Tien Shan - The Celestial Mountains

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Tien Shan - The Celestial Mountains
Photo Information
Copyright: James Parker (Jamesp) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1223 W: 0 N: 4446] (13284)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-07-19
Categories: Mountain
Camera: Canon 1D Mark II, Canon 70-200 f 2.8 L USM
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-05-01 7:52
Viewed: 577
Points: 64
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I decided to post something quite different today - a mountain landscape from far western China taken in 2005 with my 1D mkII. The scene is in Bayanbulak natural grasslands which occupy a high alpine valley in the centre of the mountains. You can get an idea of scale by looking for the yurts on the alluvial fan spreading out from the mouth of the valley in the centre of the shot. The yurts (nomad tents) are about 4 - 5 metres wide.

The Tian Shan (Pinyin: Tiān Shān; "celestial mountains"), also commonly spelled Tien Shan, and known as Tangri Tagh ("celestial mountains" or "mountains of the spirits") in the Uyghur language, is a mountain range located in Central Asia.

The now widely used name Tian Shan is a Chinese translation of the Uyghur name, which may in turn go back to a Xiongnu name, qilian reported by the Shiji as the last place where they met and had their baby as in of the Yuezhi, which has been argued to refer to the Tian Shan rather than to the range 1,500 km further the east now known by this name. A nearby mountain range, the Tannu-Ola Mountains (Tuvan: Таңды-Уула Tangdy-Uula), also bears a synonymous name ("heaven/celestial mountains" or "god/spirit mountains").


The range lies to the north and west of the Taklamakan Desert in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of western China. In the south it links up with the Pamir Mountains. It also extends into the Chinese province of Xinjiang and into the northern areas of Pakistan, where it joins the Hindu Kush.

The highest peak in the Tian Shan is Jengish Chokusu which, at 7,439 metres (24,406 ft), is also the highest point in Kyrgyzstan and is on the border with China. The Tian Shan's second highest peak, Khan Tengri (Lord of the Spirits), at 7,010 m, straddles the Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border. Mountaineers class these as the two most northerly peaks over 7,000 m in the world.

The Torugart Pass, 3,752 metres (12,310 ft) high, is located at the border between Kyrgyzstan and China's Xinjiang province. The forested Alatau ranges, which are at a lower altitude in the northern part of the Tian Shan, are inhabited by pastoral tribes speaking Turkic languages. The major rivers rising in the Tian Shan are the Syr Darya, the Ili river and the Tarim River. The Aksu Canyon is a notable feature in the northwestern Tian Shan.

This shot was taken at about 6am
siggi, batu, jaycee, matatur, earthtraveler, pekkavalo1, nglen, cicindela, CeltickRanger, rcrick, Heaven, Gert-Paassen, haraprasan, gannu, degani, horia, boreocypriensis, gracious, anel, NinaM, SelenE, goldyrs has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 93 W: 1 N: 214] (960)
  • [2008-05-01 7:58]

Hello James,
Wonderful scene. Amazing landscape. Good POV, very good capture.

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 974 W: 281 N: 3043] (10072)
  • [2008-05-01 7:59]

Hello James,
thank you for posting this brilliant picture from a rarely presented area giving a nice
impression of the landscape. I consider the Tien Shan a travel destination for me,
though not the next one.
Best wishes, Peter

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2413 W: 132 N: 6649] (20861)
  • [2008-05-01 8:35]

Hello James,
A fantastic view showing space and grandeur. This Tian Shan view is imposing, the perspective provided by the plain in the FG and the BG mountain ridge. The distances seem enormous and difficullt to judge, but the yurts give some idea.
A great shot skillfully taken and thanks for sharing it.
Ivan

A majestic mountainscape indeed James, the early morning light softened the rocky peaks a little, but they still look formidable. The equivalent of "Tangri Tagh" in Turkish is "Tanri Dagi", which means literally "the Mountain of God"
Cheers,
Mehmet

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1675 W: 8 N: 4021] (13255)
  • [2008-05-01 9:50]

Hi James,

A breathtaking scene! A perfect landscape with magnificent colors and shadings and wonderful shapes.

Jane

Beautiful pastoral scene James. Fine composition. Tfs Richard

Hi James,

Amazing landscape! I especially like the 3D effect which is created with the good composition of this picture. DOF, sharpness and colours are also very good.

TFS

Pekka

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1864 W: 2 N: 4738] (18250)
  • [2008-05-01 11:55]

Hi James. I dont think of you as a landscape photogapher but after seening this one i shall think a bit differently. I can only say the colours and detail are first class. the sun light has given many shadows on the hills which looks so good.The picturer looks so clear. well done TFS.
Nick..

PS you will have to show us in Dorset what you could do with the coast.

