The Devil's Bowl

Gallery: LandscapePosted March 24, 20172,497 views18 comments

Recently back from some travels where I explored Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, 2.5K of glorious coast line. This is the dastardly location which claimed my Nikon gear, an obscure formation known as the Beara Bowl. While I knew there was no real chance of death, I knew that the shot was very risky for my gear, given that the seawater frequently spills over the edge. Something worse happened, a wave went straight over the top of this very large amphitheater, smashing myself and my gear to the rocks behind. Nikon D810 and 14-24mm dead. RSS carbon tripod snapped. Spectacles washed out somewhere in the Atlantic. My elbow and knee are still sore a month later. It was a calculated risk, the lip of the rock prevents one from being washed out to sea. And I have no regrets, you have to put yourself in the thick of things to capture good seascapes. And I've gone back to Canon as it was easier to replace my gear in Ireland with this.

Comments

18 comments

Comment posted by John Neukirch on March 24, 2017 at 7:05 AM

Such an awesome image, the power you captured with the water and clouds is fantastic. For anyone looking to switch camera systems probably not the recommended way to go about it. Glad you survived to shoot another day!
devil

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

Comment posted by Igor Doncov on March 24, 2017 at 7:16 AM

Fabulous image, Kah. It has a powerful whirlpool energy to it. Looks like a scene out of Ryan's Daughter.

Registered on November 22, 2014, 189 Posts, 2733 Comments

Comment posted by Prashant Khapane on March 24, 2017 at 1:33 PM

Awesome image and memory. Not so much for the camera, sorry for the loss. I love this as is however it might have been different from a vantage point to the left. Also clouds have a weird movement to them.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 492 Posts, 4580 Comments

Comment posted by Allen Brooks on March 24, 2017 at 1:46 PM

A powerful, foreboding, very moody image. Well done, but too bad about the gear.

Registered on July 27, 2011, 262 Posts, 2597 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on March 24, 2017 at 3:53 PM

Still a crazy story and HA @john. :P Watch the halo along the sky/land interaction btw. Cool spot :)

Registered on October 26, 2009, 399 Posts, 2789 Comments

Comment posted by Genny K. on March 24, 2017 at 9:23 PM

Wow, what a story about your gear. Man, what a bummer.
The sea LOOKS powerful in this image, and the strong blues add to the feeling of stormy-ness for me. I like it, especially the sense of movement of the waves. Very cool.

Registered on June 5, 2006, 132 Posts, 2001 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on March 25, 2017 at 1:14 PM

Kah Kit,

Even thought the wave action has been smoothed out with the long exposure, the drama and pending danger are quite clear here. The lip on the right where water has spilled over is another clue and important to include. Also, the composition works wonderfully as I feel I'm getting sucked right in....

Great image, bummer about the gear.

Lon

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

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on March 25, 2017 at 3:39 PM

Quite dramatic! This works for me. I am glad you came away with only minor bumps--it could have been much worse. Sorry to hear about your gear.
--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on March 26, 2017 at 7:32 AM

Whoa, so sorry to hear about your scrapes and equipment loss Kah Kit. I hope you had insurance!

Love the image and the action it portrays. I might reduce noise in the ocean and sky somewhat, but still a beautiful image.

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

Comment posted by scott lanz on March 26, 2017 at 8:18 AM

Very dramatic, Kah. The shadows open nicely in the larger view. Sorry about your mishap and lost gear.

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

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on March 26, 2017 at 9:10 AM

Yikes, sorry to hear about your gear, but glad you are still with the living and more or less in one piece. I like the image. A nice dark moody piece. It is a little on the blue side for me, but YMMV.

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

Comment posted by Doug Koepsel on March 26, 2017 at 9:23 AM

The light and composition just draws one into the bowl.

Registered on April 1, 2010, 196 Posts, 1592 Comments

Comment posted by Dave Dillemuth on March 26, 2017 at 4:05 PM

Awesome image with tremendous mood! I agree about the need to put your gear at some risk sometimes to get the shot.

Registered on December 10, 2015, 104 Posts, 1112 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on March 26, 2017 at 8:01 PM

Ouch! That hurts on all accounts. Ominous view in these stormy conditions. It looks like the water can spill over on the right like a waterfall? Glad you were able to re-supply while there.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on March 27, 2017 at 11:01 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I should mention that this amphitheatre is much larger than it looks. I was standing on a rock ledge to shoot over the ledge. While water does spill over like a waterfall, if that happens while you're shooting at the lip you can kiss your gear goodbye.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Bo Chen on March 28, 2017 at 4:42 PM

It's a powerful image. I like the shape of the rock and the light. It's a place that one gazes in awe.

How is the blue light on the sea made? Is it just white balance set to daylight, or is it special tuning?

Thanks,
Bo Chen

Registered on February 14, 2017, 42 Posts, 74 Comments

Comment posted by John Williams on March 29, 2017 at 11:12 PM

Wow, what a tale Kah! So sorry to hear that. I had a wave wash over me at Cape Kiwanda once, also trying to photograph a punchbowl. I lost a lens, but fortunately nothing else. Of course the true disaster here was having to go back to Canon enlightened

So this was taken prior to losing the gear? I love the image, especially in the larger view, but it puts a different spin on it to know what you had to go through!

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

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on March 30, 2017 at 9:18 AM

Just blue hour lighting at the time of the day Bo.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments