New Zealand - Castle Rocks

[David]

One of the most famous passes through the Southern Alps is known as Arthur's Pass and the following two shots are from a curious outcrop of weathered limestone boulders found in a central plateau on this route. The site, known as Castle Rocks, was (is) sacred to the Maoris who used it as a meeting point during summer, probably for food gathering and ceremonial purposes. The rich colours in the first image come from use of a polarising filter as well as the natural scene itself.





Geologically, the rocks are interesting as most of the surrounding terrain is not limestone. Presumably, these are the remnants of an ancient seabed, older than the more modern mountains surrounding them.

Cheers

David

[mastamak]

Hello David,
I loved these photos, particularly as I was not allowed to visit Castle Rocks when I was there last December. This was because it was cold wet and blowing a gale and "she who must be obeyed" finally put her foot down and demanded to be taken to a warm room in Christchurch, without delay and without further photographic excursions. You are right about the limestone. It is the remnant of a Tertiary sedimentary blanket that at one time covered both islands. Parts of the North Island are still covered with these rocks but only a few small patches remain in the south. Quite interesting geology in the Arthur's Pass area.

Grant

[David]

Hi Grant - Thanks for your comments. You have my sympathy re "she who must be obeyed". Interesting geology indeed.

David

[uspandey]

IMHO, they appear overexposed by a stop or so. Other than that, nice composition.

[David]

Hi Uspandey - I've checked the histograms and the exposures are just as I wished them to be.

David

[bleys]

Beautiful pics; composition and colours, although I tend to agree that they're overexposed a bit. But, to each his own!

[Dave Humphries]

Hi David,

Nice shots.

Since the first is so colourful, as you're displaying them together, I'd have been tempted to bump up the vibrance/clarity/saturation on the second to match the first a bit closer.

If I have one small compositional issue with the first, it is that I keep getting distracted by the crossing of the taller plant across that mid-ground boulder in the field behind;


Looks like you had a great holiday

[David]

Dave - Good point re the boulder and plant. If I take this image further, I'll likely clone out the offending stone.

Cheers

David

[AlaskanMariner]

Here's another view of this great place: