A Finished Photograph

Since posting this image of the poppies east of the Painted Pony Resort work has continued on the post production processing of the image.  The goal was to create an image that simultaneously reflected the bright colors of the blooming poppies which appear in the spring all along the valley on a background that was monochromatic reflecting the stark high desert of New Mexico with rugged views of the mountains.  By creating a series of layers (some of which were desaturated) and masking both vertically and horizontally it was possible to create the bright color in foreground where the poppies are the largest while grading off into a monochromatic background of the Peloncillo Mountains.  The highest point in the Peloncillo Mountains, Gray Mountain, is the high point on the left side image.

Poppies at the base of the Peloncillo Mountains