topic Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail in Share Your Photos

Joshua Tree National Park Trail

SignifDigits — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:34:33 GMT

Thanks to Ramsden for triggering thoughts of Ansel and B&W. This isn't in that league but it was fun making the effort! This tunnel in the trail stood out to me as photo-worthy. I couldn't quite get the color version to represent it and think the monochrome does a better job of it. Thanks also to LeeP for encouragement to explore more B&W

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

Jkarl — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:46:22 GMT

My opinion. Monochrome was the way to go and the framing works well. Very interesting photo.

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

SignifDigits — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:59:08 GMT

Thanks Jkarl. I couldn't help but think of the nautilus shell/golden ratio training when cropping this one.

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

Jkarl — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:04:24 GMT

I did not catch that. That alone adds to the composition. Well though out.

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

Ramsden — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:47:34 GMT

Good morning

That looks like a classic Ansel Adams composition. The tunnel draws your eye into the photograph, brilliant!

My evening trip out was thwarted by rain and clouds, but spent a lot of time playing around with the camera settings you suggested. Great fun.

Ramsden

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

SignifDigits — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:27:21 GMT

Thanks for the high praise Ramsden. Your post got me to thinking "what color photo can I convert over to demonstrate?" and this one came to mind. I really just couldn't get happy with it in color. Though I knew the composition and subject were good it just wasn't "right" somehow. It seems so to me now and I give you credit for inspiration.

So much of photography seems to be really engaging the brain, but my brain sits in neutral most of the time.

^^Maybe I'll add that to my tagline - seems quoteworthy.

Sorry to hear about the weather, but living there I'm sure you're used to it. Glad you had fun anyways.

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

LeeP — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:56:13 GMT

Thank you for the shout out.

I flip a lot of images to monochrome especially with my stable of 35mm SLRs that sometimes decide NOT to give the correct exposure randomly and flipping to monochrome is the savior.

I like this image quite a lot.

I think I prefer black and white because I am too often revulsed by the "Thomas Kinkade" result that comes from the over sharpening and over saturating everything in some peoples' engineered images.

When I see that I have a visceral response.

Good natural color is tricky to accomplish SOOC and that's why in my opinion people go the Kinkade route.

To each his own of course.

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

SignifDigits — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:56:08 GMT

Thanks Lee. You earned the shout out. I guess I like variety as it is said to be the spice of life. I certainly enjoy my double rainbow shots when I can get them. That said, my preference is for them to simply reflect the beauty that I saw in the viewfinder and with my own eyes. That is really challenging as our eyes and brains operate in hugely different ways than our cameras..

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

Ramsden — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:43:36 GMT

Thanks for the mention.

I fully understand what you mean about the 'brain'. I'm reading and re-reading Ansel's book on the camera, and he has a great way of explaining how the camera works.

I often kick myself for not checking and experimenting with my settings when I'm on my walks.

There's a chapter on Lens that has really caught my attention, where he begins:

'I would like to remind you again that the above description of focus and depth of field relate to very important properties of the lens.......Try to develop a sense for the way the lens acts in three dimensions, as well as in to two-dimensional "framing". ' P:54.

I think that last sentence encapsulates your photograph very well, as a three dimensional picture.

I'm now reading about 'circles of confusion' but I'll leave that for another day when I've sorted out my HDR and exposure brackets!

Ramsden

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

SignifDigits — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:13:09 GMT

@Ramsden that Ansel Adams book and 3 more are coming to me. I even got the "The Print" as some say the dark room was where is was actually most talented. Just last weekend my wife got some paperwork from when her grandfather visited Yosemite in 1943. Ansel was working for the Yosemite Park and Curry Company back then, so I'm assuming some of these photos are his. Some certainly look like his. Some less so, but from his autobiography I think it is possible that he was still a regular working guy for them. I thought others would find this fun. I know I did.

Re: Joshua Tree National Park Trail

Ramsden — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 13:37:15 GMT

That's an amazing coincidence. Some of those photos certainly have his 'style' and it makes perfect sense. Thanks for posting them.

I'm currently playing around with the special effects on my camera, which I've not bothered with till now. Quite amazing what they can do, but I'll stick to HDR and EAB with me in control!

Ramsden