http://www.usefilm.com/image/279217.html. I have a few others, but with more lines in them, which removes a single predominant element in those shots.

In the original shot, there was an even larger shadowy part in the lower section of the image. Removing the people? Hmmm. I'm not so sure about that. I think the scene would be rather empty and emotionless without them..

Thanks again for your comment, very constructive!

Cheers,

Hugo

As for the sky, I did change that in PS. Not excessively, though, but now you mention it, it does look a little unnatural.


Kurt LaRue   {K:5067} 11/5/2004
What a beautiful image, Hugo. And on Reala, too. Back to film again or is this from the archives? My only wish would be to have the two people in more of a dark silhouette. I've not heard of Merzouga, where exactly is this? Kurt


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/5/2004
Hi Kurt, thanks for your comment. I primarily shoot film, although digital is much cheaper. It really depends on what I'm shooting.

Merzouga is located near the sand dunes in the south eastern part of Marocco, absolutely stunning area.

I kind of like the fact that some of the details and contrasts in the people have been preserved, I feel it adds to the atmosphere. I do see your point, though.

Cheers,

Hugo


Ursula Luschnig   {K:21869} 11/5/2004
Hi Hugo,the dunes with the soft lines and curves are so beautiful,and I like the light and shadow play and the warm atmosphere of the early morning sun.
Regards,Ursula


Di Ciuccio Maurizio   {K:57483} 11/5/2004
ciao hugo..ben ritrovato,con una foto bellissima...ottima la composizione ed il dettaglio con una luce e dei colori stupendi...ciao


Chris Spracklen   {K:32552} 11/5/2004
These guys look as though they've been deserted, Hugo! :-)

Seriously though, I see what Lukasz was saying, Hugo, and admire your positive response to his constructive criticism ~ that's the kind of generous spirit we need on UF.

In one sense it's a waste of time suggesting alterations to the composition, as you can hardly go back and take the same shot again! But perhaps a shooting position a little more to the left would have enabled you to keep the two guys' heads and shoulders away from the shadow.

However, when all is said and done, I like it!!

Kind regards, Chris

P.S. Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments on my work.


Saeed Al Shamsi   {K:47458} 11/5/2004
You picked up a wonderful view not only the shape of the dunes but the shadows such creative elements, with or without people does not bother me, they are out of the centere and well balanced with the whole composition, what I can see here and again it is a matter of individual taste a bit soft texture, being non digital shot preferred more sharpness, at first I thought this image taken some where in our region, not in Netherland ! I did not know that you have such huge sand dunes, even I stopped for two days in Amsterdam long time ago, what the desert offer I can sure you a lot of relax and tranquil atmosphere, kind regards, Saeed


Jan Symank   {K:15755} 11/5/2004
Very nice light in the morning, the best time for desert photos.
Very well composed with the persons in the foreground. The wide format enhances the impression.
Mooie plaatje
Groet
Jan


Stefan Engström   {K:24473} 11/5/2004
I think the people should absolutely be in the image, but what they need is a little light. The sand dunes look very featureless in parts and I am wondering why that is so? Maybe slide film would have been a better choice? It is a wonderful landscape and I can easily see how one could spend a lot of time trying to capture its essence on film :-)


Jeff Cartwright   {K:52046} 11/5/2004
Excellent Conventional...Pictorial Landscape, Hugo!.....7/7!!!
Jeff.


NN     {K:26787} 11/5/2004
Wonderful dune shapes ... love the lighting and compo! Agree about the sky looking unnatural ... other than that - a great shot!


Andrej V   {K:6693} 11/5/2004
Hi Hug!

A lot allready saied above about your shot;

However my point of view is like this:
1) as they claim to have the shot without people - possible but with croped the shadow part in the bottom. It wouldn't distract or damage the composition because there is only 1 cm to be croped.

