Enduring The Maelstrom

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 9, 20091,144 views50 comments

This is the powerful spring melt through Cascade Creek, Yosemite. The thunder of the water crashing through this shoot was impressive. Some of you may recognize this spot. If so, then you will know that comps are restricted to what you can get from the bridge above. An image from another photog,(Charles Cramer)in the Ansel Adams Gallery, just blew me away, and gave me the inspiration for this one. This one is quite similar, and due in part, to the above mentioned limited compositional options. Also in part to the fact that Charles' comp was about the best you could do from this spot.
Thanks again for the comments on my last post. I hope you enjoy this one, and thanks for your thoughts.

D200,
18-70mm,
2.5 sec, F/5.6

Thanks,
Chris

Comments

50 comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on June 9, 2009 at 8:24 PM

Chris,

You know I've been waiting for this one! And I hope to be the first one to jump on this comment.

I knew this was a phenomenal image when I first saw it. An image I've dreamed of and one that you've captured perfectly. I really don't know what else to say except that of all the images I've seen from you, this far and away exceeds them all. Congrats on such a stellar image.

Lon

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

Comment posted by Marc Adamus on June 9, 2009 at 8:39 PM

Awesome! I totally love this, Chris. The power and fury of the water surrounding the small trees is fascinating. Easily my favorite of your work I have seen.

Registered on September 17, 2005, 780 Posts, 8091 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Ryan on June 9, 2009 at 8:44 PM

Fantastic image Chris. I really love the water texture and the comp. This image really tells a story. No doubt this should be printed big and shown with pride. A real winner.

Registered on June 29, 2008, 85 Posts, 636 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel Ewert on June 9, 2009 at 8:47 PM

Very cool shot. I like the small tree standing alone in the turbulence of the water.

Registered on June 2, 2009, 103 Posts, 1500 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on June 9, 2009 at 8:52 PM

Fantastic image Chris! The turbulence you captured is amazing and well done!

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Mat Malone on June 9, 2009 at 9:54 PM

Here's the image from Charles' gallery: http://www.charlescramer.com/imagesbg/y487.jpg

Registered on December 15, 2008, 91 Posts, 882 Comments

Comment posted by Paolo De Faveri on June 9, 2009 at 10:08 PM

Amazing picture, and fantastic color processing. That water looks almost like liquid metal, and it's what really make this picture stand out.

Paolo

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

Comment posted by Mark Windom on June 9, 2009 at 10:12 PM

Perfect execution and processing.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 176 Posts, 2302 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on June 9, 2009 at 10:31 PM

Outstanding!!!!!!! Definitely your best and the best I have seen from this spot. Excellent!!!!!!

You have been posting some beauties from Yosemite, but this tops them all.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on June 9, 2009 at 10:42 PM

This water reminds me of milkweed down. There is a soft luminance to it that goes well beyond what is normally seen in water.

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

Comment posted by Ed Lowe on June 9, 2009 at 10:46 PM

Totally fantastic image, Chris! The power of the rushing water is evident as the trees cling to their precarious existance.

Ed

Registered on February 7, 2004, 414 Posts, 7115 Comments

Comment posted by Gabi Lach on June 9, 2009 at 10:48 PM

Great shot, Chris! The water motion is amazing. Beautiful in all ways. Love it.

Registered on May 1, 2007, 101 Posts, 3187 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Pelton on June 9, 2009 at 11:06 PM

Fabulous shot, Chris. Is this desaturated? or toned? There is something soothing about the subtle color.

Registered on November 25, 2003, 380 Posts, 4647 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on June 9, 2009 at 11:15 PM

Thanks mark,
I forgot to mention in my text. It is converted to B&W with an opacity of about 65%. Lets just a little of the color back in. I also used a few contrast/brightness layers at various opacities to get the effect of the water. I was trying to get the most out of the water without blowing the highlites.

