Tipi's Top, a photo from Utah, West

Photographer's Note

Hello friends. I've missed you! I've been remodelling my house and have had many deadlines and late nights tiling, plastering, and doing trim work. But now it's nearly finished!

This is a tipi, sometimes spelled "teepee." Most Native Americans, however, would call it a "lodge." They are wonderful to sleep in. Perhaps it's because of the circle around you, or the lines of the timbers going up to the top as you see here.

In olden days, the women were the ones who would transport and set up the tipi. They also owned it. In most Native American societies, the women owned the property while the man ran things. This seems pretty fair compared to the European tradition of the man owning AND running everything!

Tipis today are usually made of canvas, but they used to be made of hides, especially buffalo (bison) or elk. If you ever get a chance to stay in one, do it! Native American stuff is very popular all over the world now, especially in Europe.

Thanks for looking! Enjoy!

KrL, mortijo, riclopes, Didi, nwoehnl, john_c, ChrisJ, carod, veve, cam, imrek, ribeiroantonio, singuanti, pablominto, Philippe, kludwig20, Dragonheart, Flavia, ls7902, stego, John_F_Kennedy, Nilay, zeca, qadirsh oznaczył to zdjęcie jeko użyteczne

Critiques | Translate

ohe (2334) 2006-12-12 1:26

Dear David,
I really like the colors :-) of your shote ... Contrast between the different subject are quite well rendered. The rendering of the sky is also quite nice.
A composition that works very well on B&W.
Thanks for sharing,
- Olivier -

KrL (62) 2006-12-12 3:17

Bonjour David
Belle compo et bon choix pour le noir et blanc.
en + note interessante
Merci
Karčle

mortijo (12828) 2006-12-12 4:00

I like this B & W presentation, it fits the subject. The composition is excellent. The accompanying note is very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

riclopes (35577) 2006-12-12 4:31

Hello David, it's a pleasure to see another image from you. You show your country in a beautiful and original way. This could be from some remote place of the world (and may it is...) like Tibete or similar. I love your composition and excellent work with the B&W convertion. I would definately enjoy the experience of sleeping inside one of these Tipi. Tfs,
Ricardo

Didi (61589) 2006-12-12 13:17

Hello David
well come back on TE site.
Very good B & W composition and I note a nice contrast of the grey scale.
Very well done.
Cheers.

nwoehnl (122) 2006-12-12 13:52

Hi David, long time no see. Beautiful photo with a nice juxtapositioning of the tipi top versus the mountains in the back. The lighting is really atmospheric in this one, and the b&w conversion yields a rich and deep tonal range. Your notes, as ever so often, make for an engaging read. Nice work.

cbrman (21685) 2006-12-13 2:07

Hello David,

A very nice B&W picture ! The contrast is very impressive and the point of view is very good !
Well Done.

A+

Dominique

ChrisJ (171340) 2006-12-13 6:02

Hi David

Wonderful tonal range bordering on the appearance of infra red. Superb sharpness & composition, with the tp well placed in the frame. Tfs!

PixelTerror (0) 2006-12-13 6:18

Hi David,
Nice to see you again here, hope all is well in your redesigned house !
I see you're back to your heritage posts, this tipi rising against the snowy mountain background works well to me !
Have a nice day,
JEan-Yves

Fis2 (169847) 2006-12-13 9:20

Witaj David!
Excellent shot. Interesting composition and frame. Good sharpness and contrast. Well done.
Regards
Krzysztof

jrj (34843) 2006-12-13 10:11

Hi David
You continue your selection of superb shots and setting where this one is a fine 'addon'in the series. Good work..
---------------------------
.. and myself made a little 'addon' too today.. hehe..
kind of looking for snow in a land where it should be - this time of the year

john_c (24666) 2006-12-13 10:31

Hi David,
Glad to hear your home reno is about complete, as we miss your posts...You have framed this in your usual expert way and I am amazed that the clarity and sharpness of the foreground is virtually matched by the background. This works very well in B&W, David, with the clouds and snow providing the necessary contrast. You also managed to control the light on the tipi, as I see there was some glaring. Well done....later.
John

Graymond (234) 2006-12-13 20:52

Wow! What sharpness and detail. I really like the abstract mood of the shot.