2) leave the people in it but manage to capture them in the sunlight. In this shot they really are forgotten in shade, and they do not achiev the wanted effect.

this is my little remark to your always good work!
Andrej


Mark Scheffer   {K:1809} 11/5/2004
Goh, toch nog een stukje Nederland dat ik niet ken ;-)


Patrick Jacobson   {K:29151} 11/5/2004
Beutiful scenery.. Is that in the Netherlands? Ohh.. had no idea it could look like this there! Very nice scene and perspective.. i wonder what that boy is carrying! Cheers!

Patrick J


Verena Rentrop   {K:14417} 11/5/2004
Dear Hugo,

from the previous comments I can see that I don't need to comment on the sky, I agree with your answer about it to Lukasz.

The dunes are a good lesson in natural created curves from sand and sun.

Don't even think of cropping the people away ;)
(funny comment from me *gg*) they increase the tension.

Take care,
Verena

PS: giving up our project doesn't mean we are loosing us, my dear friend!!!


altur .   {K:6075} 11/5/2004
Nice colors and shadows. I like the contrast between the sharp edge of the shadow to the right and its softer edge to the left. But IMHO it's a bit pitty that the person to the right "cuts" that sharp edge of the shadow... and maybe only one person would have been enough? (well, I suppose you couldn't ask any of them "just get away from there" *S*).
I think you've got very nice "ingredients" here, I'm just not so sure about "the mixture of them"... it gives me a feeling of "landscape & journalism photo"... must agree with Lukasz about that part.
Best regards, Alex
PS: thanks for your constructive critiques you're giving me. I really appreciate that.


Richard Thornton   {K:26442} 11/5/2004
A fine venue for pictures, Hugo. You know, I usually like to see figures in an image for scale and context. But in this one, I think the people are a distraction from the beauty of the landscape and also they are dark against a dark portion of the scene.


Osman Cem GENCTURK   {K:1069} 11/5/2004
Beautiful lines and colors. They are very effective. Well done.


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/5/2004
Hi Saeed, thanks for your comment.... I noticed my mistake:) I guess I forogt to change the country; this shot was taken in Merzouga, Morocco. Although there are dunes in the Netherlands, they're nowhere nearly as remote and dry as these....:) Thanks for pointing it out!

Cheers,

Hugo


Paul's Photos   {K:34954} 11/5/2004
nice composition. love the landscape, lighting, colors, and the shadows..by including the people in the scene, it adds to the size and the scope of the landscape.. I loved morocco, great work


Telmo Domingues   {K:9639} 11/5/2004
Hi HUGOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Long time no see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Missed you!
I saw your last series... I liked it... But I didn?t know what to say about it... Oh well... heheheh
I like this one. It scares me... all this sandy emptyness... But I like the way you mixed human presence here... I almost can ear the boy say... "... WC? It's a few meters away from here..." I like the contrast between the desert and the relaxed atittude of those man...
See ya dear friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Marcio Galvão   {K:2149} 11/5/2004
Wonderful capture!


Thilo Bayer   {K:50301} 11/5/2004
Hi Hugo,

first of all: nice landscape here. not sure if this picture fits in the lines section as there are a lot of elements that disturbs the pure lines effect.

I'm trying to figure out what the intention of this capture was. A portrait of your comrades? A snapshot of the sand dunes? A possible combination of human life in the dunes? hmmh =)

as for the format, I'm trying to guess if you cropped some parts of the upper area. If so, then I would like to know why. I have the feeling that it would be great to have a bit more of the sky to get a better harmony in the picture.

As for the combination character, I would probably go for a different cropping (so that the shadow in the middle plays a more prominent part). alternatively just for the dunes, I would go for a macro on the curved outline between the shadow and the sun. would probably be great to shoot (and would fit perfectly into the lines project).