Hello James!
What a great panoramic view for the mountains :) I always wanted to visit China, who knows, maybe some day :)
Very nice picture with beautiful colours and POV.
Best regards,
Radomir

hello James

beautiful landscape shot of these mountains including
the field and the valley, fine POV and fine DOF with the
mountains steps on the background, lovely luminosity
of the image with great sharpness and details, TFS

Asbed

Hello James,
Rwanda, Norway, Japan,....and now we are in China. Help, I can't follow:-).
What a view we got here..pfff
And the morning light was just great.
The 'yurts' are a very good reference; good you mentioned it in your excellent note.
Well done
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • rcrick Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 557 W: 39 N: 991] (3258)
  • [2008-05-01 20:17]

Hi James,

Stunning landscape mate, just beautiful, detail and d.o.f just perfect, excellent light.
Really nice work,

Cheers Rick :)

  • Great 
  • Heaven Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 340 W: 74 N: 647] (2537)
  • [2008-05-01 21:46]

Hi James!

Is there a place on the world you haven't been? Or do you plan to visit Mars for next?

:-)

You present us a wonderful lanscape picture. It's so pure and crystal clear. Eveything is perfect: the colours are natural, the sharpness shows all details and the lighting is great.

An excellent posting!

Kind regards

Markus

Hello James,

good composition with beautiful soft colors.
A like the pov.

Gert

Hi James
Simply stunning! The colours of the foreground work well to lead you into the landscape which has a wonderful 3-D effect with lovely light and shadow.
Cheers
Sue

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1555 W: 233 N: 5087] (17953)
  • [2008-05-02 1:17]

Wow! Very impressive view and shot!
The different layers of colour and terrain are excellent!
Excellent lighting and the exposure is spot-on.
Well composed with a dead-straight horizon.
Superb depth.
Very well done, James!

Regards,

Joe

Hi James,
A nice capture of this beautiful mountain scape. Excellent composition and colors. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Hello James,
A lovely landscape, attractive but still with some hostility!
The composition is well balanced, attractive and with a good sense of depth, and I like the contrast from the flatland to the rolling hills ending in rugged mountains...
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • gannu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 729 W: 4 N: 1811] (8606)
  • [2008-05-02 5:28]

Hello James, Superb view. Great scene. Lovely landscape. I can keep saying words. Excellent clarity and superb focus. Sharp picture. Ganesh

WOW!!!! How green is my valley! What an expanse! The morning sunlight was perfect here...a soft light.

Hi James,
I am back home again and can see your new beautiful picture, this one is a wonderful landscape with war colours and a great atmosphere of peace, bravo
kind reagrds
franco

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2070 W: 214 N: 3532] (11778)
  • [2008-05-02 12:57]

Hi James

Now this is one amazing view to wake up with :)
You know, i'm a great fan of your shots - regardless if they are animal close-ups or landscapes, because they always present their subjects thoroughly but also because they tend to have subjects that are rarely seen here on TN.

I'm sure that landscape like this one are always a pleasure too see, even in pictures. But to actually be there and take the shot...must be breathtaking!
No wonder they call these mountains The Celestial Mountains. The scale of this vista is also impressive; you did well to mention the detail about the yurts :)

Great timing here with the morning sun and the long shadows, superb colors and a terrific composition!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Hi my beloved friend James,
What a beautiful and relaxing landscape capture with nice and graduated tones of the green. Great composition!
TFS.
Have a nice weekend my friend!
Cheers,

Bayram

Hello James,
Nicely captured of this well known Tian Shan from China!
good pov with that awesome lighting over the place in good colour and details
many thanks for the sharing
cheers
Tony

  • Great 
  • demeve Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 505 W: 8 N: 1023] (3786)
  • [2008-05-03 17:03]

Hello Loot,

You capture a very nice landscape, beautiful.
Very nice presentation, excellent pov, the colors and composition are superb.. Well done

Everton

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1079 W: 0 N: 1654] (7206)
  • [2008-05-04 4:35]

Hello James,
Fine light falls on this marvellous Chinese landscape. I like these nude areas, just formed by different shapes of mountains and hills. Beautiful.
Thanks
Anne

  • Great 
  • NinaM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 544 W: 0 N: 1299] (4363)
  • [2008-05-05 14:39]

Thanks for this beautiful picture, it is an immense landscape, so much space! Thank you for the superb notes as well, they are very instructive and your knowledge added to all this make up for a perfect post. Thank y ou James!

Francine

pts tomorrow

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2336 W: 59 N: 4112] (13398)
  • [2008-05-05 23:40]

Hi James,
View is beautiful. Very well composed and exposed, light, colors, layers, POV, and composition are very good. TFS
All the best,
Selen

Wow James, shooting at 115mm, and those Yurts still look very small. This is a huge place. Until I looked at your lens I just assumed you were shooting wide angle. I like the way you've cropped the shot, nicely capturing the full valley leading up to those huge mountains at the rear. Shooting at f/5.0 you must have still been some distance away, to get such great depth of field over the entire range. Lighting is very good, I like the morning light, with great shadow detail. Very nice shot.

Thanks, John

This is a stunning landscape, James.I wish I could do something so beautiful.
Very well seen and composed.
Goldy

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 980 W: 17 N: 2559] (9440)
  • [2008-05-06 8:48]

Hi James,
excellent choice of POV and composition...a great sense of vastness and openness....i really like those greens too, well done!
Paul

Hi James

What a stunning picture. I really like it with the many layers and distant peaks. morning light is excellent.

TFS
Emma

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