Đavolja Varoš

The earth pyramids of Đavolja Varoš

At Đavolja Varoš, a brightly eroded flank interrupts the closed Serbian mountain forest. Individual earth pillars protrude from it. In the wide image you can find the formation by the color change, in the narrower image by the shadows between the individual peaks.

The bright pillars in the green slope

At Đavolja Varoš it is worth taking a look at the gaps between the earth pyramids. They allow the tips to stand out as individual shapes and show the size differences within the group.

Rock surfaces are often harder to read in an aerial photograph than their sharp outline suggests. A dark area can be a deep crevice or just in shadow. The connection of several visible edges provides information. Where they converge and cover a surface, a spatial jump is understandable. A location with clear rock contours is suitable for publication with smaller images. In a larger format, the eye can wander more over the finer differences in the surface.

What the treetops reveal

A forest changes the view of every structure and every path that lies on its edge. From one side the treetops cover the lower area, from another a small gap opens. Photos in which the boundary between open space and vegetation can be clearly seen are particularly interesting. They explain which parts of a motif are visible. In a description, it is possible to distinguish precisely between the section depicted and the terrain hidden by the foliage.

Shadow as an indication of height

In the aerial photo, a shadow lies next to the object that casts it. This makes it possible to perceive the approximate height of a shape in relation to its surroundings, even if its side surface is barely visible. The effect depends heavily on sunlight. When selecting a shot, you can therefore check whether the shadow explains a detail or obscures an important area. A second view from a different direction complements the image where the dark area has little detail.

The distribution of blue tones

If you browse through the 8 aerial photos, you can stay at shot 1 and shot 7 for a comparison. In the first excerpt, shades of blue play a smaller role. In the second shot, blue areas take up more space. Blue can extend over a large contiguous area or only appear in individual parts. What also counts for the effect is whether these areas extend to the edge of the picture or surround the main subject.

For Shot 1 and Shot 8, the same day is noted in the image files, July 20, 2020. The recording times recorded are approximately 192 minutes apart. The exposure time was 1/320 second for the first of the images mentioned and 1/500 second for the second.

In the Aerial Videos section there are 2 clips for this article. An example is “Đavolja Varoš - Devil's Town from the air”. Its preview leads directly to the video in the aerial photographer's Adobe Stock portfolio.

Show the proportions of the landscape

For a series of natural history images, an observable form is the best starting point. Where does a surface end, what structure continues next to it, and how much environment do you need to tell the two apart? The questions can be followed directly from the photo. Statements about origin, depth or age, however, require additional sources. An aerial photographer can capture the visible traces and draw attention to a detail. In the later caption you can then clearly explain what can be seen in the photo and what comes from the technical classification.

Related motifs in the aerial photo archive

If you are looking for related motifs, you can start with Bulgaria – Pyramids of Stob. Near Stob, narrow, reddish earth pillars emerge from the Bulgarian slope. It's worth taking a second look at Prolom Banja. Prolom Banja is located in the Serbian mountain landscape in a green valley.