First of all, thank you sincerely to everyone for their feedback here. It is greatly appreciated.
CarlG wrote:
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!
A HUGE thank you Carl! Moving to Bend has been a dream for most of my life. In the early teens to twenties I would go out here to climb the mountains and hike and just take in the beauty. Before that (when I was a toddler through adolescence) my dad took me out all over to do the same. I can literally remember being in my dads backpack hiking somewhere in the central Oregon mountains as he was climbing. Then in my early thirties the Photography bug got me and I have been roaming out here every chance I get. Every time I went through Bend I knew I wanted to be here. My step brother lived here a lot of his life and I envied his outdoor lifestyle. So, on the 3rd of July I came home from a workshop to some big personal losses and knew it was time to make some positive changes to my life. On the 4th I moved to Redmond (to get close) and then last week I finally found a place right in the heart of Bend. I literally live right off the Cascade Lakes Highway!
As far as holding my chin up. Yes. Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson's attitude toward life has been a big inspiration to me. He always says:
"Embrace the grind, lower your shoulder, keep pushing through that mother***r, change will come". "Still holding my head up and pushing through."
I have this on my wall and on my door as I go out to the world every morning. It is almost like a chant. An affirmation. One really great thing about lemons is that if used correctly they can be the best motivators to make lemonade. As long as you find a healthy constructive way to deal with losses and grief. That is what I do. So, in a way, I can appreciate the pains.
Again, thank you for the great encouraging words and PM.
Lurked here for years now and have loved your work and visions..always beautiful! As to the "life" that happens while you are busy making plans, someone once told me "growth is always heralded by great pain and if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". Keep the faith!
dwa652 wrote:
Fantastic. I love the colors and the composition. How does this look at even wider than 24mm? Looks like it would be a good place for a pano too.
Thank you for the compliment and feedback. 14-24 zone did not look well here. I bet a pano might work though. There is nothing of interest to the left of this scene but a lot more to the right. Could maybe go with a pano keeping the s curve and light in the left third maybe. Thank you for the suggestion. I might try it next time.
Mark Metternich wrote:
Thank you for the compliment and feedback. 14-24 zone did not look well here. I bet a pano might work though. There is nothing of interest to the left of this scene but a lot more to the right. Could maybe go with a pano keeping the s curve and light in the left third maybe. Thank you for the suggestion. I might try it next time.
I think the better pano spots on the park are on the ridge off the campground and the end of the parking areas.
Mark! It is breathtaking!
I somehow like the dark scene rather than the sunny bright one.
This photo surely renders that deep feeling. I feel like sitting there and crying.
Thanks Mark for sharing.
I checked Bend, OR... and it is wonderfully located.
Congratulations for your move.
First of all, sorry everyone for the tardy responses. My computer died on me last night. I got crazy determined to figure it out and after 6 non stop hours of research, calling all over the place for parts, then tearing my computer totally apart, putting a tiny switch in and soldering it (never have done any of this) then carefully putting it all back together I am proud to say it WORKS!!!!
Kee Woo Rhee wrote:
Mark! It is breathtaking!
I somehow like the dark scene rather than the sunny bright one.
This photo surely renders that deep feeling. I feel like sitting there and crying.
Thanks Mark for sharing.
I checked Bend, OR... and it is wonderfully located.
Congratulations for your move.
Kee
Thank you Kee! It is really weird how the moment seems to reflect where I was at the time. It seemed like a spiritual moment to me. Very surreal and slightly dark and really awesome! There was literally a RAINBOW BEHIND ME when this was shot! Never give up. Keep moving forward. Keep your head up and keep pushing through the, sometimes, sludge of life. That is what nature spoke to me this evening.
I've been away shooting in the mountains this weekend and just came home to this shot. Fantastic Mark. Really happy to see you posting again. Stay strong buddy. Thanks for sharing and keep them coming!
