Stephen Levitas
April 2026 - Cappadocia
Original
About the Image(s)
Title: Cappadocia
From my archives of past trips to Turkey. You can see the dwellings and storage rooms carved in the soft volcanic rocks. Only hammer and chisel were needed. In some areas, these date back to Hittite (BC) or early Christian times. I cannot guess the age of those in this image.
This image has extremes of light and dark. I am sure the little hut with some objects on its roof should be removed with content-aware, but I am too lazy to do it with my old software.
11 comments posted
Would the image have benefitted from being shot much wider? Or indeed narrower, to eliminate the foliage on the right and bottom, making it a study of rock shapes only? Just writing, the thoughts which come immediately to mind. A liitle bit more room at the top, so that the peak doesn't look like it is being almost cut off. Posted: 04/03/2026 23:34:38
Yes, good ideas, thanks. Posted: 04/09/2026 20:50:29
This is a super record of the area and the contrast looks about right. I agree with Som that the peak is rather close to the top edge. i would not remove the shed and it's bits as it actually provides a focus for the eye. I think you may have lost some detail in the very bright rock faces. It's a very interesting landscape- studying it I found all sorts of bits carved out of the rocks and I wondered how they were accessed. I presume they haven't been eroded since the climate is dry so they've not been washed away. Posted: 04/06/2026 20:20:20
I blew up the image, and voila, the shed is actually a set of flood lights for the tourists.
Access might have been in cave tunnels interior. Some of these might have been storage caves for agricultural products. Posted: 04/09/2026 20:52:29
Access might have been in cave tunnels interior. Some of these might have been storage caves for agricultural products. Posted: 04/09/2026 20:52:29
I hadn't thought about interior access. Ed's adding some more to thee top solves the problem of being too close to the edge and the vignette helps too. Posted: 04/10/2026 09:10:53
This is really interesting subject. Edited your final image and added some head room using content aware fill in Photoshop. And, I burned the really bright areas a bit. And I added a little more vignette, but my vignette might be a little heavy handed. Posted: 04/07/2026 03:43:00
Looks good to me, especially the vignette. Thanks. Posted: 04/09/2026 20:53:12
This is a very interesting image and your write up of what it is helps a lot. I would leave the flood lights in the image. Other than add some room at the top as already mentioned, I would not change a thing. Posted: 04/16/2026 20:20:31
Thank you, Tom. Posted: 04/17/2026 03:11:39
I like Ed's increased "darkening" and I'm alone in saying to add more Contrast. I like the vignette. If the rock is volcanic, shouldn't it be much darker? I moved the edited image off and into PS and ran it thru Noiseware and got the sky smoothed out. Did I understand that you are signed up to be a Visiting Prof''r on Turkey and Armenia history?
I've never been to Turkey, but I spent a month in Armenia. Posted: 04/16/2026 21:27:42
I've never been to Turkey, but I spent a month in Armenia. Posted: 04/16/2026 21:27:42
Wes,
Yes, volcanic, but I believe it is layers of ash that have hardened into a soft sandstone-like material. You can scratch grains loose with a kitchen utensil or even your fingernail a bit.
Thanks for the editing, but it did not show up.
My wife is the Turk, and I have been visiting her country ever since we paired up in 1972.
How was your month in Armenia?
--Steve Posted: 04/17/2026 03:16:06
Yes, volcanic, but I believe it is layers of ash that have hardened into a soft sandstone-like material. You can scratch grains loose with a kitchen utensil or even your fingernail a bit.
Thanks for the editing, but it did not show up.
My wife is the Turk, and I have been visiting her country ever since we paired up in 1972.
How was your month in Armenia?
--Steve Posted: 04/17/2026 03:16:06