Can't add much more than it's a great shot. TFS!

avigur_11 (22535) 2006-12-13 23:33

great to see a new photo of yours, David. I was away, too, and now I'm back again.
Quality is superb here. Compositiom is very special. with oly the tipi's top im the frame, when it creats a nice ballance with the mountain. Beautiful.

kensimage (8563) 2006-12-14 1:56

That's funny, my house is getting a major remodel, too! But I'm not acting as my own general contractor, as I gather you are, so I still have time to post occasionally.

I really like the strong, high-contrast tones you've used here, David. The shot might be a bit ordinary without those, but they are more than enough to carry this image. The tones' starkness, and the composition, suggest the direct contact of (traditional) native Americans and nature--life in the wide open spaces. Well done. Regards, Ken.

laurak83 (328) 2006-12-14 9:33

Beautiful sunlight, I love the way it falls over the canvas and timbers holding up the lodge. The mountains look rugged. Where did you find a tipi to take a photo of?

feather (51130) 2006-12-14 10:58

Good to see you back David and what an excellent shot this is. I was never a B&W fan, but I think I am being re-educated as lately I've been enjoying more & more B&W postings. Who knows; maybe I will post one sometime soon. :)
This is all about the incredible light that is illuminating the tipi "support posts" and the mountains behind. I also like the way you composed the image, so there is a mirroring of the mountains with the shape of the tipi. Very good work.
Kath

carod (364) 2006-12-14 21:13

Hello David,

Magnifique composition.. c'est vraiment parfait !!!

Moi et ma petite famille avons passé deux nuits dans un tipi cet été et ça été une belle expérience. Alors ta photo me rapelle de bons souvenirs.

Merci de partager ta photo.
Bravo !
Caroline

veve (4189) 2006-12-15 12:24

Hi David,
Another good capture!
I like the composition and the contrast light/shadow here!
Great details!
Best wishes,
Veronica

Kenny10pin (19301) 2006-12-15 17:33

nice take, I like the section of the Teepee, very well shot,I would have taken more of the bottom part, but great shot

cam (9043) 2006-12-15 21:28

Bonjour David
Interresting presentation,the tip of the teepee against the top of the mountains.
A good distribution of the color scope from black to white,for a very contrasting shot.
It is a pleasure to look again at your picture,which I find very instructive.
Is it an original B&W or a conversion.In both case,well done.
I gave a look at DPchallenge,quite interresting.I gave a look at the tutorial,hoping to find one on the PP to be applied on an original infrared photo.By any chance,do you know one.
Thanks and have a good WE
Charles

imrek (4) 2006-12-16 7:24

Hi David,
an interesting point of view and very good B/W conversion...good work as usual!!!
have a nice we!
imre

berek (50518) 2006-12-16 8:07

Hi David, welcome back
I am waiting for new picture impatiently. now I am happy for this. very good B&W nature composition. good point of view and light. have a nice weekend.
Burak
my overall evaluation -> ****

ahmetgedikli (25609) 2006-12-17 18:24

Hi David,
Really beautiful landscape. Superb composition, contrast with good POV.
Best regards.
Ahmet

ribeiroantonio (22730) 2006-12-17 20:54

I checked your TE photo gallery and I can only say that it is marvellous. You have an excellent work and because your pictures are so good and difficult to choose one I decided to pick the very last post. Here, the compo is excellent and the B&W conversion perfect with that high contrast. Congratulations.
Antonio

singuanti (15250) 2006-12-17 22:44

Hi David. The closest I ever got to one of these was at Ruby's Inn just outside of Bryce Canyon and that couldn't have been real. Your foreground and background contrast each other so strongly which makes for a great composition. The play of the light is great. Good luck with your remodeling!

pablominto (53746) 2006-12-18 7:03

Hello David,
An interesting composition, where the contrast in the black and white adds extra interest value!
I like the composition, and the excellent details are impressive!
Greetings,
Pablo -

jmcl (14535) 2006-12-19 0:53

David,

really evocative image .. just enough of the teepee for us to know what it is .. stunning background ... love the high contrast black and white treatment.

take care.

