Photo of the Month 05/08

Gallery: LandscapePosted April 6, 20083,921 views46 comments

Striation

This image was inspired by many of the great intimate images I’ve seen on NPN lately… particularly Anil Rao’s latest image “Earth Movements”. I got to thinking I always see interesting rock formations, but I never stop to try and capture them in intimate detail. Well the sky was pleasantly overcast the other day, so with a little added inspiration I headed down to the beach and had a go at it. I must say, I really enjoyed my time searching for interesting subjects and finessing the camera about in search for interesting compositions. You folks who do these types of shots really make it look easy.

As always, any comments, suggestions or critiques are always welcomed.

Cheers!

~Eric

Sony R1 @ 60mm
(f/8 @ 1/8 sec)
160 ISO
Polarizer
Tony Kuyper’s luminosity masks
Marc Adamus’ sharpening technique

Comments

46 comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on April 6, 2008 at 3:16 AM

Beautifully constructed. This should work even better as a large print to do the details justice. I might consider a light vignette to guide the eyes towards the centre better as the area of interest is the darkest part of the scene.

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on April 6, 2008 at 3:34 AM

Wonderful detail and many areas of interest here. Great composition to include them.
I'm wondering if a bit more sturation or shadow/hiighlight might make it POP more.
Excellent!
Sandy r

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

Comment posted by Giovanni Russello on April 6, 2008 at 3:53 AM

Eric,
this is a very intersting rock formation. The amount of details is overwhelming (in a positive way).
I find the left side a bit more luminous than the rest, but all these leading lines to the centre of the picture make it easy to find the main focus of the image. I think also that Kah's suggestion of vignetting is to try.

gio

Registered on January 21, 2007, 95 Posts, 1617 Comments

Comment posted by Paolo De Faveri on April 6, 2008 at 7:00 AM

Wow, this looks like an aerial view of a beautiful canyon. There's also a lake, and a redbud!

I agree with Kah Kit, a slight vignetting could help in conveying the eye towards the center of the canyon... hey, keep looking for this kind of intimate images, right?

Paolo

Registered on August 29, 2007, 318 Posts, 1651 Comments

Comment posted by scott lanz on April 6, 2008 at 7:31 AM

Eric, this is excellent. I love it.

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

Comment posted by Marc Adamus on April 6, 2008 at 8:05 AM

I thought the same thing as Paolo at first - an aerial view! This is just unbelievable! Fantastic image, Eric. One of the most thought provoking and interesting rock images I have ever seen, easily.

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

Comment posted by Tristan Campbell on April 6, 2008 at 8:07 AM

Superb Eric! The composition is spot on and the colours and details are just fantastic. Love it. Tristan

Registered on June 23, 2006, 113 Posts, 719 Comments

Comment posted by Bret Edge on April 6, 2008 at 8:16 AM

If this is any indication I think you should stop to photograph more intimate rock scenes. This one makes me dizzy, in a good way. Wonderful colors and lines swirling about. Excellent work, Eric!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 711 Posts, 6363 Comments

Comment posted by Larry F. Lowell on April 6, 2008 at 8:19 AM

Eric, when I first opened this I thought it was an aerial view of of canyon out west!! It looked like a convergence of two dry stream beds! Beautiful image, beautifully composed. Cross diagonal movement with shapes and colors entertwined throughout the image!! Thanks for sharing. Larry

Registered on March 28, 2008, 24 Posts, 258 Comments

Comment posted by Alex Mody on April 6, 2008 at 9:00 AM

I love the way you captured this scene. I agree with the above posts.. I'd add a very slight vignette effect to the image so the eyes are drawn to the center of the image. I also really love how there is a faint touch of purple and orange almost directly in the center of the photograph.

Registered on December 25, 2007, 163 Posts, 1896 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Bernabe on April 6, 2008 at 9:44 AM

Wow, so much to take it. Really interesting patterns and shapes and the vortex it creates really sucks you right in. Great job!

Registered on November 24, 2004, 180 Posts, 1545 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Moore on April 6, 2008 at 10:20 AM

At first glance I too thought this was an aerial view, and for me that makes it even more amazing that it's a close up detail!. Wonderful patterns, colours and textures. Very nice work.

Registered on May 23, 2006, 93 Posts, 2228 Comments

Comment posted by Guy Tal on April 6, 2008 at 10:26 AM

This is simply superb, Eric! Such great composition and so much visual complexity and interest. I love it.

Guy

Registered on November 1, 2003, 566 Posts, 15507 Comments

Comment posted by Chris White on April 6, 2008 at 10:30 AM

Great 'microcosm' shot; a real melange of texture and hue. Many of the wonderful rock details I've seen here have an austere, minimalistic feel, which can be powerful. You seem to be practicing maximalism here! I love it.

Registered on February 27, 2007, 61 Posts, 945 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on April 6, 2008 at 1:08 PM

I like this a lot. Wonderful abstract. Great colors and composition. Very well seen and executed. Great work.

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

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on April 6, 2008 at 1:57 PM

Eric, this is as good as it gets for this type of scene IMO. Your technical skill applied to this scene makes for an amazing perspective out of a somewhat ordinary beach site. Very nice.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Anil Rao on April 6, 2008 at 2:10 PM

Fantastic work, Eric. The swirly patterns created by light and dark regions of the peripheral rocks work really well to frame the smaller stones in the center of the frame.

I love it!!!

Registered on November 15, 2003, 234 Posts, 4923 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Lundh on April 6, 2008 at 3:15 PM

What a gnarly find here Eric! I find it very interesting.

