<<< o >>>riverdance #5 72 comments + add yours
chromasia.com

When I post a shot in my beachcombing category it's normally quite a safe bet that nobody else has photographed the bucket, or piece of driftwood, or whatever else it is I happen to stumble across as I wander along the beach; i.e. there's no competition, and the shot stands or falls on its own merits (or lack of them).

In this case though, there are hundreds of photographers taking photographs of this stranded ferry, so I wanted to make sure that I got at least one decent shot today – and I'm pleased with this one. Because of the angle it was taken from, it doesn't do a great job of conveying the scale of this boat, but I'm pretty pleased with the end result nonetheless.

I haven't posted the EXIF data, as this was an HDR constructed from three bracketed exposures, but all were taken at around 180mm with my 70-200mm zoom.

As always, let me know what you think.

 
3x2 + HDR + photo friday [noteworthy] + beachcombing
comment by Ramsey at 09:39 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Cool shot! You don't get these very often. What a mess, I have no idea how they get that beast back on the right track.

comment by Pete at 09:42 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Excellent! The HDR processing here has made it crystal clear - it's definitely the clearest image I've seen. My poxy little Panasonic reduced my version to mushy noise! Hopefully you've got some more to post over the next few days too.

comment by Richard Trim at 09:44 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Can't complain about your shooting angle on this one Dave. To be a real sod about at least one of of your other postings on this bit of Blackpool drama... you made it look like a bathtime toy boat. When you have drama like this handed to you on your plate ...er umm beach then I think you have to really push the boat out (sorry about the pun) and in this you surely have. Powerful image and I like the grey hues within the boat and on the beach. cheers richard

comment by Florian at 09:48 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

really impressive shot. love the tones.

comment by Jarrard at 09:52 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Wow. This shot is excellent. One of your best in recent memory. I think you convey the scale quite well, actually, with the tiny workers in the corner. Strong work.

comment by Laurie McGinley at 10:02 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

stunning

comment by Rodolphe at 10:16 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

10/10

comment by iVahid at 10:19 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

wow, it's amazing!

comment by m at 10:31 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Fab. Definitely worth following up

comment by Alex at 10:42 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Simply one of your best. Punchy, crisp and great tones. Love it.

comment by PhilB at 10:53 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Fantastic shot Dave. Great sense of scale and processing.

comment by vg at 10:59 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Hi Dave,

I think the scale is pretty impressive like this already! I like the HDR and the fact that you've kept the sky as well as the nice colours of the boat. A mate of mine argues that HDR is cheating, as it is not one photograph, but I think it helps you construct what your eye could see at the moment you took the shot, therefore a great technique which can be used to make very nice photographs.

comment by mikelangelo at 11:01 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

THIS ONE, I like!! very, very cool angle and the HDR treatment is phenomenal. Well done! I could see one of your others framed next to this one so you have a context/detail shot.

comment by Chris Bamber at 11:06 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Wow!
Having read about a 400m exclusion zone for safety I thought we may have seen the last of the Riverdance from you but clearly not! This is the sort of shot I think I expected to here see sooner or later. No soggy biscuits though?
I have to disagree with you about the scale of the ship. The workers give a sense of the scale, as do the remaining lorries on the deck. The light off the lorries picks out the buckled shapes really well.
Probably a slightly odd thing to mention, but I especially like the aerials bending over from the masts.

comment by Pete Carr at 11:11 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Thats an excellent capture. Very nicely done.

comment by Tom at 11:16 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

I have seen many photos of this wreck in the last week, but this one is by far the best! Good use of the HDR as well.

comment by rataki at 11:18 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

wow, indeed, a pretty cool pic ! I usually don't like HDRs as they look too unreal most of the time. but yours looks just fine ! This with the construction and the great scale of the shot make it a really really great shot ! bravo !

comment by owen at 11:34 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

The best shot I've seen of the Riverdance by far. The people in the picture add plenty of scale to the scene. Surreal.

comment by hixster at 11:35 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Hats off to you! , an amazingly stunning photo, superb.

comment by Paul at 11:36 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Nice, very nice...the shot that is. I can live happily ever after if I never see another HDR shot (not specifically from you, but in general).

comment by cy at 11:43 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

this one is more captivating than the others of the series. sort has that feel of being in a car accident at night and then seeing the car the next morning. a brush of death and a breath of life. nicely done.

