"Quietly Roaring"

"Third time is a charm" they say. My original post was from an earlier exposure when the colors had not peaked. I chose that one more for the composition than the color, but I couldn't help going back to the latter composition that had deeper color. I used a 30 second exposure on the first series, but then changed to bulb to exceed 30 seconds and catch these richer tones. Another compromise was that the longer exposure revealed some motion blur in the willows along the creek, but I have come to grips with that as well and find it acceptable. What I also like about this longer exposure is that the clouds have more motion, which parallels the water motion. I call this "Quietly Roaring" because the long exposure gives the water a silky, soft appearance, as if it could be a quiet moment. To the contrary! This is a fast flowing, almost raging river that has a perceptible roar that would be difficult to talk over. I couldn't even hear myself talk. I am proud of this effort because I was fatigued after a long hike, suffering from the throbbing pain of a previous broken toe. I had also witnessed an amazing sunset, but it was out of camera range on the opposite side of the canyon, so I was fairly dejected at this point. Still, I took the time to set this up in a final effort to salvage the evening, not knowing if it would be in vain or not. I think it would be my favorite from the trip. This was a challenge to process because of the separate exposures that needed to be manually blended, otherwise the sky and water would have been rendered near white if I was to have any shadow detail. Thanks for your thoughts!

Un esfuerzo recompensado con una gran y poética imagen.

Saludos.

Really great work.

Mark: There is much to love in this image. The lavender cloud and creek hues fit the time of day perfectly. And as you state there is the cloud motion mirroring the water. I'm a sucker for anything with water, esp. moving - I shoot stuff like this all the time but rarely get anything approaching this in quality. I'm of two minds about the large FG boulder... While it is a strong focal point, it's so heavy it seems to weigh the image down, almost like it was cloned from a shot of a talus field. Minor point; this is a keeper for sure!

Mark... You couldn't hear yourself talk to... yourself?  Sorry, but I do read your epistles carefully and fully ;-).  I haven't gone back to compare this to the earlier shots, but I certainly can't find anything that would make this anything but exceptional.  The detail matches your finest work. 

Thanks for sharing and a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family... Mike

Thanks Paul, Rueda, Museeb, Marc and Mike!! Marc, I see what you mean. This was a subject I could not work with multiple comps because of the long exposures and fast fading light. I actually was using the rocks for support with my tripod and so I decided to include the boulder for balance (mine and the compositions), but may have included too much. Really, I think it has it's place in this image, but maybe some darkening might subdue it some. Mike, you read correctly. I was just seeing if anyone else would catch that subtle remark. You know, I probably said something to myself like "Wholly crap this is beautiful" but I don't know for sure because I couldn't hear myself!

Good composition and nice subject, but strange colours.

Thanks Waldemar! I guess the colors might look strange, but they are the result of an exposure made about 30 minutes after sunset. It was approaching dark, but I wanted an exposure that was close to the luminosity of daylight, so I extended the duration of exposure to have a brighter result, yet with the colors of twilight. The colors are accurate, but the luminosity is brighter than how it appeared. If I darkened this considerably, it might look more natural. It is just a creative way of presenting a near dark scene, much like shooting at night. Some might say this strays from what is a true representation. I think the camera is more than just a recorder of events, but a creative tool to render something more surreal perhaps. Thanks again!

Mark:

   I hear what you're saying and understand perfectly the challenges of getting situated properly with the tripod amongst big slippery boulders and fast, icy water. Darkening the front boulder is probably worth a look but as is this still an awesome shot.

  What Sierra peaks are those in the background? One of your tags is Bishop so I'm guessing around the Palisades?

cheers,

m

Thanks again Marc! Actually, this is looking up the Little Lakes Valley and this is Rock Creek. The peak to the left is Bear Creek Spire, I believe, and Mount Dade to the right. I think they are considered part of the Mono Divide. 

Ah, Bear Creek Spire! My Dad took me close to that area about 35 years ago from the west, up one the the Recesses I believe, perhaps the 4th Recess. You're so lucky to have the Sierra close by.

Bravo'