This was the second photo I took upon arriving at White Pocket, before we left the "parking" area. I knew it was going to be an awesome day since most often in this section of the southwest, clear blue skies dominate. Photographers pray for skies like this but they're comparatively rare.

The color version of this is a bit less dramatic, but the Silver Efex Pro software allows the maker of the image to view infinite interpretations of the scene using various tools, effects and filters.

The aim is to always bring back the equivalent of what I saw and felt - great advice from Ansel Adams. Often that's a departure from reality as in this case. Working in post-production software like Silver Efex Pro is a bit like uncovering the artist's sketch beneath an oil painting but in reverse. With the oil painting, the details of the original sketch were there all the time - it was up to artist to bring the sketch to life. With a photograph and this software tool, the original photo becomes the bare bones - the final image is what has been brought out as a final interpretation - or at least one version of it.

Canon EOS 5D, Tamron 28-105 f/2.8, SP Aspherical LD @ 52mm, 1/320 sec @f/8, ISO equiv 200, Calumet 8000 Carbon Fiber Tripod, Gitzo G1276 Ballhead, Conversion to black & White in Silver Efex Pro