A photograph from a few weeks ago taken under clear skies and a new moon. The Rocky Mountains can be one of the best locations for astrophotography. I have such a strong connection to these mountains and am fortunate to have them just an hour from my home.
Nice! However the light on water seems a little unnatural. Trying to put my finger on why and I think it's because the headlight is looking out but the light beams seem to be from looking down from side to side.
Dave
I like the look of this all except the person with the head beam, and the way the water is lit up.
We have all gone and shot iconic locations, and ended up setting our cameras very close to where Ansel Adams, or Galen Rowell, etc have taken shots. But I know I am not alone in thinking all these shots with people with headlamps on in night shots with the Milky Way are just getting shot to death. It was cool the first time or two a few years back, but now, it just seems to echo the self indulgent nature that seems to be rampant in todays culture with selfie sticks constantly in peoples faces. I really want my landscapes to be about the land, not about me.
I do know, because this is the world we live in, that there will be others that will love this self indulgence. And we can all have our own feelings. But I have had more than a few friends text me and groan about another shot with a guy with a head beam supposedly staring at the Milky Way. So for better or worse I thought I would share that.
So, in the end, I like half of this shot, I imagine you can guess which half.
Trying not to be over critical... As more of a "purist" if that's the right word, I have trouble reconciling images like this as Landscape Photography versus Adventure Photography. To each their own definition I imagine. It's like all the spectacular images we had when I was working for a climbing apparel company for several years. They were wonderful in the catalog, where the person and the gear were emphasized in a cool location. And we sent people all over the world to be photographed in spectacular climbing locations. But there were none I'd consider a genuine landscape. But, again, I fall way over on the right side of the landscape bell curve. If the man with the headlamp were replaced with a person doing a back flip on a mountain bike, is it still a landscape? I don't know... I know others will say no problem, and that's how it is.
dbehrens wrote:
Nice! However the light on water seems a little unnatural. Trying to put my finger on why and I think it's because the headlight is looking out but the light beams seem to be from looking down from side to side.
Dave
Thanks Dave! I was certainly experimenting a bit with this one. Good observation with the headlamp beam. My vision was to include some of the beautiful green water in the scene - somehow. I ended up doing a few seconds of (careful) light painting with a flashlight of the water in front of me. I see what you mean though. Thanks again.
I like the look of this all except the person with the head beam, and the way the water is lit up.
We have all gone and shot iconic locations, and ended up setting our cameras very close to where Ansel Adams, or Galen Rowell, etc have taken shots. But I know I am not alone in thinking all these shots with people with headlamps on in night shots with the Milky Way are just getting shot to death. It was cool the first time or two a few years back, but now, it just seems to echo the self indulgent nature that seems to be rampant in todays culture with selfie sticks constantly in peoples faces. I really want my landscapes to be about the land, not about me.
I do know, because this is the world we live in, that there will be others that will love this self indulgence. And we can all have our own feelings. But I have had more than a few friends text me and groan about another shot with a guy with a head beam supposedly staring at the Milky Way. So for better or worse I thought I would share that.
So, in the end, I like half of this shot, I imagine you can guess which half.
Hey Jim - thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. Don't worry - I used to be just like you (more a purist) with my landscape images. The headlamp can be a bit gimmicky at times but I feel it works for certain images. In fact, I have another image I will post whenever I find time which also has a headlamp in it. Lately, I prefer to have a mixture of classic landscape images and also landscapes with the human element present. I honestly feel this forum would benefit from more images with the odd human in them. I do appreciate that you and others will certainly not agree but I am fine with that. In fact, I have the exact same image without myself in the frame which will (probably) never be posted. When I look back at images such as this one, it will evoke emotion reminding me of how I felt during that special night. That is important to me. Not sure about this approach being "self indulgent" but that is your opinion. And I have also had (well respected) landscape professionals tell me how boring all these perfectly crafted landscapes can be at times. Devoid of emotion and the human connection. It goes both ways I suppose.... Once again, appreciate the comments.
ckcarr wrote:
Trying not to be over critical... As more of a "purist" if that's the right word, I have trouble reconciling images like this as Landscape Photography versus Adventure Photography. To each their own definition I imagine. It's like all the spectacular images we had when I was working for a climbing apparel company for several years. They were wonderful in the catalog, where the person and the gear were emphasized in a cool location. And we sent people all over the world to be photographed in spectacular climbing locations. But there were none I'd consider a genuine landscape. But, again, I fall way over on the right side of the landscape bell curve. If the man with the headlamp were replaced with a person doing a back flip on a mountain bike, is it still a landscape? I don't know... I know others will say no problem, and that's how it is....Show more →
Thanks for the feedback. To each their own I suppose. Having the human element in photo's (as far as I know) does not violate the Landscape forum rules. Most of my photo's will still likely be "classic" style but there will be a fair number with a human in them. Stay tuned for more....
