Khafre

[AlanLichty]

It's not easy trying to come up with images in Giza that don't look like something you have seen before. My chance at shooting the pyramids came about when I participated in a subsurface survey in the area of the eastern Nile Delta in December of 1977. The wintertime visit featured a lot of clouds so I tried to see what could be done to make them a prominent part of the images.

I studied the weather patterns for Egypt in mid winter and decided that it would be quite pleasant compared to a Salt Lake City winter and packed for a warm weather excursion. Big Mistake. I am used to going to places like Phoenix in the winter with warm outside temperatures but didn't take into account that I also got to retreat to warm cars/houses/restaurants at the end of the day. As I came to discover once we left Cairo we never saw heated anything including our hotel room in Ismailiya. I pretty much froze my ass off for the 4 weeks we were there.

Khafre's pyramid. (EDIT: image replaced with an updated copy)

A view with a paw showing:

And one showing more of the Sphinx:

C&C always welcome.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Really like the last two. The first seems too dark, but shooting with film, ya get what ya get.

 

[AlanLichty]

Really like the last two. The first seems too dark, but shooting with film, ya get what ya get.

I was also crazy enough to try shooting into the sun with that first one as well. Kodachrome doesn't have the dynamic range to cope with what I was trying to capture. Lightening up the pyramid any more than what you see makes the colors get pretty wonky. I should probably try B&W for that one some time.

 

[AlanLichty]

I decided to try a B&W version of the first image of Khafre's pyramid. This avoids the color issues from trying to lighten up the pyramid face from the scanned slide.

Khafre

• AlanLichty
• Mar 9, 2018

The pyramid of Khafre.

 

[JimFox]

What cool experiences Alan, you got to visit the pyramids also.

Interesting shots, I agree with Ben about #1. I think your conversion to B&W is better then the color, but could use some more contrast on the pyramid. How about putting #1 into the Critique forum and let others play with it to see others ideas on how to improve it?

 

[AlanLichty]

What cool experiences Alan, you got to visit the pyramids also.

Interesting shots, I agree with Ben about #1. I think your conversion to B&W is better then the color, but could use some more contrast on the pyramid. How about putting #1 into the Critique forum and let others play with it to see others ideas on how to improve it?

Let me prep a copy of the original slide scan. I'd like to see what others can do with the shot. I always liked the angle and clouds for this image but have never been able to bring out satisfying details on the pyramid face.

 

[BarryHamilton]

Had to be an experience of a lifetime! Been on my bucket list for a long time, but with the world as it is, I may never make it. So thanks for taking me along!