I’ve had mixed emotions about posting this additional photo from Vasquez Rocks. While some photos seem to simply fall out of the camera ready to print, this one has had hours of work in Lightroom and Photoshop. Most of the work was to shape the colors and tones – nothing was added or removed. The photo was taken shortly after sunset so the light was very flat. But the sky had some nice pastel colors which created an interesting backdrop for the rock formations. The end result is a nice play of shape and color.
I almost missed the chance to take this photo. This time of year the Vasquez Rocks park closes as 5:00 PM (or at sunset depending on which sign you read). Sunset was at 4:42 so there wasn’t much time after sunset before they locked the gates. I was on my way back to the car when I stopped to chat with a fellow photographer, who was also wrapping up. As we talked we noticed the twilight colors developing and rushed back for a couple final shots. I made it back to the car just as the ranger was coming by to herd the stragglers to the gate.
