This is Shiprock in northwestern New Mexico at sunrise. I took the shot from the crest of a volcanic dyke that extends south from the huge monolith. I don't like heights, but, well -- I have to get the picture. I used a 105mm focal length, and my settings were 1/320, f/8, and 2000 ISO. I usually don't like using high ISO settings for landscapes, but I didn't want to drag my tripod up the slippery slope of the dyke. Today, 2000 ISO is like 400 ISO of the past. To maximize depth of field, I focused on the dark rocks in the middle of the frame directly in front of Shiprock. The original sky was very bland, so I used the Sky Replacement feature in Photoshop and placed clouds behind the mountain that suggest the sunlight was illuminating the landscape through a narrow opening in the eastern sky.
2 Comments
Apr 18, 2025, 5:06:15 PM
Jim - Hi Gevork, From where you park the car it's about a 1 minutes walk, If you are in good condition, probably 30 seconds. As you drive closer to Shiprock on the hard-packed dirt road that parallels the paved highway, the path up to this place is clearly seen on your left. Jim
Apr 18, 2025, 2:11:37 PM
Gevork - hi Jim, very interesting perspective on the Shiprock photo that is framed by the rocks of the volcanic Dyke. how far in do you go to climb up this section? this seems to be a know spot as Ive seen some wedding photographs made there. would you be able to give some details if you wouldnt mind? https://www.jimzuckerman.com/blog-post/shiprock-at-sunrise