I think the image is well crafted with the most perfect Milky Way shot with the great processing. I am now trying to include some human element in my shots for the reason that Gary and other professional mentioned.. devoid of boredom sometimes.. like calendar shots.
I think we should not dictate our rules and tastes to other people to adhere, as long as we can enjoy the images and appreciate the efforts of others at any level of photography. I believe that we are all in the paths of learning curve every day, and let's not forget that we learn more from images from the beginners, like myself. From time to time, it would be beneficial if we look back in time when we just started photography!
In this image that Gary presented.. the light painting to expose the beautiful color of the lake is really nicely done. Thanks Gary for the beautiful image to share. Looking forward to seeing more from you. I like the shots of the Canadian Rockies.. my most favorite place!
Great shot of the milky way! How do you plan on where it's going to be? And also, how long are these exposures generally for to not have the milky way blurred?
p.1 #10 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
m.sommers00 wrote:
Great shot of the milky way! How do you plan on where it's going to be? And also, how long are these exposures generally for to not have the milky way blurred?
Hey Matt. I have been using Planit Pro and it works great. Very easy to plan out exactly where the MW will be and at what time it will be the highest in the sky. There are a few other apps that are equally good but I like this one. To avoid trailing, you can use the 500/Focal Length as a guideline. I used a 16mm lens for this shot at 20 seconds. With my 14mm lens, I can stretch it to 25 seconds. Hope this helps.
p.1 #11 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
Gary - good job. Relative to your composition, I think the person and the light improves the composition. Otherwise it would be too symmetrical. My suggestion is to decrease the exposure in the water by layering/darkening/hide mask and paint it darker. I think that would improve it.
I was out likely on the same night. Some day we will run into each other in the dark.
Thanks for sharing. Scott
May 13, 2016 at 12:38 PM
Mark Metternich Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #12 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
Not to be divisive or anything, but I think the image is flat out awesome! I think it is wonderful (a contender for image of the week) and powerfully reflects the direction and evolution of photography of the current era. I think it is very well done.
I have nothing to say critical of it with the exception of a constructive feedback that if it was mine, I might be tempted to dial the Milky Way back just a small hair for my own unique taste (I have generally tired a bit of vivid Milkyways). But I am just one single person in the mix and we are all in diferent places, to which I respect.
Also, I believe the best feedback for each individual (at least for me) is more often strongly associated with the love, and profound appreciation of the work one has, for the one giving us the feedback. What I mean is that I take all feedback and learn from it, but the feedback I take more seriously will come from people who do the type of work I am most in love with. And that is obviously going to vary widely from person to person and our perspective tastes.
One time, many years back I got substantially jumped on, on this forum by someone telling me my work was "over processed." I have heard that more times than I can count (pretty much most of my posts here will have that feedback in there somewhere by someone). This person was so adamant they sent me a very long email making their strong case! I read it all, tried to learn as much as I could from it (to improve) but in the end I simply replied:
"To the degree that I love and respect someone's style and work, will be the degree that I take their feedback to heart."
They knew exactly what I meant. I had to be a bit blunt with the person because they were trying to adamantly feed me their "truth." And fact was, I did not prefer their style. I know it is very wise to learn everything we can from everyone we can, and that is always my practice (because I love to learn) but I will always take the feedback of my favorite photographers as weightier than those who may not be.
I believe this forum in particular has a uniquely wide spectrum of opinions (often quite opposing) with their prospective biases. I also believe there is as just much legitimacy in both (or all) of the sometimes opposing camps (of what I sometimes call "creativists" and "literalists" or "purists"). I commonly hear the phrase: "that does not look like what I'd expect it to look like" as feedback. I think that can be a very good feedback inasmuch as what you were trying to accomplish is for it too look as closely as possible to what it looked like... But as we know, photography also has an awesome creativity built in and does not have to be any particular thing. We all are the artists and ultimately we need to go where we creatively want to go with our art. BTW, I am not talking about transparency issues here, that is an entirely different subject.
So, my "one cent" is that I find legitimacy in all the above feedback from their potential perspective slants, but for me (a person who likes to try to find an often impossible balance between more creative work and more literal work) I think the image rocks.
p.1 #13 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
Great concept Gary. I love the idea.
My suggestion would be to lower the lighting on the lake and make it follow the direction of the flashlight beam. Also, perhaps push the shadows on the mountains and surrounding areas. The reflection from the lake looks like it has star trails.
We are a critical bunch but the intent is to make images look even better than what they already are.
