"Depth of Field"

'84 second exposure' Wow! This is a real winner, Mark! This just proves the photographer's adage of always hanging around long after the sun has dived below the horizon. A stunning photograph in all respects; and a joy to look at! Thanks for sharing, Amigo! Cheers! Chris

While shooting one of the more memorable sunsets of my life, I decided to take advantage of a rare occasion where there was absolutely no breeze. The grasses were motionless, which allowed an 84 second exposure to maximize depth of field. Because of the exposure lengths, there was only enough time for 3 frames before the light faded. I love shooting grasses as much as Chris H loves shooting rocks. Thanks for looking and don't miss the Larger view!

Please enjoy a Larger view and thanks for stopping by!

Fantastic light, and I love the foreground texture......

yes, the larger size. astounding sharpness, mark. beautiful light.

Fantastic! The colours, composition.. WOW! 7/7

Awesome colors and fantastic detail!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing......

Thanks Chris, Tim, Mary, Madara and Erik for taking some time. I have previsualized an image of this type for some time, but the opp never presented itself because even on the calmest evening, the grass would shift ever so slightly from a subtle breeze. Even if I shot wide open, this would have been longer than a couple of seconds. I guess you could say I was amazed at the absolute stillness of the moment.

So it can be done! Bravos, magnificent in all aspects. I would've liked to be there...

Thanks Vladut. Patience is the key!

Mark, indeed a fleeting and unique moment you captured. Did you stack both of the ND grad filters you mention to tame the luminosity of the sky ?

Thanks Peter. Actually, I used a HiTech 1.2 hard grad for this, I just need to update my technical data in the details field. I will say that using this filter is similar to stacking those filters, which I often do. This particular filter adds about a stop however. In retrospect, I think I could have stacked this filter with my reverse grad, but the foreground may have gone too bright. I am always up to trying something new!

excellent Shot Mark. Optimal the chromatic yield of the colors and extraordinarily with least noise.I love the long lines that create geometric shapes in wide spaces.

Ciao bevip

Sweet shot Mark. Good eye on setting this one up.

Thanks Paolo and Brian. I appreciate your observations!

Wow, the image is stunning and a joy to behold; but 84 sec without a single movement in those wispy little wheat(?) stalks is amazing. Excellent and a 10/10 in my book.... Mike

 

Edit: It won't let me enter 7's, so I'll do it here... 7/7!

 

 

Thanks Mike for your intentions. PN is blocking your rating because I gave you a 7 yesterday. Your photo is more deserving, though! I had not used the Bulb setting since I purchased the Camera last year and wanted to give it a spin. 84 seconds was a guess as far as the length of exposure, but I find with digital, the margin for error is so much greater than film.

Wonderful colored sky! Really amazing that you got so much details with 84 sec, well done!

Absolutamente bella, con un detalle que desgarra la pantalla. Mis felicitaciones.

Awesome colors.

Thanks Wendy, Antonio and Alec for stopping in! I appreciate your kind words.

for me, this is not good picture.

horizont is almost in the center of picture.

there is strong contour copying horizont

i am missing stronger subject here

Thanks Boris for your candor. It is refreshing to recieve critical comments that accompany a 3/3 rating. I agree that the compositional rule is to place the horizon nearest the bottom third or top third. I feel, however, that it is merely a guideline and does not require adherance in order to produce a compelling image. As far as lacking a strong subject, the definition of a strong subject is certainly subjective. Mountains, waterfalls, silhouettes of stately trees, rhyme ice, reflections in calm waters, waves crashing upon a rocky shore, butterflies taking nectar from a wildflower, etc. are all strong themes or subjects. They can be seen in abundance here and elsewhere, everyone capturing them repeatedly until the strength of these subjects becomes common and sometimes mundane. I am not saying I don't shoot mountains and waterfalls, but I long to find themes that at times can be singled out as subjects I choose exclusively from the rest of the crowd. I like to drink upstream from the herd at times. I found this subject worthy of a photograph and I feel it is a strong subject. In case you don't see it, it is a grain type of grass that has absorbed the magic light of a vivid sunset. The texture of the grass is what motivates me, the wispyness of its direction, the intricacies of its nature. To you and some others, it is just grass. Well, you are correct! It IS just grass...and they ARE just mountains. I will give you this! You possess an astonishing collection of photographs and a beautiful website as well. I am very impressed with your work. You might, however, want to check your image titled "Karpaty #14". The horizon is too close to the center and I don't sense a strong subject. This response may appear defensive. Perhaps. More so, just a reply to a 3/3 rating. No doubt, I commend you for playing the devils advocate. It does indeed force me to reexamine my photographs, which is why I post them here in the first place. Thanks again Boris!

Excellent composition and breathtaking sky colors!

Thank you Salvador! I appreciate you taking the time.