Silver Drops

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 10, 2011325 views31 comments

I took this photo from the trail to Ponytail Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, looking down on the trees below. When I first saw this view, and while setting up, the overcast lighting and calm conditions led to a low-contrast, silvery scene. The pristine reflections created almost an optical illusion. Everything set up, I turned to grab my shutter release from the bag and felt a rain drop.

I whirled and fired off this shot. Alas, too late. As you can see the rain drops are visible and the finer branch reflections have lost their clarity. In the Pacific Northwest Forum, Rick Dunn (whose photography insight I massively admire) thought this result was likely better then the one I was trying to take. Still, I would love to have had it to compare.

Nikon D80
AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED at 112mm
1/30 sec at f/16 and ISO 10
I cloned out several small bits of close vegetation that were right on the margin of the scene.

Comments

31 comments

Comment posted by Nicolaus Wegner on June 10, 2011 at 11:02 PM

Hell, this is still a very trippy photograph John. Nice eye on catching the reflection like that, rain drops or not. I actually like the rain drops for some reason. I suppose it is because it adds some texture where you would not expect it in a shot of this type.

Registered on February 21, 2010, 133 Posts, 1509 Comments

Comment posted by Jeremy Cram on June 10, 2011 at 11:23 PM

I've shot this a few times, never with any luck. This is wonderful and well seen.

Registered on June 4, 2006, 204 Posts, 818 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on June 10, 2011 at 11:33 PM

What a mind bending scene John! I just love all the detail and illusion of the reflection presented here! Larger view is especially wonderful.

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

Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on June 11, 2011 at 12:07 AM

This is fantastic, John! Absolutely love it, and I think the raindrops are a great addition. They add a whimsical zen like feel to the image.

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

Comment posted by Jack Brauer on June 11, 2011 at 12:30 AM

Is it normal for these trees to be so flooded? It's really surreal how they are floating in their own reflections. It would be interesting to see the pristine reflections, but still you have pretty clear reflections and the raindrops are a very nice touch.

P.S. - Reminds me of an M.C. Escher print!

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

Comment posted by Stan Rose on June 11, 2011 at 1:10 AM

Im with the others--two thumbs way up! I like it even more with the top 1/4-1/3 cropped--gives it a more abstract feel.

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

Comment posted by Michael J Greene, on June 11, 2011 at 1:48 AM

John - the raindrops make the scene for me. I with Stan on the crop. The highlights at the top catch the eye a bit and pull away for the foreground. The tonal separation, structure, and patterns are all first class.

Michael

Registered on June 18, 2009, 86 Posts, 2317 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on June 11, 2011 at 2:08 AM

John, your image has got an amazingly surrealistic look to me! The larger version reveals delightful details. The composition works for me well, and the raindrops add some interesting elements in my opinion, I would not miss them.

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by Neale Dyster on June 11, 2011 at 3:25 AM

Absolutely beautiful image John. As you say, it'd be nice to have a raindrop free one to compare, but what you have is great and I think, especially when viewed larger, the raindrops add quite a lot to the image.

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

Comment posted by Ian Cameron on June 11, 2011 at 3:55 AM

This is my kind of image John soft light low contrast and subtle colours odd considering I love Velvia. Love it.

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

Comment posted by Alister Benn on June 11, 2011 at 7:12 AM

What a surreal image.. the rain has added a lot I feel... very dreamy

Registered on June 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 258 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on June 11, 2011 at 8:52 AM

This is fantastic John. I like the rain drops here. Beautiful work!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Vlad Sadovsky on June 11, 2011 at 12:03 PM

Nice, introspective. With the darker top the raindrops (which are crucial to the mood) get lost. Well noticed and well executed.

Registered on November 12, 2010, 48 Posts, 358 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on June 11, 2011 at 12:50 PM

Fantastic John. I agree with Rick on the rain drops, they really make the scene for me. I also agree with Stan on the crop suggestion - I think that would make the image stronger. Excellent capture.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Anthony Vincent on June 11, 2011 at 1:13 PM

I just drool for shots like this John. A graphic composition that took some great skill to compose this nicely.
The light you captured is perfect and I think any other would have killed this moment. The water drops are icing on the cake.
Probably my favorite of yours.
two thumbs up for me

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

Comment posted by Morris McClung on June 11, 2011 at 4:22 PM

So very unique! Great vision here. And Floris is right about the Zen feel to it.

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

Comment posted by Marc Adamus on June 11, 2011 at 7:28 PM

Very cool, John. Indeed I do believe I would like this much more than one without the drops and slight blur to the reflections. And for anyone wondering, no, there's not supposed to be water around those trees. It was a minor flood of the Columbia that did this, and why the trees have died.

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

Comment posted by Sarah Marino on June 11, 2011 at 7:56 PM

Wow, John, this is a really great image. While I can understand your desire to have the other version to compare, this is still an excellent result. I certainly see what drew you to the scene. The silvery look of this scene is just beautiful and I personally like the drops a lot.

Registered on November 10, 2008, 23 Posts, 393 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on June 11, 2011 at 8:03 PM

It's an amazing scene with all the detail in the reflections. For me, the raindrops add reality to what a very ethereal scene.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Anderson on June 11, 2011 at 8:10 PM

Wow, I love this. A lot.

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

Comment posted by Phillip Noll on June 11, 2011 at 11:16 PM

Oh my! Absolutely stunning! And perfectly named! Beautifully shot and executed!

Registered on November 17, 2003, 207 Posts, 1083 Comments

Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on June 12, 2011 at 4:42 AM

Absolutely fantastic.

Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on June 12, 2011 at 7:05 AM

very good john - i like this as it is with the drops. i think cropping a little off the top would add as well. pity the rain didn't start a few seconds later then we could have compared!!

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

Comment posted by John Williams on June 12, 2011 at 9:34 AM

Thanks everyone! Playing with the telephoto was a stretch from my norm, so I really appreciate the feedback. I'll play with the crop suggestion; looks like 4x5 might be about right.

This area, between the Historic Highway and the Interstate is normally a mix of marsh and grassland around the trees. As Marc notes, it's flooded this year. At full resolution it looks like most of these trees are budding out, so here's hoping they pull through!

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

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on June 12, 2011 at 2:24 PM

Supercool, John. The raindrops actually work here. The abstract reality here is great.

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

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on June 12, 2011 at 3:50 PM

John, Killer capture!!! This is a special location of mine and I have spent a lot of time up there. I'm really amazed at what you pulled off here! Great job.

Mark

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

Comment posted by Kory Lidstrom on June 12, 2011 at 8:41 PM

Wow, how did I miss this one? A sweet comp and that optical illusion you refer to really adds power to this image. A very unique scene here with abstract elements. I quite like it.

Registered on November 19, 2008, 49 Posts, 1035 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on June 12, 2011 at 10:54 PM

Fabulous shot, John. I think the raindrops on the water only add to the image in a positive way. The optical illusion is still there, but then you notice the raindrops on the water and it's a further 'wow'

Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on June 12, 2011 at 11:32 PM

Fantastic, John. Love the perspective and the silvery tones together with the raindrops are superb.

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

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on June 13, 2011 at 4:04 PM

Fantastic!

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

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on June 14, 2011 at 11:29 PM

I love this, it's such a unique look. I almost thought it was snow at first. Excellent!

Chris

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