Chris

Chris

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

Comment posted by Derek Sedillo on June 9, 2009 at 11:27 PM

Great shot Chris! Thanks for the story behind 'making' this image. I think it is cool when another photographer inspires you to get out there and shoot something. Obviously it worked out for you very well here. I've never seen this particular creek. But your photo certainly does it justice.

I noticed the long exposure. You must have shot with an an strong ND filter or at night.

Derek

Registered on May 2, 2006, 37 Posts, 232 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on June 9, 2009 at 11:57 PM

Yep, outstanding shot, Chris!

Ah, i just checked out Cramer's shot--i can see what inspired you. I do think his comp is stronger, but i like your tonality more.

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

Comment posted by Vance Gese on June 10, 2009 at 12:13 AM

Incredible image Chris. Love the silkiness of the water. Am familiar with Charles Cramer's image but I find yours to be quite a different interpretation. The tones and motion of the water with the tree set amid the maelstrom are all outstanding.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Benjamin Glatt on June 10, 2009 at 12:20 AM

Dang Chris, your on a roll these days! Sweet shot, man. I would like to see a little taken off the right and maybe some taken off the left--more off the right though to make the rock a little less centered. Great shot.

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

Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on June 10, 2009 at 12:33 AM

Chis,

Bravo! This is as good as Charlie's image. It conveys such power and tranquility at the same time. Wow!

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

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on June 10, 2009 at 12:41 AM

Chris, did you sell your sould to the devil for this one???

This is just stunning! Simply awesome, nothing more to add here. I love it!

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Jimmy Gekas on June 10, 2009 at 1:35 AM

Hey Chris.. this is awesome. You're definitely bringing home some winners. This one is the shining star.

Registered on July 26, 2007, 244 Posts, 2807 Comments

Comment posted by Igor on June 10, 2009 at 1:56 AM

Oh my God, this is superb, Chris. This is the photo of the week, for sure. It works on so many levels. It's stunningly beautiful graphically. On another level it's a surreal dreamlike image. On still another, there is symbolism here of opposing forces struggling. Or on another, the genesis of objects from the liquid turmoil. You can find so much here if you just let go.

It's an image that encourages you to see meaning in it other than a representation of reality.

I don't know. But to me this is a truly exceptional image.

Great, great job, Chris. I'm truly happy for you.

And yes, it's better than Charlie's, as that is a much more literal image. Yours is on a different level entirely.

Registered on February 22, 2009, 12 Posts, 618 Comments

Comment posted by Pramod Viswanath on June 10, 2009 at 2:27 AM

Class! Real gem of an image this! What impressed me is the tonality and texture of the rock in the middle - that silvery feel to it simply mind blowing. Small trees adds a lot to the composition! Excellent. Just love it..

Registered on December 4, 2008, 60 Posts, 697 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Sieren on June 10, 2009 at 2:53 AM

Drumroll please, . . . Step aside people here is Chris's shot! Wow. Checki it out.

Awesome! I love it. How the heck do you get the tree not to move. There has to be wind in there somewhere. Congrats.

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

Comment posted by Tien-Chien Chen on June 10, 2009 at 3:00 AM

Composition aside, this is like water with a form of fire! Very mesmerizing! The desaturation is very special.

Registered on September 2, 2005, 34 Posts, 225 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on June 10, 2009 at 3:24 AM

Just wonderful - EP material, for sure.

sandy r

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Prashant Khapane on June 10, 2009 at 4:33 AM

nice really nice. It is diffficult to judge the size of the tree though.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 492 Posts, 4580 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on June 10, 2009 at 4:53 AM

fabulous - and well processed! the isolation of those trees among the chaos is great!

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

Comment posted by Eric Vaughan on June 10, 2009 at 7:08 AM

Outstanding image Chris, the contrast between the detailed rocks and the water makes this a really powerful image, well done!