I have the strong feeling that I should go to bed (and not to comment on pictures after a long day ;-) Patrick already got a lot of my energy packed into one of his experiments. It's not that I don't like this picture. But I have the feeling that it looses some of the focus I mentioned at the beginning.

hope my thoughts have helped you in ANY way =)

take care my friend,
thilo


Zeev Scharf   {K:24572} 11/6/2004
Excellent shot Hugo,the composition is superb,
Imo the people add a lot here
Best regards my friend


Tommaso Razzano   {K:8067} 11/6/2004
I can say only ... masterpiece !
a great shot with a perfect composition ...
in my opinion a great bip for this shot will be very deserve ....
ciao !
tommy


Roger Williams   {K:81877} 11/6/2004
Gorgeous play of light, colours and shadows. The figures add interest and give us a sense of scale. Beautiful, Hugo! The sky looks slightly unnatural, but I guess it's a pretty unusual colour balance to strike and the blue end suffered... The central shadow is a bit strong... and if the men's heads had been silhouetted against brightly lit sand they might have looked better... But you can't have everything!


Bart Aldrich   {K:7614} 11/6/2004
So smooth! Cheers


Miguel Torres   {K:3908} 11/6/2004
WOWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!, EXCELLENT HUGO!!!!

Love the composition and tones, sadly in my point of view the second man distract me a bit.

The lines of the desert are GREAT!!!!

Regards,

Miguel Torres


T L   {K:18925} 11/6/2004
The desert is fascinating for me. The colors and curves and sand is special. I have never been in a big desert, only seen bits and pieces, but i hope some day i will. This is a fine shot, and the colors are stunning.


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/6/2004
Hi Thilo, thanks for your comment. The idea behind this shot was to capture the contrast between human life and the vastness of the desert.

I composed this shot a bit too closely on top, and with some excessive space below the people. Initially, the people were on the horizontal center line. I removed the majority of the dune in front. I agree, though, a bit more sky would've been nice... Returning to take a similar shot is easier said than done, though.

The different cropping is an interesting thought. Lukasz seems to be of a different opinion, and I think both yours and his is an option, but would only be suitable for a shot without the people; Posted one a while ago:

http://www.usefilm.com/image/279217.html

Again, my thanks for your indepth and critical analyses, not only on this shot, but in many others... Very helpful!

Cheers,

Hugo


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/6/2004
Thanks for your comment, Miguel! Interesting thought of only one person in that shot. I think it would miss the point though. One person would be more of a distraction than two, I think....

Cheers,

Hugo


Rocco T   {K:3366} 11/6/2004
Hi Hugo,good moment and crop here,..the light & shadow is perfect!
Cheers. Rocco


Christian Barrette   {K:21107} 11/7/2004
Hello Hugo.
The lines and the hues are just superb. As I come late, I think the rest has been said and disposed of.


Ted vandenBergh   {K:5116} 11/7/2004
Verscheidene, schitterende en diepe contrasten Hugo. Die maken deze foto tot een hele mooie. Hard en zacht, licht en donker, scherp en glooiend, nog afgezien van de kleurcontrasten, prachtig. Veel groeten, Ted


Jani Salvataggio   {K:26829} 11/8/2004
wonderful image!!!

regards
Jani


Paolo De Maio   {K:34166} 11/8/2004
Great scene Hugo really impressive.
Magnificent the contrast between desert colors and sky.
What are they doing there? walking alone in the desert....?

Paolo


Walter Scarella   {K:17126} 11/8/2004
Excellent work Hugo ! I like the two persons in foreround, great DOF, amazing colours and light. A perfect composition. Congrats...Regards...Walter


Joann Winborn   {K:12018} 11/8/2004
Breathtaking! Such a marvelous image that I caught my breath as it came on the screen...
You have taken such a simple subject and turned it into great art. Thanks for posting.


Peter De Rycke   {K:37234} 11/8/2004
Wow, love the fantastic colours of the sand here, and it has such a plastic feel .. i see you used an analogue cam here .. is that because of the huge dynamic range in these sunny regions ?
Peter


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/8/2004
Hi Peter, thanks for your comment. As to your question, my heart goes out to shooting with film, and most of my shots are still made using medium and 35mm film, with a variety of cameras.... The dynamic range is part of that, but to be honest, I didn't give it a second thought when I shot this one...;) I do switch to the D100 more often now, as it gives me more flexibility to experiment, and is easier and speedier to process, and besides, I can't get a decent scan from my scanner these days any more.... I'd like to go back to film for the real stuff, though....

