Light Cave

This is a sea cave located in Los Angeles, of all places. You haven't

seen pictures of it before because the only way you can shoot it is to

merge ultra-wide images together for an enormous, 180-degree field of

view, which is very difficult to do in some situations and harder to

visualize. I made many attempts at it before getting this sunset here.

Beautiful composition. I like the narrow column of water rushing towards the viewer and the offset sun is excellent. Lot to look at.

Marc, excellent work, , well captured and processed. Love the shutter speed used for the water, not to smooth. Wonderful lighting, composition and detail. Best Regards, Sherry

I think the result was worth the trouble. You created abeautiful picture.

regards, Hans

Wonderful image Mark.  Amazing clarity and beautiful colors/light.  Regards - michel

Unique!!! very difficult indeed, you did impossible for most photographers, well done, was it is easy to get in there and get out? 

Just WoW

Ali

I have followed your work for years; I still feel that your 2008 Cold and Alone is one of your best because of its simplicity.  It is clear that you are constantly pushing yourself physically and artistically, and this is something that your admirers have come to expect from you.

A concern I have is the direction of landscape photography.  Rather than keeping things simple and realistic, many photographers are using digital alteration techniques to enhance and combine photographs to make a final image.  Some of their final images no longer resemble anything found on this earth, and some may only exist in one's dreams or fantasies.

I am wondering if you feel that your newest images really belong in a category of digital art rather than landscape photography?

Re this image, the lighting is great.  One thing that's disturbing is that the horizon seems perfectly level, but the water tilts slightly to the right.  Perhaps just an optical illusion because the right land mass is closer, but annoying nonetheless.

Thanks for sharing this and discussing your techniques.

Regards, Jeff 

Marc,

Wow!! What a great shot of lighting and movement.  You nailed this with the water coming right at you the lighting around the cave, blue sky and the sunburst.  Instant FAV!!

I don't know where it's all going, Jeff, but I can tell you that there is even less manipulation in the recording of this 180-degree field of view than a photographer using a fisheye to bend a scene that is also outside of one's field of view.  The fact that I used multiple exposures simply makes what was not possible before, possible.  That's it.  All the subjects depicted here are processed in the same manner as many digital images today, with RAW adjustments, dodge/burning and various levels adjustments painted on in different levels of my design.  What is Photoshop?  It's a way of expanding what's possible.  The subject matter here - rocks, water, sun, everything like that is how optimized extensively but the details themselves are unaltered and the sky and light were really there. 

All that said, I couldn't really care though, as this is really art for me.  Strict documentary photography (think journalism) has it's place but this isn't it.   I could have painted this scene.  It wouldn't matter.  I saw a Pixar movie yesterday, captivated by the beauty they had brought to life.  That's what I want sometimes - beauty.  It's just that I choose to let people know what's been done to my photographic images.   I do so, in part, because I also want people to know that they can go there themselves and see at least the same subjects I captured!  Some do, some don't though.  If you want to hear my thoughts on it all, it's on my website.  Thanks!

By the way, I would tell you that "Cold and Alone", while I do enjoy that more than this myself, took just as much Photoshop work.

I like photo!! fine work!!

I love how hard you work to create perfect images.  Really, what does it matter what tools you use?  

Wonderful image

Excellent photo; light, composition, the contrast between rocky surface and soft water... Magical