The Chasm

Gallery: LandscapePosted August 16, 20082,399 views39 comments

The magnificent Iguazu Falls at sunrise.

I thought about calling this 'The last photo I ever took' since it seems inconceivable that one could set up a tripod here without being swept over the precipice. But I did manage to get REALLY close with some creative tripod work.

I used PS to remove an area of flare in the main cascade and did some minor contrast enhancements, but otherwise this is exactly how it looked 'in camera'.

-Mike

Comments

39 comments

Comment posted by Ian Cameron on August 16, 2008 at 7:09 AM

Utterly fabulous Michael. This has got to be my favourite giant waterfall picture. The energy it generates is phenomenal and the kiss of life that sunlight bestows upon it brings the whole thing to a benchmark that I am sure will be impossible to surpass.

Registered on August 6, 2004, 1125 Posts, 3318 Comments

Comment posted by Paolo De Faveri on August 16, 2008 at 7:21 AM

Well, I would have certainly signed this as my last will and testament... though I'm happy you managed to survive

Fantastic work as usual Michael, the fog and the diffused light make this a haunting beauty.

Paolo

Registered on August 29, 2007, 318 Posts, 1651 Comments

Comment posted by David Fernandez on August 16, 2008 at 7:36 AM

Stunning. This is really nice, Mike. Good shadow to highlight ratio.
Add another wonderful image to your growing portfolio.

Registered on May 4, 2008, 69 Posts, 668 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent FAVRE on August 16, 2008 at 7:40 AM

I jewel ;)

Fantastic view... is it the same fall than on the horizontal shot ?
I love this photo, the exposure and the speed are perfect.
I just regret that the sun is not centered here... but I know that you can't do better, because of the small area you were on.

(I hope that you'll understand my "Frenglish"

)

Vincent

Registered on September 2, 2007, 37 Posts, 213 Comments

Comment posted by Rune Hansen on August 16, 2008 at 7:54 AM

AMAZING!
In addition to the sheer power this image display, I like the contrast between the "cooler" water against the incredible warm sunrise! The comp is impeccable! Remember to take care - no image is worth breaking your health or even worse

Rune Hansen

Registered on January 21, 2008, 40 Posts, 420 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Rossbach on August 16, 2008 at 8:15 AM

Stunning Image Mike ! Please don't lose your life on these adventures as I would like to see more and more and more to come. Great work as always.

Joe

Registered on November 25, 2005, 484 Posts, 1377 Comments

Comment posted by Andreas Resch on August 16, 2008 at 8:57 AM

What an unusual, almost surreal shot. I love it.

Registered on November 14, 2007, 322 Posts, 6101 Comments

Comment posted by Neale Dyster on August 16, 2008 at 9:16 AM

Thats just beautiful! It has a painting quality to it.The sunlight through the water vapour creates wonderful atmosphere, great work.

Registered on February 19, 2008, 94 Posts, 738 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on August 16, 2008 at 10:56 AM

Stunning shot, really great mix of fg and bg--magnificently composed. I think i prefer your previous post of this scene, but this is still a big winner!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on August 16, 2008 at 11:33 AM

Amazing shot Mike, and beautifully done.
John

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Benjamin Glatt on August 16, 2008 at 12:12 PM

This is another amazing shot to add to your incredible portfolio. Great work, Mike.

Registered on July 15, 2007, 171 Posts, 3566 Comments

Comment posted by Margo Pinkerton on August 16, 2008 at 1:09 PM

Lovely photograph. I really like the way you used depth of field to draw the eye into the falls and sun. And I will respectfully disagree with Vincent, as I prefer images that don't have their elements perfectly centered. It catches one off balance a tad and again, draws one into the photograph. Well done, and nicely processed, too!

TBC

Registered on October 18, 2007, 39 Posts, 214 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Wong on August 16, 2008 at 2:51 PM

amazing that you kept the lens dry. wow.

Registered on February 2, 2006, 79 Posts, 2629 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Sieren on August 16, 2008 at 3:41 PM

Great shot Mike. Very dramatic capture. Looks like a very hard one to pull off!

Registered on January 2, 2008, 360 Posts, 5321 Comments

Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on August 16, 2008 at 3:58 PM

Mike,

Aside from the fact that the apparent danger of it being really the last photo you ever took giving the image amazing drama, what I like about it is the color contrasts working in the image and how the mist rising off the water helps obscure the sun. Really well done. Care to elaborate on your creative tripod work???

Registered on November 1, 2003, 474 Posts, 5555 Comments

Comment posted by Zack Schnepf on August 16, 2008 at 4:42 PM

Another stunner Mike. Beautiful compositional flow, and sense of danger is palpable.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 403 Posts, 2528 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lowe on August 16, 2008 at 5:47 PM

I can almost feel the power of the falls. A beauty of a shot.