Cheers,

Hugo


Sam Andre   {K:12430} 11/8/2004
prachtige woestijnkleuren, die nog indrukwekkender zijn door onze grasratten ogen gezien


Antonia BauerleinSehnert   {K:29743} 11/9/2004
The curves, shadows and textures in this sand are so incredibly smooth and appealing. There is even a smoothness to the color. Like silk. The two men are in such contrast to this peacefully still and silky backdrop. They are in motion and they are dark. These things all conspire to make this a dramatic and beautiful image. Bravo!


Antonio Trincone   {K:23167} 11/9/2004
Different but enjoable light for this one with respect to version II which is have seen few minutes ago; there is a mispelling in the title though


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/9/2004
Hi Antonio, thanks for your comments! Much appreciated.... I corrected the typo, thanks for telling me...;)

Cheers,

Hugo


Roy Vanover   {K:13762} 11/9/2004
Hugo,
In the desert! Man you get around! Very beautiful lines and light...How do you like your D100?
It's great to see all of your new photos.
Roy


John Loreaux   {K:85782} 11/10/2004
Hello Hugo! Hope You are well!
This is a striking composition My friend!
The sand is sculptured so beautifully creating such wonderful lines and curves and shadows and the people ad a bit of interest to this otherwise stark and vast grand sandscape!
Well done!
My best to You Hugo!
..........................JOHN


Tim Bronkhorst   {K:9391} 11/10/2004
A very sharp lined picture. The cross from black to light brown is very sharp. Great scene and soft tones.
Sorry for not being around lately, I'll try to catch up.
Greets, Tim.


Tim  Schumm   {K:26869} 11/10/2004
Love the crisp clairity of your image.
The curving line in the sand very effectively brings my eye to the subjects in the midground but somehow my eye is not satisfied with being there the human subjects don't have enough light to really maintain my focus and hense my eye wanders away.
The old Master painters in a situation like this would have a spot of light on the area that was to be the focus. Not a lot, just a spot. It is amazing how that spot made their painting blossom and created an exciting image.
interesting composition Hugo.


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/11/2004
Hi John, thanks for your comment. Always a pleasure to hear from you!

Cheers,

Hugo


Hugo de Wolf   {K:184670} 11/11/2004
Hi Tim, thanks for your constructive comment, Much appreciated! I like the way you prase teh unease you experience, and the reference to the old Masters. I have to agree it would've been nice if I just could've highlighted the people. In all fairness, it didn't cross my mind, though. You certainly have a point... Thanks!

Cheers,

Hugo


Fadel J   {K:13479} 11/14/2004
Very beautifull compositon and colors Hugo, I like it a lot!


P. Christine Skinner   {K:27348} 11/20/2004
The dunes seem carved from the creamiest of butters. Beautiful soft tones. The gentleman with his arm out appears to be trying to come to grips with the vastness of this landscape.


Carlos     {K:12969} 12/13/2004
Hugo...
your car shots are very nice...from a car lover or marketers perspectivw.
But this picture does not need ?in depth? analysis?it just is... exceptional!

Cheers


Emgy Massidda   {K:60169} 12/31/2004
I like the lines, form and shapes in this one but... somehow the sky doesn't seem to fit. Maybe it's the colour or the presence of clouds, maybe both... I'm not sure.
Nevertheless, a good photo.
Best regards - Emgy


Mark Evans   {K:16617} 1/6/2005
Stunning photo hugo !! 7++++ best wishes ... mark .


Salvatore Rossignolo   {K:13547} 1/10/2005
An incredible photo !, but you never told me what you thought of my Che, besides the obvious.


James Hager   {K:6285} 1/16/2005
Great light on the dunes. I'd prefer to see the people in an area where the background doesn't chop them up. I think it would work better if the people were in front of the brighter area of the background, because this would make the people more distinct and would also let the shape of the dunes be more clear.


JakeLM     {K:3365} 7/13/2005
Simply "wow" composition; I love how the lights and the shadows design the curves and the softness of the dunes.
The light is perfect, I would just to see the 2 persons probabily with more sharpeness and not so dark.


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