I agree with everyone who said the telephoto shots were better than the wide angle landscapes. So I made a few pairs of photographs using each lens at the same site. Here’s where the river enters the valley,
and here’s a photo taken at exactly the same spot 2 1/2 weeks earlier.
I like the close-up better, as usual. Here’s an interesting pair, taken yesterday:
Same spot, same time, different lens. And then I realized: I took the top pictures because I was interested in the color of the water, and I took the bottom pictures because I wanted to show you the rock varnish. See those black streaks? They’re very mysterious. Rock varnish is mostly minerals–clay, manganese oxide and iron oxide–but it’s alive. It’s formed by a colony of bacteria that lives underneath it and glues the windblown particles into place. Streaks of rock varnish can be 10s of thousands of years old. Isn’t that the oldest living organism on earth? Is there anything alive that is older?
And can’t you see that rock varnish more clearly with two lenses than with one?
I actually liked each of the photos in these sets, in their own individual ways. In the top pair, I think I liked the wide angle photo more in some ways, possibly because of the colors. I love playing with my camera. You have such lovely views to snap, though, and my neighborhood is… (blah!)
And rock varnish — who knew?
Well, I am a young earth creationist. The Biblical age of the earth is around 10,000 years old.
The reason for layers & fossils in the layers is because of the worldwide flood.
Rock varnish was probably created in the same 7 - 24 hour day - week man was created.
Love all the pics.
Interesting facts about the rock varnish. I’ve never even heard of that before, I don’t think. But of course, I don’t live anywhere close to any mountains or canyons either! You live in some pretty amazing territory!!