Registered on February 11, 2004, 777 Posts, 5252 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Dawson on August 16, 2008 at 8:54 PM

One Word! WOW!

Registered on February 4, 2006, 364 Posts, 8872 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on August 17, 2008 at 3:08 AM

superb. the sunlight touching the spray really maks the photo.

Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments

Comment posted by Winnie Ho on August 17, 2008 at 4:21 AM

A jaw dropped for sure! I like the gold and pink tinge to the water. Amazingly close to the edge, I'm glad you managed this one safely. Look forward to checking out your new gallery:)

Registered on January 6, 2008, 93 Posts, 1788 Comments

Comment posted by Dorin Bofan on August 17, 2008 at 7:07 AM

This is stunning! The drama this image emanates is incredible! A powerful and unforgettable photograph!

Registered on April 30, 2007, 122 Posts, 3086 Comments

Comment posted by David Cobb on August 17, 2008 at 10:01 AM

A great curve, light, and drama Mike. This photo has it all.

David M. Cobb

Registered on December 14, 2007, 312 Posts, 3243 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on August 17, 2008 at 10:42 AM

Once again you've set the bar for this type of shot. Outstanding Mike!

With all the well-deserved press, and now the bestseller book, about Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture," I've been wondering what my "The Last Photo" will be. Hopefully in ends up being intentional, not accidental, so that I get to do the post-processing

. Glad to hear you are safe and sound!

Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on August 17, 2008 at 12:20 PM

No matter where you go, you always come back with some incredible shots. This is no exception. Excellent work.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by INGOMA on August 17, 2008 at 10:13 PM

What can I say Mike? Awe inspiring image, yet at the same time it has a lovely soft feel to it. Do you by any change have a version with a faster shutter speed - that would be interesting to see too.

I love your images from around the world!

Registered on July 2, 2004, 231 Posts, 3110 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on August 18, 2008 at 12:03 AM

Well, you never fail to impress, Mike. This is just plain old good. I normally wouldn't like the flare or reflection that the vapor would cause, but here, it only adds to the power, and drama of the scene. Incredible perspective, and beautiful image.

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on August 18, 2008 at 3:05 AM

Mike,

Phenomenal imagery. Nothing to critique - just to stare in awe.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Ned Fenimore on August 18, 2008 at 11:03 AM

Masterful!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 467 Posts, 2803 Comments

Comment posted by Nye Simmons on August 18, 2008 at 7:23 PM

MIchael - the kiss of light on the mist just carries this away

Registered on December 12, 2004, 112 Posts, 1111 Comments

Comment posted by Jack Brauer on August 19, 2008 at 4:19 AM

This is beyond words...

Registered on September 12, 2005, 40 Posts, 627 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin McNeal on August 19, 2008 at 12:03 PM

Wow this is so amazing - congrats on another win ! You are tearing it up.

Registered on May 19, 2006, 209 Posts, 3202 Comments

Comment posted by Edward Nunez on August 19, 2008 at 12:20 PM

Great impact here. This is amazing. Congrats on the EP!

Registered on April 19, 2007, 65 Posts, 711 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on August 19, 2008 at 4:05 PM

GLORIOUS !!!! That image is worth songs of praise both to the one who captured it and the One who created it for the capturing! WOW !!!

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Wendy Blanchard on August 21, 2008 at 7:50 PM

Gorgeous shot. Well done!

Registered on June 11, 2006, 58 Posts, 647 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on August 22, 2008 at 4:51 AM

Congratulations on the EP. While this is an awesome image, as are all of yours, I would have picked the stunning seascape you posted. Looks like you were competing against yourself this week

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on August 23, 2008 at 8:20 AM

Simply magnificent Mike

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Jose Suro on August 23, 2008 at 9:43 AM

Outstanding. Steamily surreal. Super image Mike.

Jose

Registered on June 24, 2006, 267 Posts, 2273 Comments

Comment posted by Larry Andreasen on August 24, 2008 at 8:06 PM

This looks like a dawn from another age in time.... gorgeous! I feel pulled into the chasm by the fg flow. (Glad you weren't)

Registered on January 17, 2007, 220 Posts, 419 Comments

Comment posted by Varina Patel on September 16, 2008 at 2:31 PM

I love the perspective in this shot. The extremely soft light on the water and the beautiful mist make the image even more impressive. Excellent choice of shutter speed - I love the detail in the water. Very nice work!

Varina Patel
www.photographybyvarina.com
My Blog

Registered on August 22, 2008, 45 Posts, 1578 Comments