Cloud Forest

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 18, 2009689 views33 comments

Above the clouds in the Great Smoky Mountains. Taken right after sunset when the earth shadow colors were at their most potent.

Canon 5DII, Contax 35-70mm lens w/adapter, 3-stop ND filter, 2-stop GND filter, ISO 50, f8 @ 25 seconds.

I'm finally phasing out "I Pee Photography" (for those folks who didn't notice, or never visited my site, or who just never gave a pair of dingo's kidneys for my work, my old site is www.ipphotography.com. Go ahead and say it a few times . . . ipphotography . . . ipphotography . . . I Pee Photography!)

Just launched my new site which will replace the old: Ian Plant Photography

Comments

33 comments

Comment posted by Mat Malone on June 18, 2009 at 5:29 PM

Great cloud action here. The colors are pretty intense too. I would be tempted to crop from the left to emphasize the triangles in the comp.

By the way I'm having trouble viewing your site because Flash is kinda screwed up on my Linux box at work. Is there a way to skip past the Flash part?

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

Comment posted by Anthony Vincent on June 18, 2009 at 5:34 PM

Ahhh, looks like the dome. Beautiful shot Ian and congrats on the new site. It looks great, beautiful photography and talent you posses. Love the pink tones in the sky and reflected on the trees. I heard those trees are from a bug/beetle that has killed them. Anyway, great light you had here. I hope to be going back in the fall and Im actually getting married in a big cabin there this winter

Just love it there, thanks for sharing

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

Comment posted by Ian Plant on June 18, 2009 at 5:35 PM

thanks Mat -- I see what you mean about the left crop -- I actually thought about that for a bit but kept it as I posted it because Iiked the spacing of the foreground trees without the crop -- will think about it some more.

The entire site is Flash based. I actually think my hosting company's server is a little bogged down right now -- the site seems to be a little slow to load at the moment . . .

Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Plant on June 18, 2009 at 5:36 PM

Anthony -- congrats on your engagement, sounds like the ultimate wedding to me! If only I could have talked my wife into getting married in the mountains in the middle of winter . . .

Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Anthony Vincent on June 18, 2009 at 5:46 PM

Thanks Ian,
Keep up the Great work and if you know any good wedding photog's drop me an email.

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

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on June 18, 2009 at 6:10 PM

wooow !!

Stunning .... i like the comp & the perfect exposing

Well done Ian

Regards,

Hamed

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by Paulo A.Lopes on June 18, 2009 at 6:36 PM

You are the first photographer that i know that "never" use a canon lens

Love the clouds and mood and specially that FG, breath wilderness.

Man, i can say that your website is already on my link page for about 3 weeks. Honestly you already become one of my favorites.

, for the variety of images and themes and always very well done.

Registered on October 14, 2008, 122 Posts, 836 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on June 18, 2009 at 6:49 PM

Killer clouds with a very interesting foreground. This works really well.

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

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on June 18, 2009 at 7:13 PM

Fantastic clouds and wonderful pastel sky Ian. Checked out your new website..... Spectacular! BTW - It loaded fine the first time I looked at it. The second was time was very slow.

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

Comment posted by Guy Tal on June 18, 2009 at 7:24 PM

Absolutely stunning, Ian!
Good call on the site name

Guy

Registered on November 1, 2003, 566 Posts, 15507 Comments

Comment posted by Alex Mody on June 18, 2009 at 7:58 PM

Great shot Ian. I think the snags really give this an interesting mood.

I'm going to miss peeing photography every time I look at your site, but the new one really rules. I'm going to look like a dork now when I finish my website.

Registered on December 25, 2007, 163 Posts, 1896 Comments

Comment posted by Jay Nielsen on June 18, 2009 at 8:11 PM

What a great shot! As has been mentioned the colors are fantastic. I love the lighting on the dead tree trunks and thier intimidating looking shapes.

Registered on October 6, 2008, 137 Posts, 720 Comments

Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on June 18, 2009 at 8:16 PM

Well with conditions like that you can't really go wrong, but you sure made the most of it! Love the colors and the mood. I managed to briefly check out your new site, but something with the server is making it pretty hard to access

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

Comment posted by Eric Vaughan on June 18, 2009 at 8:17 PM

Great shot Ian, really love the strong contrast between soft clouds and sharp vertical trees. The soft pastel colors are also really nice, well done.

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

Comment posted by Aaron Ellingsen on June 18, 2009 at 8:21 PM

Well, if you pee photography, what do you poop??? You know what? you can keep that to yourself. I really don't want to know.

