Synesthesia: red smell.

A volcanic pool... shot downwind among the fumes, which you can stillfigure out in the top of the frame.

I would appreciate your comments on the composition of this shot, theoverall choice with the diagonal components and the justapoxition oftextures and colours: it is easy to lose grip on what you are doingwhen you're confronted to such a blessing of a scene (although inmiserable weather and lighting) and for just a split second in anclearing of the fumes.

Moreover, I recently posted a picture about seeing thesilence. Here, another synesthesia... can you see the smell?

Salvatore, what's not to like about this, except perhaps the smell. This composition works very well allowing us the pleasure of seeing the layers on surface repeat in the forms of the descending layers.

 

The colors here are rich. These reds really explode next to this grey border. I especially like how the saturation tapers off into the depth of the water.

 

And this place breathes atmosphere. In the upper regions I can see the exhale. This is a treat to see. Was it hard to get to? Anyway thanks for sharing...

Perfect composition and colours

I like a lot the texture and composition. Where did you take this?

David, Bora, Paolo, thanks for your appreciation.

 

This is a big volcanic pool (some 50m across) in Wai-O-Tapu, dubbed Thermal Wonderland, a park close to Rotorua in New Zealand North Island... once you're in New Zealand, is not so much of a problem to get there, as a difference to many other shots of mines, here is just a short walk from a parking lot.

 

It takes patience though. I understood the air is often very low, the fumes stay trapped, and you do not often get a good view.

Salvatore, I think this is your finest photo on PN. It reminds me of a classic LME abstract, though hers are more ethereal. This is more intensely recording a moment in time--frozen--with the implication of an ongoing process of regeneration. I like the sharpness, colors, and the curving lines here very much. I'd be tempted to crop about 5% off the right side. I'm also not in love with your thick black frames, so I'm shrinking it significantly. Terrific shot!!! Wish I would have been there to see (and photograph) this. I'd be happy to have this one on my wall.

I swear I've seen this shot before, or something similar - maybe it was in Bernhard Edmaier's "Earthsong."

Salvatore, I really like this. I can't think of anything much to add, other than to agree that you don't need the border. I love the transition from harsh detail to detailless colour across the frame.

Great shot indeed. As my eyes see it.. a flawless composition... Top class nature abstract scenery.

Very nice image and exotic location!

It's so appealing visually that i don't register the smelly part somehow. Regards,

Salvatore,

 

It's funny how some of the smelliest places are also extremely beautiful. I can't think of anything I would change about this image. I'm very flattered to have this compared, even loosely to an "LME Abstract".

 

The transitions of hard to soft and warm to cool are very appealing. The vivid orange against the nearly colorless rock creates a wonderful graphic element nicely balanced by the gentle transition between the orange and green.

 

Another interesting feature of this image is that at first glance, it appears to be a nearly two dimensional abstract. Once one takes a closer look, the eye is drawn into the pool as the detals beneath the water gradually fade.

 

Very nicely done!

Reminds me of this one:

 

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=931131

 

I like it a lot. My only concern would be sharpness, which I imagine was quite challenging since it looks like you were shooting with a long lens at an angle.

Excellent image of the volcanic pool. This reminds me of Yellowstone NP.

Since you wanted feedback on the composition, I think it is only fair to give it. Personally I love it. Starting from the top of the frame and looking down you feel there is a vertical split. (Although for a very small part of the top frame, you do feel there is going to be a diagonal split.) As your eyes go down this changes to a diagonal split. The change happens at a very intersting point. (Perhaps you are going 'back' to a diagonal split.)

 

If you hadn't told us what this picture was, I would have thought it to be a very good abstract.

 

Congratulations anyway!

I wish to thank you all for your positive feedback and the interesting comments on this image.

• Robert, your comment about this on your wall, compared to your prolific photographic output, really flatters me... I could always provide you the 65Mb .tif... as for the crop off the right you might be right since I always disliked the small structure to the bottom right but decided eventually to keep it... however, the feeling of the red surface plunging down in the depths of the volcanic pool is a bit lost if you remove space from the right.
• Aaron, finding in the same place a picture of mine and the three words Bernhard Edmaier's "Earthsong." makes me shiver! I do not remember if he had this pool or not, I should go to a bookstore and play with the book again, but I seem to remember it was Yellowstone, and shot from quite high... while I was humbly kneeling in the fumes, here.
• Carlactually, this was not a telephoto but my 20mm. I was kneeling, as mentioned, at the edge of the pool, unfortunately downwind, waiting for the wind to stop or turn, the smokes to lift (they're in the top) to seize the moment to shot. So, the sharpness problem is due to mainly to the smoke which had not yet lifted and, to the bottom, to some DOF problem since that was really close to me.
• David, your comment is interesting... maybe y our eye is more trained than mine to look for curves! I had never realised the suffered way in which the edge of the pool is eventually curving into diagonal from vertical... I liked the line and found it natural to be included in the framing, and I liked the way toward the middle of the image there is almost a bend to the left breaking the overall right-ward flow... but -I repeat- never saw that it generated lots of rhythm: thanks for the insight!

It looks much more pleasant than the perceived smell. Regarding the composition, I like it very much. The slope from upper left to lower right with a gentle turn is nice, but I especially like the balance in shade between the lower left and the upper right. I think without the steam, this would not be nearly as strong. The highly saturated red, really makes it!! Nice find!