John

p.s. I grew up in South Dakota .. my Dad is a historian and archeologist .. maybe for that this image really strikes me.

Philippe (11836) 2006-12-21 4:37

Hi, David. The tipi with its poles going up towards the sky is a very good foreground, which is well placed in the composition. The snow-capped mountain is very nice and somehow reminds of the shape of the tipi. Very nice light in this B&W shot and a very interesting note.

kludwig20 (437) 2006-12-21 15:25

Great balance on this B&W and so well exposed. The light reflecting off the side of the Tipi is great. I really like the placement of the Tipi right up in the foreground.

Dragonheart (8434) 2006-12-22 2:00

Hi David,
Interesting capture, the background is so beautiful, good framing here and thanks for the informative note.
Well done
Thanks for sharing
Best regards
Vivek

Flavia (10352) 2006-12-24 8:05

Hi David,

What a fantastic gallerey you have! Nice B&W tones and a beautiful light. The composition showing the mountain top and only part of this traditional tipi works wonderfully. I take the opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas.

Regards,

Flavia

ls7902 (7380) 2006-12-25 8:22

Just the top of the tipi but it works so great with the mountains really complementing your subject. Latiff.

baba_flies (8829) 2006-12-26 9:06

Dear David ... I hope it is not too late to say Merry Christmas ... I wanted to come back to this photo for some days now but cooking and visiting kept me busy ... a normal "procedure" for these days - I guess. I do love this photo, the tipi peaking up into the endless Western sky ... brings back my childhood fantasy ... and I truly hope I will never loose that.

Take care, all the best for 2007 ... not far away now.

stego (24132) 2006-12-26 15:22

Hi David,
This one is stunning! The pov and the exposure is superb, with that amazing contrast and dark blacks but at the same time with fine details all over. It reminds me those high quality paper printings where the black looked like being done with carbon.
And so dramatic! The tipi looks like an abstract representation of an old dispaired man.
Congratulations!

Angshu (56760) 2006-12-28 22:32

Hello David
Good to see you back with this lovely B&W post. You show your country in a different way..yes I know about tipis, but the way you've captured it is wonderful. With a low POV, against the vast sky & snowy peaks & the light on the sticks on the top, this looks so beautiful!
Wishing you the very best for 2007
Regards
Angshu

John_F_Kennedy (43797) 2007-01-04 2:55

Great contrast of the white and black of the picture. Great note.
Achim

Nilay (1323) 2007-01-08 16:39

hello,
great colors,
great POV,
interesting capture with the wind outside, very fantastic,I like the tent and the atmosphere,
vry well done,
regards,
Nilay

zeca (19762) 2007-01-12 19:47

Hello David!
Nice contrast and very nice POV, showing this interesting scenery.
All the best to you in 2007, and happiness to your "new" house!
Zeca

qadirsh (85) 2007-01-14 1:02

Great composition. Beautiful point of view and a fascinating presentation of B&W in the art of photography. Thanks for sharing.

Stepan (27210) 2007-01-22 18:26

A strong evocative composition. It's really well composed and effective. B&W enhances the mood. Good job.
Stéphane

langaloo (489) 2007-04-07 6:23

Oh la la, it is beautifull. The black and white makes it more "traditional", ŕ la Curtis. In color, the drawings and paintings of Charles Bird King, Karl Bodmer and George Catlin gave us the feeling of the "way it was"....
Interesting note, also the one on abandoned barns. In France, we have a very important ministry (ministere de la Culture) taking care of old stone and architecture, called the departement du Patrimoine, this should be asked to the next US president.

faubry (35447) 2007-08-21 17:33

great, great, good choice of BW, good contrast, i like this tipi at the top mountain. bravo
francine