All the best,
Fred
p.1 #14 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
Scott Stoness wrote:
Gary - good job. Relative to your composition, I think the person and the light improves the composition. Otherwise it would be too symmetrical. My suggestion is to decrease the exposure in the water by layering/darkening/hide mask and paint it darker. I think that would improve it.
I was out likely on the same night. Some day we will run into each other in the dark.
Thanks for sharing. Scott
Hey Scott! Great to hear from you. I am going to try out another version with global highlights (and maybe white point) reduced just a bit. The MW and water do seem a bit hot. PS - I still have my eye out for your Jeep whenever I am out in the mountains. One day....
p.1 #15 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
Mark Metternich wrote:
Not to be divisive or anything, but I think the image is flat out awesome! I think it is wonderful (a contender for image of the week) and powerfully reflects the direction and evolution of photography of the current era. I think it is very well done.
I have nothing to say critical of it with the exception of a constructive feedback that if it was mine, I might be tempted to dial the Milky Way back just a small hair for my own unique taste (I have generally tired a bit of vivid Milkyways). But I am just one single person in the mix and we are all in diferent places, to which I respect.
Also, I believe the best feedback for each individual (at least for me) is more often strongly associated with the love, and profound appreciation of the work one has, for the one giving us the feedback. What I mean is that I take all feedback and learn from it, but the feedback I take more seriously will come from people who do the type of work I am most in love with. And that is obviously going to vary widely from person to person and our perspective tastes.
One time, many years back I got substantially jumped on, on this forum by someone telling me my work was "over processed." I have heard that more times than I can count (pretty much most of my posts here will have that feedback in there somewhere by someone). This person was so adamant they sent me a very long email making their strong case! I read it all, tried to learn as much as I could from it (to improve) but in the end I simply replied:
"To the degree that I love and respect someone's style and work, will be the degree that I take their feedback to heart."
They knew exactly what I meant. I had to be a bit blunt with the person because they were trying to adamantly feed me their "truth." And fact was, I did not prefer their style. I know it is very wise to learn everything we can from everyone we can, and that is always my practice (because I love to learn) but I will always take the feedback of my favorite photographers as weightier than those who may not be.
I believe this forum in particular has a uniquely wide spectrum of opinions (often quite opposing) with their prospective biases. I also believe there is as just much legitimacy in both (or all) of the sometimes opposing camps (of what I sometimes call "creativists" and "literalists" or "purists"). I commonly hear the phrase: "that does not look like what I'd expect it to look like" as feedback. I think that can be a very good feedback inasmuch as what you were trying to accomplish is for it too look as closely as possible to what it looked like... But as we know, photography also has an awesome creativity built in and does not have to be any particular thing. We all are the artists and ultimately we need to go where we creatively want to go with our art. BTW, I am not talking about transparency issues here, that is an entirely different subject.
So, my "one cent" is that I find legitimacy in all the above feedback from their potential perspective slants, but for me (a person who likes to try to find an often impossible balance between more creative work and more literal work) I think the image rocks. ...Show more →
Thanks for the comment Mark - always appreciate (and respect) your take on things. I truly do take all feedback into consideration but have become a bit more "selective" as to what feedback I act on. All the best!
p.1 #16 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
Fred Miranda wrote:
Great concept Gary. I love the idea.
My suggestion would be to lower the lighting on the lake and make it follow the direction of the flashlight beam. Also, perhaps push the shadows on the mountains and surrounding areas. The reflection from the lake looks like it has star trails.
We are a critical bunch but the intent is to make images look even better than what they already are.
All the best,
Fred
Thanks for the feedback Fred. I will make some more adjustments this weekend and see how it looks. I really couldn't push the shadows much on this image without things quickly falling apart. This was certainly not one of those ETTR scenarios.
p.1 #17 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
Ignoring which forum your image should be in - I really like it. Fred is probably right. The light in lake might be a little strong. But it is fun to look at. Nice job.
p.1 #18 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
Gary
Great shot, I like that it sucks me in by telling a story vs another star and mountain photo. If you want to play with a variation the next time, maybe try a lantern in the fore ground. In any case, thanks for posting.
p.1 #20 · Spray Valley Provincial Park - Milky Way
I think adding a human being to a landscape image for the sense of scale is actually a very good idea, too often I see images of a scene but have no idea how large or small they are because they're a bit too sterile, to be honest.
My approach to landscapes has certainly evolved over the years, and I appreciate all forms of outdoor photography, from landscapes to nightscapes to "adventure" photography.
Of course I do have my own philosophies and "rules" that focus on using single clicks whenever possible to arrive at the final result, and minimal editing, but that's separate from the actual genre of photography, IMO.
Well done, sir. Until there is a specific "adventure photography" forum here on FM and all images of human form are banned from this particular forum, you're in the right place and you're strongly encouraged to continue posting more. At least as far as I'm concerned. ;-)