comment by pixelpixie at 11:49 PM (GMT) on 6 February, 2008

Well and truely beached. Outstanding Mr Nightingale.

comment by Raymond at 12:20 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Bravo !!

comment by andré at 12:20 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

brutal!

comment by mal at 12:52 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

PFFFFF! Fantastic. mal

comment by Max at 12:59 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Holy Cow! This has to my favourite of the ones you've posted so far (with close competition to the first one you posted). About your claims of not properly representing the size, ya right! Seeing those men working on it scales the shot perfectly! Very well shot. Love the composition.

comment by Kurt at 01:48 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Great shot, I really think this is what HDR should be. You really don't think it is an HDR but it does give a slight surreal look about it. Very nice. How do you account for the movement of the people in the multiple shots when they are moving between the shots? Do you process this in Photoshop using the HDR feature or just combined as different layers? thanks.

comment by kate at 02:01 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

the grand finale!

comment by Nathan at 02:07 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

One of the best uses of HDR I've seen. And certainly the best in this series. Well done!

comment by Andy Cogbill at 02:46 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

I agree wholeheartedly with Nathan. Good uses for HDR are a rarity, but this is a case example of when it can add quite a lot of intrigue to a photo.

What separates this from the others in this series, in my opinion, is the presence of the workers for a sense of scale, as well as a very intimate, close-up view that allows the subject to become the context, and vice versa.

Very nicely done!

comment by Micah at 04:24 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Incredible shot. What a sense of sheer *wreckage*.

comment by doreen at 06:33 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

seriously cool! i think you've still managed to convey the scale of the ferry with this picture -- the workers standing next to the wreck look tiny!

comment by Jennifer at 07:12 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Gosh - speechless!

comment by quenton at 07:21 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Wahooo, complêtement dingue !

comment by Thatch at 07:27 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

I think the number of comments you've got on this one say's it all. Wonderfull image.

comment by Stephanie at 08:00 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

I agree with the others, the scale comes across from the people that are in there.

I think this is a great shot.

comment by Ásgarðr at 08:03 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Excellent. Not only a great angle, but the HDR-processing just ads to the image.

Real mess out there!

comment by riika at 08:04 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Looks unreal!

comment by Magnus von Koeller at 08:32 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

That is definitely an impressive shot. Congratulations!

comment by peter at 10:56 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

The best shot in this beached ship series. The angle is much more dynamic, you get to see more of the ship and the figures provide scale. I also like the ladder to the left - it's as if it is the only thing keeping the ship from toppling over completely.

comment by Mark at 11:51 AM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

I love this shot. The tones, the sunlight, the scale it conveys and the absurdity of the rope and ladder on the left hand side. Conveys more that all the BBC News footage I have seen ..

comment by ROB at 01:11 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

If only this were the toy that it looks like in the image. Although the lego men look all too real. Simply a stunning image and like Newcastle (Australia) last year, I wish I was there to see it myself.

comment by mooch at 02:02 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Mental shot. Great tones. Surreal.

comment by Jay at 02:08 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Wow! Incredible shot!!!

comment by Dave Feltenberger at 02:37 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Nice shot. I love how everything including the wires on the top of the ship are leaning over. It gives a real sense of being off-balance.

One thing I noticed -- that I notice in a lot of HDR -- is the gray/hazy areas around the black where the text "RIVER" is on the ship as well as on the red near the propellers. Also the inconsistent luminance of the gate in the back of the ship. All of these are usually artifacts from a lack of light smoothing.

comment by thomas mueller at 03:31 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

outstanding!
a brilliant photojournalism shot!

comment by Veerasundar at 05:21 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Outstanding shot! I wonder how come they build such a massive machines!

comment by Calvin Sun at 05:29 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

EPIC shot!!

comment by Oswegan at 05:30 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Very well composed and treated.

comment by chiara at 07:10 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

WOW that is pretty amazing!

comment by Bill at 07:11 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

I skipped what you posted and started reading the comments. When someone mention in their comments this is a HDR photo, I was shocked. Most of the HDR photos I have seen look exactly like they are HDR photos. This is best one I seen because I cannot tell.

It find it dramatic photo, going more towards being a photojournalist photo, expect it does not go there because of the muted colors.

