Photo of the Month 08/13

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted August 13, 20131,889 views15 comments

The Photographer

A photographer composing an image at the edge of Dettifoss in Northeastern Iceland.

Standing next to this massive waterfall was an incredible experience. The thundering roar of the falling water was truly amazing. The falls are 330 feet (100m) wide and the drop is 150 feet (45m). The waterfall kicks up an enormous amount of spray which can be seen from miles away on a clear day.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 16-35 at 16mm, polarizer
2 image blend for DOF
0.4 sec at f/16, ISO 50 x2
I used a bit of negative vibrance in lightroom 5 to desaturate all of the colors except for the red jacket.

Thanks for taking a look and for any comments/suggestions you have. Please check out the larger version.

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by Peter Coskun on August 13, 2013 at 7:46 PM

Great sense of scale and use of color. This looks like an insane waterfall to photograph. I'm sure the spray became somewhat of an issue here?

Registered on October 31, 2011, 170 Posts, 1240 Comments

Comment posted by John Neukirch on August 13, 2013 at 7:48 PM

That guy must have nerves of steel and a great pair of shoes. A really gorgeous image, thanks for posting it.

Registered on July 9, 2012, 207 Posts, 1476 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on August 13, 2013 at 9:56 PM

Great shot Scott! What a powerful feel this falls has... I can just hear the roaring thunder. Put your earplugs in for the larger version!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Scott Smorra on August 13, 2013 at 11:55 PM

Thanks for the comments Peter, John and Nick.

Peter: the spray wasn't too bad on the day we visited Dettifoss. Luckily the wind was blowing up river to most of the spray was getting pushed to the other side of the river and then upstream. There were a few times the wind shifted and covered the camera/lens with a muddy spray. It was a real pain to clean it off!

Registered on November 2, 2009, 161 Posts, 2143 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on August 14, 2013 at 12:17 AM

Looks like a real monster of a waterfall. I really like the way your slow shutter speed rendered the water and mist. This would look great as a straight landscape image without the photographer as well. I think you had the better vantage point than the risky "photographer" to be honest.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel & Loana on August 14, 2013 at 3:09 AM

Wonderful shot, with perfect composition and timing. The use of the red jacket and the grey environment works very well.

D&L

Registered on October 7, 2008, 166 Posts, 3044 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Prower on August 15, 2013 at 4:09 PM

Nice and Powerful. I was there 3 times this Summer, but this guy looks good in red! Love the wet rocks!

Registered on February 5, 2012, 24 Posts, 167 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on August 15, 2013 at 5:01 PM

Fantastic energy here, and the red jacketed photographer adds a great deal for perspective and interest. We photographers take a few risks, as demonstrated here! Love the way you have processed this.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on August 16, 2013 at 11:18 AM

I love the photog in the red jacket for the scale he lends to the scene. Your desat works great here as well. I don't think another colored jacket would have made this as powerful. Great shot.

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

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on August 16, 2013 at 1:02 PM

Delicious!! The photog in the scene gives a great sense of scale and the mist really evokes a sense of awe and wonder.

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

Comment posted by Shantikara Valuska on August 17, 2013 at 8:27 AM

Amazing shot! I could see that as a cover image somewhere

As for the photographer: maybe he was shooting the Prometheus!

Registered on July 25, 2011, 38 Posts, 451 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on August 21, 2013 at 10:24 PM

Incredible waterfall - and excellent capture.
Congrats on the WP!
Sandy

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

Comment posted by Marylynne Diggs on August 25, 2013 at 1:14 PM

This is just fantastic, Scott. I'm so envious that you are in Iceland. can't wait to see all your shots from there.

What I like most about this is the scale and the the red jacket. There is almost a selective color effect, but the green in the fg clarifies it's just the magnitude of rock and water that makes it seem so.

Registered on December 14, 2010, 122 Posts, 1034 Comments

Comment posted by Jenaya Launstein on August 25, 2013 at 4:37 PM

Wow, this is awesome! I like how the scene is mostly monochrome except for the photographer. Congrats on the weekly pick!

Registered on February 8, 2011, 254 Posts, 1302 Comments

Comment posted by Kent Staubus on September 6, 2013 at 10:10 AM

I knew immediately this was Dettifoss. That's the exact spot I was standing when my 77mm Marumi polarizer dropped out of my hand and rolled over the edge. I resisted the urge to lunge for it as it went over............

Dettifoss is the largest waterfall in Europe.

Kent in SD

Registered on November 11, 2003, 121 Posts, 2098 Comments