A Journey Down Under - photo book

I have created this book recently based on a business trip I did two years ago to Australia and Perth in particular. To me, books are the greatest way to showcase your work. I spend countless hours to select the pictures that will make a compelling story. Does it always work? Not really. I have been trying for many years and until recently did not really grasp how everything should fit together. There is still plenty of room for improvements but when compared with my earlier work, I am happy about the progression.

A Journey Down Under by Alrik Thiriet | Make Your Own Book

Onion Creek Diapir, Utah

Overview of the Onion Creek diapir 

Being a geologist has some advantages, like having to take classes on the field where rocks are exposed. Utah is certainly amongst the best spot on the planet and Moab in particular. The geology there is spectacular and on display in two great national parks, Arches and Canyonland. Under the massive red sands that makes Moab so famous, rests a massive salt sheet. Evaporite deposits, which do not stand weathering very well, are exposed in the Onion Creek Diapir. To my knowledge, such exposure only exists in three places on earth. Yes, this place is unique although most people would pass by without stopping. 

In the heart of Onion Creek Diapir

The dirt road to get there is an adventure by itself, and one must drive a 4WD while paying attention to the weather. Flash floods can be disastrous when driving in the steep canyon.

Above, I chose to show the diapir, in white, with its chaotic structure while the gentle "S" curve in the road is used to give a more pleasant feeling. On the right, I am using the very stable "V" shape to frame the salt formation. Rendering chaos is quite difficult as the observer can soon become uncomfortable .

Composition improvements

Rule of Thirds, 22mm, f/13

I invested in a telephoto zoom, 70-200 mm, just before going on a safari and I spent most of my time shooting wildlife portraits or at least close shots. Not having the luxury of possessing two camera bodies, I was reluctant changing lens every other minute, by fear of missing some action and also concerned by the amount of dust in the air. I had to switch to a wide angle lens when I saw these two peaceful zebras which would be a perfect addition to a landscape picture of the Masaï Mara reserve in Kenya.
I knew parts of the famous Rule of Thirds which stipulates that the main subject should be aligned to, or be positioned at the intersection of arbitrary lines dividing the frame in nine equal parts as shown in the picture. What I didn't know, is that each intersection does not have the same power and corner 1 should be preferred to any other one, while corner 4 should only be considered last. These rules are of course meant to be broken but I find that paying attention to this detail adds a lot to the overall effect and improves the composition. In this example, not only the zebras are not placed appropriately, they also lead the viewer outside of the frame. A more pleasant picture was obtained when I cropped it three years after framing the shot. Landscape photography does not necessarily mean wide angle.

Masai Mara, Kenya