Bill

comment by Jason at 07:37 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Blimy! Dave this truly is a great shot. I think the guys working on the wreck give it plenty of scale. This thing must be huge!

comment by Sharla at 07:54 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

I'm sure there has been plenty of media coverage of the beached ferry, as you say, but, on this side of the pond, it's a different story—I haven't seen a mention or a pic. Contrary to your other shots that conveyed a tilted solid object, this shows the true effects of being tossed from the seas. The HDR is well-handled, resulting in a very dramatic shot with tons of crispness and detail, even into the shadows that I'm sure the media missed.

My only negative critique is that it's too bad the workers' florescent jackets weren't a little brighter, which would make them and the scale even more recognizable.

comment by Craig @ id7.co.uk at 08:17 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Everyone else with a camera might aswell pack up and go home. Dave, its a stunner... by far the best of the rest, and your best of this to date.... fantastic processing...csj

comment by djn1 at 08:23 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Thanks all :-)

Ramsey: I think they're going to remove all the cargo and then try to refloat it when there's a higher tide.

Richard: :-)

vg: I agree with you - HDR is a useful technique.

Chris: there is an exclusion zone, which you'll see better in tomorrow's shot. And it's funny you should pick up on the aerials, as they're one of my favourite aspects of the shot too.

Kurt: I used Photomatix to create the HDR, and there is some ghosting in the image but it's not especially noticeable.

Dave: the lighting is a bit inconsistent around the tailgate (which doesn't really bother me) but I'm afraid that I can't see the gray/hazy bits you mentioned.

Sharla: interestingly, I toned down the worker's jackets as I decided the final image was stronger if you discovered them rather than them being in your face from the outset.

comment by Lightseeker at 09:15 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Excellent!

comment by DedicatedRR at 11:24 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2008

Unbelievable, you're lucky for such an amazing opportunity! And so are we, for getting to see the results. ;)

comment by onewayphotoblog / Mark at 01:06 PM (GMT) on 8 February, 2008

Best shot I've seen of this ship. Doesn't look too over-processed either.

comment by minimodi at 05:45 PM (GMT) on 8 February, 2008

perfect! it's a sad situation but yet a darn mighty shot, it's the craziest I've seen. bravo! /J

comment by justin at 07:15 PM (GMT) on 8 February, 2008

I'd heard about this shipwreck. Great shot of it...all the others I'd seen were taken too far away to be of much visual interest.

comment by Chris at 08:56 PM (GMT) on 9 February, 2008

Best image I've seen of this shipwreck.

comment by Kajsa at 11:12 AM (GMT) on 10 February, 2008

Oh my... Just incredible. Thanks, been waiting for this one. ;)
You mention the aerials, but I got stuck at the ladder behind the propeller. Who on earth would want to be on that side? *shrug*

comment by Julien M. at 08:53 PM (GMT) on 14 February, 2008

Amazing ! Perfect ! Congrat.

comment by rambohoho at 08:00 PM (GMT) on 15 February, 2008

the color is really nice.

comment by nev at 12:43 AM (GMT) on 7 March, 2008

isn't photoshop wonderful

comment by almamun at 04:19 AM (GMT) on 17 March, 2008

Just awesome......AWESOME!!!!!!
love to watch giant beasts die...
keep up the good work guys....
lol..

comment by Ame at 04:55 PM (GMT) on 18 March, 2008

This is an amazing shot! It's really unusual and interesting!

comment by mehdi at 05:43 PM (GMT) on 16 April, 2008

on of the best HDR pics i have ever seen

comment by Yvonne at 03:22 PM (GMT) on 31 January, 2010

WOW!! impressive shot! I can't even image how the ferry got this way, but your photo gave the boat scale. Nicely done - As Always

comment by Dave Wilson at 04:58 AM (GMT) on 6 February, 2010

Wow - definitely fits the bill for the "Damaged" category at Photo Friday! Another great, dramatic and surprising shot!

comment by Yvonne at 08:44 PM (GMT) on 7 February, 2010

Congrats on this photo being recognized in the Photo Friday Theme, beautifully done!

comment by Christiane Nicely at 09:01 AM (GMT) on 11 June, 2010

It's a great shot that conveys the scale of the disaster as you said!