Red Sandstone Cliffs With Dark Desert Varnish Colour Photography
Dark Vertical Bands Mark the Warm Sandstone Faces
Dark streaks interrupt the warm red sandstone, giving the cliff faces a second pattern within their larger shapes. I photographed this desert view with the blue sky and the lower vegetation still in the frame. The desert varnish is most noticeable where it forms long bands across otherwise pale, sunlit rock. It changes the surface from a broad area of colour into something much more varied.
The cliff near the centre rises as a substantial block, while the adjoining walls stretch away on either side. Horizontal layers, narrow fissures and uneven ledges give those forms their structure. I like the way the darker marks follow some of the vertical surfaces but leave other areas much lighter. The differences make each part of the wall distinct.
Below the cliffs, a band of leafless trees and fine brush brings a softer texture into the composition. Their thin branches sit against the larger stone shapes, and the lower slopes connect the two. The open sky above provides the simplest area of the photograph. Its cool blue gives the sandstone’s orange and pink tones more presence.
I wanted the image to preserve both the scale of the cliffs and the detail written across their faces. From farther away, the red wall dominates; looking more closely, I can follow the dark bands, broken edges and smaller changes in the rock. That shift is what keeps the photograph interesting to me. The scene has a clear arrangement, but its surfaces offer plenty to explore within it.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2008
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About My Fine Art Photography
Every photograph in my collection comes from my own travels, explorations, and years behind the camera.
I create my work as photographic art rather than mass-produced decoration. From street portraits and abandoned places to landscapes, architecture, and the unusual subjects I discover along the way, each image begins with something that made me stop and look.
My photographs are available in multiple sizes so the same image can work in anything from an intimate wall space to a large statement installation.
