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Edge Of The Storm +Repost
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Edge Of The Storm +Repost

by Scott Miller

Gallery: LandscapePosted July 10, 2012713 views35 comments
On Sunday night my wife and I decided to head to Mt St Helen's for a little picnic. This was supposed to be half 'me scouting for flower conditions' and half 'us having fun together'. The forecast called for no clouds I didn't expect any flowers, but since my wife and I had never been to Mt St Helens we went just to have a nice night and enjoy the outdoors a bit. Well after we set up our little picnic I start to notice a freak thunderstorm forming just past Mt St Helens. We sat here and watched the lightening and the CRAZY light for about 45 minutes. The edge of the storm passed by Mt St Helens right at sunset, and I was able to capture this shot.

Guess it was my lucky day!

Tech stuff: 4 shots blended for depth of field, the close ones were all at ISO 800 to stop the motion. 5dii, 17-40L @ 17mm

Comments

35 comments
Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on July 10, 2012 at 5:27 AM
Awesome work! It's got everything.
Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments
Comment posted by Abdullaziz Bin Ali on July 10, 2012 at 5:38 AM
Great Scott, Love the FG and BG as well,
Registered on May 31, 2009, 112 Posts, 1590 Comments
Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on July 10, 2012 at 6:26 AM
Definately your lucky day! There seems to be a bit of red or magenta in the flower area, probably from the crazy liht above. You might try to reduce this cast a little and see if you think they migh stand out better - it might "purify" the colors there. Just spectacular. :toast:
Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments
Comment posted by Matt Anderson on July 10, 2012 at 7:10 AM
+1, awesome work!
Registered on September 6, 2007, 346 Posts, 2696 Comments
Comment posted by Bret Edge on July 10, 2012 at 8:20 AM
This is spectacular, Scott. One of the best images I've seen of St. Helens. Perfect processing and a lovely composition.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 711 Posts, 6363 Comments
Comment posted by Peter Coskun on July 10, 2012 at 8:20 AM
Great light and atmosphere as well as getting a nice patch of colorful wildflowers. The large view is fantastic to look at!
Registered on October 31, 2011, 170 Posts, 1240 Comments
Comment posted by Jack Garrett on July 10, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Looks like you nailed this one Scott..it has everything you would want...color, comp, light. Nice catch!
Registered on November 7, 2007, 41 Posts, 251 Comments
Comment posted by John Williams on July 10, 2012 at 10:09 AM
I'm wandering through this like a child at Toys R Us... :toast:
Registered on September 6, 2007, 221 Posts, 5985 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Smorra on July 10, 2012 at 10:10 AM
Sweet light here Scott. The thunderstorm light really works well in this scene.
Registered on November 2, 2009, 161 Posts, 2143 Comments
Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on July 10, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Beautiful. Couldn't be better
Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Miller on July 10, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Thanks for the comments everyone.

And Harry, the color cast is actually already turned down a bit in the foreground - and pretty much everywhere else. The red / orange glow from everywhere was really intense. I will try and remove a bit more from the foreground and see how it turns out.

Thanks!

-Scott
Registered on May 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 322 Comments
Comment posted by Morris McClung on July 10, 2012 at 11:26 AM
Fairly outstanding. The contrast between the red and purple flowers is strong.
Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments
Comment posted by Jeremy Cram on July 10, 2012 at 12:48 PM
I'm on my phone right now and can just tell this is amazing. What a great night you had! First time there even, you lucky dog. :toast:
Registered on June 4, 2006, 204 Posts, 818 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Miller on July 10, 2012 at 1:03 PM
Yeah, I was totally lucky - very glad Dustin backed out of driving to the coast, otherwise I would have been with you at Seal!
Registered on May 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 322 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Miller on July 10, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Harry here is a repost with even a little more of the orange / red light removed from the foreground.

Thanks again,

Scott
Registered on May 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 322 Comments
Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on July 10, 2012 at 1:50 PM
Really pretty, Scott. I like the repost a little better - the color contrasts are a little more engaging.

I was sitting in the Goat Rocks with my girlfriend watching that storm from 8,000 ft.. until the lightning started, then we quickly retreated to the trees (glissading 600 feet by the light of lightning!). Did you stay for the lightning show?
Registered on December 19, 2008, 306 Posts, 4840 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Metternich on July 10, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Sweet shot! Yes, I saw that monster coming in, but in PDX was not sure exactly where to go. Glad you caught it. Cheers on the image.

