michael_matthews3

This is so good I thought it might be a "once in a lifetime" bit of luck.

That caused a necessary survey of your larger portfolio -- luck had little to do with it. Excellent work, all the way.

This is a rare photo.  

The sensitivity shown in post processing is unusual, counter to the trend of neon-vibrant, oversharpened images -- and most welcome.

This is the most original, creative approach to floral photography seen on this site years. Congratulations. 

I'm seeing this for the first time as it popped up in the photo.net rotation of members' photos October 13, 2012.

Excellent! Not only is the composition superb, but the decisions made in order to see it and then nail it at the time speak volumes about your abilities and talent.

I'm seeing this for the first time as it popped up in an August 2012 members' photos rotation.

Although the terrain must be incredibly harsh, you've captured stunning beauty in the most subtle fashion imaginable. Just lovely. 

A truly beautiful photo. Lighting conditions most unusual and striking. Extra points for resisting the temptation to juice it a bit with added contrast or saturation.

Thanks for providing the large, detailed image....and for sharing the EXIF information. If I can ever do something even remotely that good with my D80 I'll feel, finally, some satisfaction.

Taxi!

Randy...
Excellent photo and presentation. My Photoshop / Lightroom skills are slightly below elementary, so I have to ask:
Is this approach basically one of increasing saturation and brightness of the main elements...or is it more about suppressing, darkening everything else? Local area adjustments in Lightroom, or layers in Photoshop?
Michael Matthews

Greg...

This is one of the most beautiful natural images I've seen while lurking about on photo.net for the past couple of years.

The composition need not be rehashed; it is superb.

The decision to let the bright white falls stand out as it does is absolutely right. This may be what leads the viewer who asks if it's not "kitschy" to pose that question.

I think what that viewpoint says is that it's too good to be true. Does he have an enormous set of lights with barndoors and a generator out of sight to the right? Did he layer in that bright white in Photoshop?

No,  I believe it is real. And the rest of us should be so lucky...and so skilled.

I'm intrigued by the extraordinary clarity and resolution seen throughout the picture. And the light falling from the left illuminating the face of the foreground rock and edging the top of it while also evenly lighting the face of the grey rock to the right of the falls. Did that just happen? Or did you decide to wait for it?

Dappled sunlight through a tree canopy is unmitigated hell for me. No matter what I do it never really works. To see this -- plus the open sunlight in the distance with no screaming overexposure -- gives me reason to press on.