Nature's Palette

Gallery: LandscapePosted December 14, 2011424 views13 comments

Hey all...been away for a bit in the field.

So...on the day that Going-To-The-Sun Road closed for the winter this year...I decided to give St. Mary Lake a shot. I honestly didn't want to pull the pack from the truck anywhere near this lake...but I needed to see if I could find something less mundane...less overdone.

And so, I decided that it was time to get more intimate...down the cliffs to the shoreline... The sun was lighting up the lake...at least parts of it...and was being obscured by a heavy front coming in across the mountain range. Great light...except, well...the wind was ridiculous.

14mm...5 foot waves. 50+mph gusts straight at me.

Thoughts, critiques, concerns? And thank you for taking the time to check it out...

BTW...I seem to remember a similar image from a while back...but I couldn't find it when I searched through the forums...

Robert

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Tom Hilton on December 14, 2011 at 2:54 PM

No critique, just a WoW...
Outstanding Comp and capture...
it was worth getting wet...

Registered on September 19, 2011, 68 Posts, 668 Comments

Comment posted by Navin Sarma on December 14, 2011 at 3:01 PM

rob, i dig this one!!! i love the violent motion in the foreground, and the drop off in height from the body of water and the crashes. that hints to me that the entire lake was gyrating. Also, I like the drama in the sky. the colors of the water top it off, for me (teal and close variations are my fav).

If i were to experiment, I might try some warmth in the foreground rocks and/or the clouds. the shadows are a bit on the blue side, IMO. also, seems like you have a couple dust spots (in the ULC and top middle) you may want to clean up/

Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Campisi on December 14, 2011 at 3:03 PM

Make that two WOWs! Different take on St. Mary Lake. The saturation is a bit strong for me, but not by much. And that's a matter of personal taste anyway. The large version makes me feel like I'm there!

Registered on November 24, 2008, 304 Posts, 3211 Comments

Comment posted by Phil Pogledich on December 14, 2011 at 3:07 PM

Wind and waves certainly made for a dynamic shot! This is really good stuff, particularly the rocks and wave action in the foreground. The sky seems a bit oversaturated to me but not in a particularly bothersome way. I also remember a similar image but have no idea who might have posted it.

Registered on August 24, 2009, 123 Posts, 3099 Comments

Comment posted by Marsel van Oosten on December 14, 2011 at 3:27 PM

Foreground is really cool, background looks a bit too HDR-ish to me.

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

Comment posted by Kory Lidstrom on December 14, 2011 at 5:31 PM

Great light and perfect shutter speed. You are correct: this same comp has been posted on these forums before. But, you got an original take due to the dynamic weather.

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

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on December 14, 2011 at 5:54 PM

I am kind of the same thought as Marsel about the background. I really like the perspective, though. It almost makes me feel like the foreground in underwater.

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

Comment posted by Walt Sterneman on December 14, 2011 at 6:23 PM

I like the different vantage point Robert and the waves splashing against the rocks is very nice. Well conceived.

Registered on March 24, 2010, 73 Posts, 1268 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on December 14, 2011 at 9:53 PM

More like "Nature's Fury." Like others, I like the dramatic action up front, but the colors in the sky look a little odd. Still a nice shot because of the dramatic scenery.

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on December 14, 2011 at 11:41 PM

i believe i have also seen similar images from this spot. the feel of the wind and waves coming at one is strong - well captured there. the contrast in the sky might be a bit dramatic? otherwise, worth the effort.

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

Comment posted by Rodrigo Sandoval on December 15, 2011 at 4:15 PM

I just love the action here. Perfectly exposde and composed. Congratulations.

Registered on April 4, 2009, 13 Posts, 254 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Budliger on December 15, 2011 at 4:44 PM

Boy I guess it was a little windy. Nice wave action and mood. I recall a couple of images similar to this in the past year, thinking Joe Rossbach had one of them if memory serves.

Registered on June 11, 2006, 113 Posts, 2116 Comments

Comment posted by Sandipan Dutta on December 16, 2011 at 9:19 AM

A classic view. Well done Rob.

Registered on March 9, 2009, 171 Posts, 493 Comments