<<< o >>>catching the light #2 16 comments + add yours
chromasia.com

This is the second of the two shots I mentioned yesterday, the one I prefer. What I didn't mention yesterday is that neither of these shots are masked; i.e. I used a single Curve to adjust the contrast across the image as a whole. Normally, to achieve a sky as dramatic as either of these, I would use separate Curves – one for the foreground and one for the sky. On this occasion though the foreground was very well lit and the sky – heavy with rain – was comparatively dark.

As always, I'd be interested to hear what you think.

captured
camera
lens
focal length
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
flash
image quality
RAW converter
cropped?
4.35pm on 9/3/08
Canon 1Ds Mark II
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
200mm
f/5.6
1/100
aperture priority
+2/3
evaluative
100
no
RAW
RAW Developer
2x1
 
2x1 + fylde coast [scenic]
comment by rhys at 07:04 PM (GMT) on 12 March, 2008

blimey, very, very dramatic, superb result. Were you lying down when you took this?

comment by Ivar at 07:19 PM (GMT) on 12 March, 2008

Very cool and dramatic image. Took a while to really get what it was I was seeing, which adds to the image. Great work!

comment by Eugene at 07:57 PM (GMT) on 12 March, 2008

Wow, the contrast in this image is amazing. Even more impressive is that post-processing was achieved with a single curves adjustment in Photoshop.

comment by olivier at 11:30 PM (GMT) on 12 March, 2008

Really beautyful !

comment by Robert at 11:52 PM (GMT) on 12 March, 2008

At first glance, the foreground blur gives the distinct feel of driving past. It looks good.

comment by Deb at 12:47 AM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

'End of Days'...or the last days of Pompeii. Either way, oppressive and scary. A bubbling mercury sea threatening to spill onto sands softly resonating with fear under an apocalyptic hood of clouds. Could be a visual from an HP Lovecraft novel.

I'm not sure I'd like to own the image, but it's quite magnificent and I'll revisit it often.

comment by jkm at 07:19 AM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

Makes me want to rush over to Blackpool ;-) I like both shots, very different moods. Maybe prefer the parallel lines in the foreground and the detail in the cloud.

comment by Carles (iacobus) at 08:11 AM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

Absolutely perfect, incredible, wonderful, congratulations !!!

comment by Marcello at 08:17 AM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

Sham photo, too much.. why?

comment by Rich at 10:41 AM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

Wow, that's a good one Dave - in agreement with Deb; very apocalyptic!

comment by Rodrigo Campos at 11:20 AM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

Beautiful postprocessing, well done.

comment by Jay at 01:02 PM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

Very nice!!!

comment by Reuben Chircop at 03:42 PM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

This is most certainly a wonderful shot however I am unsure if its in black and white or just retouched.

comment by Bill at 07:39 PM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

I would not know what this photo was about if I did know your past subject matter. Totally alien photo becuase I would be hard press to pick out the waves and sand in this photo.

comment by djn1 at 07:42 PM (GMT) on 13 March, 2008

Thanks all.

Marcello: what do you mean, a "sham photo"?

Reuben: it's a toned black and white image.

Bill: yes, this one is a bit confusing.

comment by Chris/Aperture Image at 08:33 AM (GMT) on 17 March, 2008

Very dramatic, wonderful capture.