Registered on April 29, 2009, 57 Posts, 670 Comments

Comment posted by Anthony Vincent on June 10, 2009 at 7:44 AM

Chris,
That water is stunning for sure. Love the story this picture tells. Nice job all around

Registered on February 5, 2009, 199 Posts, 2775 Comments

Comment posted by Marsel van Oosten on June 10, 2009 at 8:09 AM

Awesome shot - not so much the composition to be honest, but the action, the monochromatic feel and the textures - very nice.

Registered on March 9, 2004, 285 Posts, 2277 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Beiser on June 10, 2009 at 8:50 AM

Wow, Chris this is really cool..

Registered on July 16, 2005, 0 Posts, 46 Comments

Comment posted by Andreas Resch on June 10, 2009 at 9:16 AM

Excellent shot, Chris. A great thing about such dynamic water images is, that they look different in every shot. That's why I often like to take several shots in these situations and choose the best at home. Of course you got a great one here with nice curves in the water.

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

Comment posted by Greg Cope on June 10, 2009 at 9:50 AM

I just love this Chris.

Registered on January 22, 2007, 212 Posts, 2737 Comments

Comment posted by Josh Anderson on June 10, 2009 at 10:03 AM

Exceptional work Chris. The directional water you caught is quite impressive.

Registered on June 2, 2005, 493 Posts, 2996 Comments

Comment posted by Abdullaziz Bin Ali on June 10, 2009 at 10:04 AM

Amazing shot, I like the motion of the water

Great composition,

Registered on May 31, 2009, 112 Posts, 1590 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on June 10, 2009 at 12:27 PM

Excellent capture, Chris. The isolated rock formation and bush is perfectly captured here in this extreme melting down-flow.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Lawson on June 10, 2009 at 1:54 PM

Outstanding. I assume you spent some time experimenting with the shutter speed to come up with this, and the texture in the water is perfect.

Registered on March 3, 2008, 29 Posts, 337 Comments

Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on June 10, 2009 at 2:24 PM

Wow, an incredibly powerful painting.. err.. photograph

Seriously Chris, this is really exceptional, one of the very, very, few yosemite images that make me want to consider braving the crowds next year (I don't much like throngs of tourists).

Registered on December 19, 2008, 306 Posts, 4840 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on June 10, 2009 at 10:07 PM

I remember Cramer's image from OP possibly. I think yours stands on it's own, and is a very powerful image. the toning and pp really make it a superb photo.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Jerry Greer on June 12, 2009 at 9:30 PM

So good it hurts!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 404 Posts, 1977 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Rossbach on June 15, 2009 at 9:30 AM

Congrats on the EP Chris! I somehow missed this in the normal thread. The water action and comp are absolutly stellar

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on June 15, 2009 at 1:23 PM

Congrats on the EP! thought so!

Very stunning image.

sandy r

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on June 15, 2009 at 1:49 PM

Congrats on the EP! A very well deserved pick.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on June 15, 2009 at 4:16 PM

Congrats my Friend! Well deserved!

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Jeffrey Sipress on June 15, 2009 at 6:14 PM

Wonderful, Chris, Congrats. This would make a stunning B&W.

Registered on February 17, 2004, 236 Posts, 1197 Comments

Comment posted by Pedro Bento on June 15, 2009 at 7:24 PM

I miss this one, wow this is really awesome, one of the best shots I've seen in a while!

Registered on September 2, 2007, 45 Posts, 761 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on June 15, 2009 at 7:57 PM

Hey Everyone!
I don't know what to say. Thank you would be in order. I really appreciate all the positive feedback about this image. It was exilerating to capture it. And also very exciting to see it come to life in PP. I didn't expect this, but I am very happy, and humbled at the same time. Thank you to the ESS moderators also, It is much appreciated.

Chris

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

Comment posted by Pat Sampson on June 15, 2009 at 10:07 PM

Chris,

Congratulations on the EP. A truly exceptional image by any standard.

Pat

Registered on May 19, 2007, 953 Posts, 15989 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Dawson on June 15, 2009 at 10:24 PM

Fantastic works Chris, Congrats on a well deserved EP

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