Joseph Hearst, FPSA, PPSA  


Cenote in Valladolid, Yucatan by Joseph Hearst, FPSA, PPSA

February 2018 - Cenote in Valladolid, Yucatan

About the Image(s)

The cenote is a feature of karst topography. Cenotes are formed by dissolution of rock and the resulting subsurface void, which may or may not be linked to an active cave system, and the subsequent structural collapse. Rock that falls into the water below is slowly removed by further dissolution, creating space for more collapse blocks. The rate of collapse increases during periods when the water table is below the ceiling of the void, since the rock ceiling is no longer buoyantly supported by the water in the void. This one is in the town of Valladolid in Yucatan, and it is a short walk from our hotel. I didn’t dare walk on the pathways, so I shot it from above as HDR, handheld at f/9 varying the ISO automatically. Then I used Curves layers to adjust the exposure in places.


This round’s discussion is now closed!
8 comments posted




Ian Chantler   Ian Chantler
  Posted: 02/10/2018 11:24:27



Ian Chantler   Ian Chantler
Hi Joe
Firstly an education I had never heard of a cenote before so thank you for your detailed description of it I do not blame you for not risking the walkways but shooting from above has given a fantastic perspective of area and shows it fully which you would not be able to have done from lower really well framed the colours compliment one another a fascinating image.   Posted: 02/10/2018 11:28:16



Dr Isaac Vaisman   Dr Isaac Vaisman
Joe, great landscape of the area showing the magnitude of the cenote given by the human component in the image. It is well composed, it is sharp and the colors are very natural. Interesting is the presence of the two individuals over the water on what seems to be a hanging bridge. Of course the formations created by the erosion add interest to the image.   Posted: 02/10/2018 14:35:19



Guy Davies   Guy Davies
I think I would have stayed off the pathways too! First of all, thanks for the explanation. Like Ian, I had not heard of a Cenote, although we do sometimes get something similar but with the more mundane name of Sink Holes. These can occur where there has been mining in the past. The image is nicely composed and sharp, and illustrates this geological phenomenon very well. The inclusion of people gives us a clear indication of the scale of it.   Posted: 02/11/2018 06:13:45
 
I must admit that I copied the explanation of the cenotes from Wikipedia or something like that. But i was familiar with karst topography - don't remember why.   Posted: 02/11/2018 09:35:44



 
I had no idea what a cenote was either so it was interesting to learn about that although I do know the more insiduous "sinkholes". Hmm..perhaps if we made attractions out of local "sinkholes"!

I like the depth of field showing the expanse of the area in the photo. I also like the figures that were shown to give a proper scale to the photo. The foreground elements also work well in leading the viewer into the central composition.   Posted: 02/13/2018 10:27:12



Erik Rosengren   Erik Rosengren
I thank you for the explanation as well Joe. Your image is sharp, offers good color and the middle path offers a good left to right leading line. My only suggestion would be to use Ctrl A & Ctrl T to level the image then slight crop of the background to remove the base of the structures. That should give the viewer a sense of wilderness.   Posted: 02/15/2018 10:23:51



Bill Buchanan   Bill Buchanan
Looks like we all got schooled this month by the professor. The added human element provides a great sense of scale and proportion. The only added tweak I may do would be some edge darkening, especially at the top where the bright areas are.   Posted: 02/26/2018 13:35:37