The Photograph
The 44th Alain Briot Print of the Month photograph is titled Hoodoo Circle.

The Master File for this image is provided to you on a CD which ships with the artwork at no extra cost. This master file shows you how I optimized this image.. If you are not familiar with what a master file is make sure to read my essay on this subject.

Hoodoos are pillar-like rock formations. They consist of soft, shale-like rock and occur when a harder caprock protects the shale underneath it from eroding away.

On a geological-time scale hoodoos are nothing but the blink of an eye. The represent the last state that a rock formation takes until it crumbles away into dust and sand.

On a photographic-inspiration scale Hoodoos are wonderfully whimsical formations that lend themselves to all sorts of novel compositions, because it is during the brief time before they collapse that these formations take their most artistic appearances.

I photographed hoodoos on several occasions before creating this photograph. Most of my previous photographs, some of which appear on this website as well as in my new book, feature a single hoodoo, usually taking advantage of a pleasing light situation or a contrast of color.

I took a different approach with Hoodoo Circle when I decided to photograph a group of hoodoos rather than isolate one of them. My decision stemmed from a vision for this group as a dance, or a circle of hoodoos, each of them standing alone and yet connected to the others by the circular pattern that they compose. I purposefully decided not to include the sky to keep the range of contrast within the scale of the other tones in the image. I also decided not to include any direct light in the image for similar reasons.

However, the sunset light bouncing back from the cliff is visible onto some of the hoodoos to which it imparts a golden glow. This glow is particularly visible on the foremost and tallest hoodoo.

The variety of shapes displayed by the hoodoos in the circle create an enthralling visual variation that does not rely on composition. In regard to composition I decided not to include a prominent foreground because I wanted the image to exist on its own content and not be forced into a near-far relationship which, to me, would have been distracting and unnecessary.

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This photograph is available matted, or matted and framed in a Mahogany Finish Frame. Below is a sample of the moulding. The mat is white, archival Bainbridge. Mounting is with hinged archival tape. All materials used are archival.

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