New site looks fantastic, although it seems a little sluggish right now....I'm not usually a huge fan of flash photo sites, but yours is pretty slick without being overly complicated or gimmicky.

I've got to say that your photos always stand out as some of the better material around here, but seeing it all in one collection on your site is truly impressive. Top shelf work, in my opinion.

Registered on January 16, 2008, 56 Posts, 953 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Plant on June 18, 2009 at 8:31 PM

Aaron, there are those who think my photography is pretty crappy, so perhaps I do poop photography!

Just my luck, on the evening I announce my new site, my webhost's server is on the fritz . . .

Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin Trinkner on June 18, 2009 at 10:53 PM

Stunning Ian, great lighting and colors. Your processing is top notch as always.

So long I Pee photography...

Registered on June 30, 2008, 203 Posts, 2641 Comments

Comment posted by Adrian Klein on June 18, 2009 at 10:59 PM

What can I say other than expertly executed. Another great image for your portfolio!

Registered on June 10, 2007, 112 Posts, 1506 Comments

Comment posted by Todd Caudle on June 19, 2009 at 12:55 AM

That's a killer shot Ian. I love a good Earth shadow pic, and this has it all goin' on!

BTW, I was looking at your site, and also Joe Rossbach's site, which spurred a few questions:
1. Are you guys registered anywhere?
2. Have you picked out china patterns yet?
3. Who got to wear the waders first?

Registered on November 9, 2003, 472 Posts, 3705 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on June 19, 2009 at 12:55 AM

Looks great Ian - the sea of clouds is amazing!

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

Comment posted by Jimmy Gekas on June 19, 2009 at 1:04 AM

I really like all the great elements and how they work together. Those stark trees in the foreground reaching toward the soft clouds and perfect coloration of the earth's shadow is perfect. I am sure the detail and sharpness using that lens is sweeeeeet!

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

Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on June 19, 2009 at 2:51 AM

Ian,

I like how the FG trees break up the softness of the clouds and pastel colors. Nice.

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

Comment posted by Steve Sieren on June 19, 2009 at 3:22 AM

Nice stationary contrast Ian.

The site is working just fine and looks great.

Ben Glatt asked me a few months ago who were my favorite NPN photogs and I said I didn't know. You're one of em for sure. Keep up the variety and experimentation, you're my favorite guinea pig! Ha Ha!

Thanks for keeping it real(saturation wise).

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

Comment posted by Giovanni Russello on June 19, 2009 at 8:07 AM

Nice light and great elements pulled together in this image.
I really like the bare trees in the FG. THey provide a very nice graphical element.

gio

Registered on January 21, 2007, 95 Posts, 1617 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Bernabe on June 19, 2009 at 8:09 AM

Awesome, man. I might like this rendition just as much as the others from that evening. Killer!

Registered on November 24, 2004, 180 Posts, 1545 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Anderson on June 19, 2009 at 10:03 AM

Hi Ian, great photo. I bet this setting could have made one heck of a pano as well.

Registered on September 6, 2007, 346 Posts, 2696 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on June 19, 2009 at 5:25 PM

Ian,

This is wonderful. I really like the sweeping blanket of fog at midground and the inclusion of the earth's shadow adds that soft and beautiful color. Whole thing works for me!

Lon

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

Comment posted by Ian Plant on June 19, 2009 at 6:50 PM

Todd, you're just jealous that my bromance with Joe is stronger than the one you and Jerry have!

Registered on July 7, 2008, 271 Posts, 1657 Comments

Comment posted by Todd Caudle on June 19, 2009 at 8:12 PM

Yeah, long-distance bromances are tough.

Registered on November 9, 2003, 472 Posts, 3705 Comments

Comment posted by Jose Suro on June 20, 2009 at 9:29 AM

Excellent! Great capture with rich subdued colors. Perfect framing.

Best,

Jose

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

Comment posted by Trevor Anderson on June 20, 2009 at 12:37 PM

Definitely a cloud's lovers dream. Thanks for bringing this one home! Nice site, btw!

Registered on April 25, 2007, 64 Posts, 483 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on June 21, 2009 at 12:48 AM

Love it!

I think the framing is very nice because of the balance of the three main trees. Love how the foreground trees have some luminance. Think the colors are very nice and natural looking.

Really, really trying hard to find anything to critique, I might take out the minimal bottom left twig and maybe the little, very little separated upper (towards the right) cloud as potential distracting elements. But having said that, I know that it would likely not help the image as good as it stands already.

Mark

Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on June 21, 2009 at 1:52 AM

Another great atmospheric shot from you at GSM. The earth shadow really sets it off.

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