Congratulations to Mark Metternich for winning Feature Thread of the Week with 7 votes - View Previous Winners
To be as brief as possible, I have been off the grid for quite a while due to the busiest workshop season in my career and then after finishing that, I came home to some major personal losses, yet also some beautiful gains. Not one to dwell on the negative, I focus on the gains.
Here is a photo that represents (at least to me) some of those beautiful gains. One gain I will share is that I now live in my dream of dreams locations: BEND Oregon! This truly amazing small town (population 80,000) is very often voted the greatest outdoor recreational town in the US. This has been a lifelong dream for me and I am now living in the very heart of it all! On the "Bend Ale Trail" even! Pinch me!
Literally, this photo was taken just a couple weeks ago, just a short drive from where I live. My new place (see my Facebook page if you want more details and images and such...) along with the largest backlog of imagery I have ever had from a crazy spring and summer of furious shooting has me finally back behind the computer working on post production. You know I love that!
Lastly, yes my backlog is coming, BUT I am so inspired about my new surroundings (Crater Lake, Smith Rock, Sparks Lake, about 13 mountains in close proximity, too many rivers, lakes and waterfalls to count...) that I just had to start there.
About the photo: I was grieving some losses and so to shake it off, I decided to take off and go to this location (a place my dad had me climbing and repelling as a teen). I simply went to the central vista spot and sat in solitude (surprisingly almost no one was there) and just enjoyed the show not worrying about taking a photo so much. At sunset I was met with one of the craziest light shows I have seen in a very long time (most of which was out of the frame directly behind me). I just sat, triggered off some bracketed shots and took it all in. Once the show was over I felt quite rejuvenated as nature often does for me.
Techie stuff and miscellaneous information:
A double processed RAW file easily blended using my "Blending for Dynamic Range - Blend If" technique.
Canon 5D Mark 2
Canon 24-105 @ 24
f/8 (sharpest f-stop)
100 ISO
8 second exposure
Yes, I cloned out a path or two...
As always, more accurately viewed using a color managed browser like Safari, Firefox or Chrome, of course meticulously calibrated and maybe even on a wide gamut monitor.
You never disappoint when I click on your thread links . This image took a while to take in, there is so much to see. You've got the sunset, the moon hidden in there, reflections, glows.. sensory overload!
Nice shot of Smith Rock - this one has the approaching storm look about it. AND I know the feeling about Bend! I will be retiring there next year - can't wait!! Then I will have time to learn PS proper - like blend-if.
Dave
Bjadelberg wrote:
Best shot I've seen of Smith Rock! Very well done! Love the S curve
Ditto here!! Awesome processing of such a dynamic range of colors and contrast!! I've been to that very spot and had this very same image in my mind, although the environmental conditions did not work in my favor that day. Even more reason to make another trip out there one day!
Amazing!! Your work is always so inspiring. I was in Bend last year at this time, my first ever trip to Oregon. After spending 10 days there exploring (and shooting) the very locations you mentioned in your post, I knew it was a place I could live in one day, packing up everything I own and saying goodbye to corporate life!! You are not only living your dream, but mine as well. I hope one day to take that leap of faith and do the same!!
Sorry to hear of your losses - I hope they were not too substantial. Either way, you approach it with a new, positive attitude. That approach will get you through everything - keep your chin high!! And keep living your dream - NO ONE can take that away from you!! When life throws you a lemon, you make.....well, you know what I mean!
Then I will have time to learn PS proper - like blend-if.