I think they both look just a little mute in the background and could maybe use a hair more punch there.
Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments
Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on July 10, 2012 at 2:03 PM
This is awesome. :toast:
Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments
Comment posted by John Fan on July 10, 2012 at 2:18 PM
Beautiful shot.
Registered on August 24, 2010, 135 Posts, 489 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Miller on July 10, 2012 at 3:17 PM
Mark - yeah I got lucky, by the time there were reports of a forming t-storm I was already off of I5 heading east toward Mt St Helens. No way you would have had time to get there from PDX without being stupid and heading out when the forecast called for clear skies. thanks for the opinion on the punch in the sky / mountain area. I always try hard not to overdo the saturation / punch too much. I will give it a little extra umph and see how it looks.

Floris - Your adventure sounds a little wore intense then mine. :) I felt completely safe, as the storm was probably 15 miles away. We did watch the lightning but it was really tiny from our point of view. It got a little closer after sunset, but we got out of there then. To give you an idea of how far the storm is, here is a single frame I just processed in 30 seconds in lightroom with a tiny little lightning strike in it.
Registered on May 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 322 Comments
Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on July 10, 2012 at 6:08 PM
I like the 1st repost - looks a bit cleaner around the flowers. I am encounter a similar problem processing an image I'll post shorly. No crazy reflected light like yours, just a magenta cast especially noticeable in the shadows. Hey what happend to the near focus! :biggrin: Maybe a large print would show off that lightning.
Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Miller on July 10, 2012 at 6:26 PM
Hey Harry, the second repost was just to show Floris how tiny the lightning was for me :) It isn't depth of field bracketed so the foreground is all out of focus. I have no intention of doing anything with that one.

Thanks again for pointing out your thoughts on the colors, I think toning it down in the foreground definitely helped.
Registered on May 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 322 Comments
Comment posted by Kent Mearig on July 10, 2012 at 6:40 PM
I like the work you did on the re-post.
Registered on September 4, 2006, 237 Posts, 4748 Comments
Comment posted by Brian Schrayer on July 10, 2012 at 8:31 PM
Beautiful image and composition with gorgeous light, Scott. It might be worth seeing if you can bring out just a bit more contrast in the sky and background. Not too much but maybe just a little.
Registered on May 28, 2004, 114 Posts, 2890 Comments
Comment posted by Nick Bristol on July 10, 2012 at 8:40 PM
Wow...just fantastic! I especially like your repost Scott. A beautiful scene captured in wonderful conditions. :toast:

Nick Bristol
lone rock, WI
Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments
Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on July 10, 2012 at 9:50 PM
This is excellent. Have to wonder sometimes about the circumstances that lead to our best pictures. This was obviously meant to be your picture.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments
Comment posted by Chris Moore on July 10, 2012 at 10:02 PM
Stellar work! Wouldn't change a thing.
Registered on January 12, 2010, 84 Posts, 388 Comments
Comment posted by Vlad Sadovsky on July 11, 2012 at 12:25 AM
Excellent, nice light and composition. Perfect mountain sunset scene.
Registered on November 12, 2010, 48 Posts, 358 Comments
Comment posted by Joseph Campisi on July 11, 2012 at 1:14 AM
Luck for sure...and skill pulling it off so well Scott! Like others have said, this has got everything. Stellar shot! :toast:
Registered on November 24, 2008, 304 Posts, 3211 Comments
Comment posted by Scott Miller on July 11, 2012 at 3:11 AM
Thanks guys!

Tony - I know what you mean, I find most of my best photos came on days that I expected to get the least. I guess I need to always have low expectations. :)

Brian - The mountain area might be enhanced with just a touch more contrast to cut through the haze / atmospheric interference.

Thanks!

Registered on May 9, 2011, 23 Posts, 322 Comments
Comment posted by David Edwards on July 11, 2012 at 4:23 AM
Scott, this is super-sweet. Fabulous shot in glowing conditions. You and your wife must have had a very nice picnic with majestic scenery like that! The repost with slightly less fg cast pops the flowers a little better.
:toast:
Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments
Comment posted by Joe James on July 11, 2012 at 10:01 PM
That's a winner....luck definitely favors the prepared and you were prepared.
Registered on November 20, 2009, 89 Posts, 808 Comments
Comment posted by Andreas Resch on July 12, 2012 at 9:17 AM
Just wonderful!
Registered on November 14, 2007, 322 Posts, 6101 Comments
Comment posted by James Fougère on July 12, 2012 at 4:06 PM
amazing west coast mountain scene :biggrin:
Registered on October 25, 2010, 41 Posts, 831 Comments
Comment posted by Yiming Hu on July 13, 2012 at 8:11 AM
Sweet light and fantastic view.
Registered on April 28, 2011, 38 Posts, 733 Comments