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Making Great Images Anywhere (cont.)

© David Mendelsohn Loading...

© David Mendelsohn

D3, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, Shutter speed 1/400 sec., f/10, ISO 200, Normal program, Matrix metering

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Also along on the trip were David's D3 and D700 and three NIKKORS—an AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, an AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED and an AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED.

Lest you think that man-made and, often, man-abandoned, objects comprise the majority of the take, Joshua Tree provided a good share of natural wonders. "Everything in Joshua Tree is surreal and dramatic," David says. "Does someone sneak in at night and set up these balanced boulder sculptures?"

Then there's the blue nightscape, a post-processing combination of two images taken from a vantage point outside their camp tent. The indigo sky comes courtesy of an image in which David's D3 was set to tungsten balance; the campsite in the distance resulted from a daylight balanced exposure.

And there was at least one opportunity for the bizarre, as David's clever composition of the Fiberglas horse belies the relative confusion of the sales lot in which he found it. To show you that, we've included Christian's photo of his dad at work.

So while the desert didn't provide the usual color impact David favors, shapes, forms and textures took over as he used composition to impart drama and paid careful attention to his use of sky and clouds. "The sky is so important in my images," he says, "especially given my liking for wide-angle lenses. I'm always aware of the sky and how to make it work in my photography. It's the greatest backdrop in the world."

The palette may have been different, even limited, but David brought his eye and his creativity to the territory.

 

To view a selection David's colorful, graphic and occasionally bizarre images, visit his website.