Registered on April 28, 2004, 774 Posts, 4351 Comments

Comment posted by John&Patty Benway on April 6, 2008 at 4:28 PM

Really amazing shot Eric, Love everything about it.
John

Registered on May 12, 2006, 626 Posts, 8700 Comments

Comment posted by Douglas Kunicki on April 6, 2008 at 5:04 PM

wow amazing color and detaik

Registered on May 25, 2007, 62 Posts, 324 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on April 6, 2008 at 8:15 PM

Eric,

This is outstanding - corner to corner, top to bottom.... If it weren't for the pool of water, I would have no idea which end was up and I can certainly understand the aerial view comments. The overcast, diffused lighting really works well here to let the wide range of colors show well. Wow, I could study and stare at this for a while.... Congrats for seeking out the intimate and for crafting this beauty.

Lon

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

Comment posted by Kerry Leibowitz on April 6, 2008 at 10:15 PM

If it's possible for an image like this to be spectacular--and I think it is--that's the word I'd use to describe this image. You've really made the entire frame--every square millimeter--work to your advantage. It's a phenomenal combination of textures, colors, shapes, lines...the whole package. Great work, Eric.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 167 Posts, 5800 Comments

Comment posted by fernando brito on April 7, 2008 at 6:23 PM

Hi
I really enjoy this photo, very well crafted.Lots of detail here, a like the composition too.

Fernando Brito

Registered on December 21, 2003, 124 Posts, 486 Comments

Comment posted by Younes Bounhar on April 7, 2008 at 9:40 PM

This is really sweet! I love the patterns and curves. Well spotted. Congrats on the EP too.

Registered on November 25, 2007, 81 Posts, 1234 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on April 7, 2008 at 11:10 PM

Congratulations Eric on the EP selection with this very fine image.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on April 8, 2008 at 1:19 AM

Congrats on the EP !

Sandy r

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

Comment posted by Eric Good on April 8, 2008 at 2:36 AM

As always thank you all for the much needed feedback. It's always appreciated.

As for the vignette recommendation, I'll have to have a look at that. The funny thing is I purposely lessened the vignette effect here that I usually apply to my images, so you folks may be on to something. I just had a print made up today for a charity auction, I'll have to see how it looks before I make any changes.

By the way, thanks to you folks for mentioning the EP pick, I didn't even realize this. I'm truly honored and a bit stunned to have this image be an editor's pick. I guess I have no choice in the matter now, but to try my luck with these types of images more often.

Cheers!

~Eric

Registered on March 17, 2007, 116 Posts, 4764 Comments

Comment posted by Winnie Ho on April 8, 2008 at 6:33 AM

Fantastic work, Eric. Those swirls make me think of the years of waves and wind sculpting it. I can only imagine that the print looks even better. Congratulations on your fine work! Best regards.

Registered on January 6, 2008, 93 Posts, 1788 Comments

Comment posted by Gabi Lach on April 8, 2008 at 10:12 AM

Beautiful photo, Eric. Congratulations on EP. Well deserved.

Registered on May 1, 2007, 101 Posts, 3187 Comments

Comment posted by Kent Johnson on April 8, 2008 at 11:26 AM

Congratulations Eric on the EP selection. Looking forward to seeing more of your "luck" shots. Kent

Registered on May 17, 2007, 3 Posts, 25 Comments

Comment posted by beth summer on April 8, 2008 at 2:38 PM

This is wonderful. Congrats on the EP...a well chosen pcik. I love the textures and details. This should look beautiful printed up large!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 437 Posts, 5220 Comments

Comment posted by Edward Nunez on April 8, 2008 at 5:49 PM

Congrats. This is really an excellent image. The lines, textures, and colors really make for a great abstract with so many interpretations!

Registered on April 19, 2007, 65 Posts, 711 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on April 8, 2008 at 9:58 PM

wow, this makes me regret not having as much time to get around to ESS regularly. This is so fine. Looks to me like you should do lots more of this! You're an expert already with your first such photo (really?) and an EP for it! Many kudos, Eric.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Greg Cope on April 9, 2008 at 10:25 AM

Eric, this is fantastic! Very mesmerizing, and the amount of thought I just put into this trying to soak it all up...I love it!

Registered on January 22, 2007, 212 Posts, 2737 Comments

Comment posted by Arnab Banerjee on April 9, 2008 at 11:24 AM

Eric..congrats on EP.

I like it as-it-is. I dont like the artificial vignetting that many seem to prefer - though that helps to focus viewers eye to the center. But this one has a lot to look at from corner to corner - so why vignet? Wonderful work - if you do this in your first attempt, not sure where you will go in the future - many of us will be out of business soon

Registered on January 3, 2007, 313 Posts, 2270 Comments

Comment posted by Marc Dilley on April 9, 2008 at 2:19 PM

Congratulations on the well deserved EP honors, Eric. With the swirling, muted browns, reds, blues and whites, and the bright green algae, I find your image absolutely fascinating. Well seen and composed.

Registered on November 21, 2007, 57 Posts, 1494 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Fach on April 9, 2008 at 5:58 PM

Eric: This is an exceptionally well seen and composed image. The myriad details are a pure delight. Congrats on a well deserved EP. >=))>

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1805 Posts, 26981 Comments

Comment posted by Brad Kargus on April 10, 2008 at 1:50 AM

Hi Eric,

Wow, Google Earth is really adding some excellent detail to their imagery!

Yep, I'm in the group that thought of an aerial view when I first saw this.

There is a lot of detail, texture and colour going on here and it could easily have become too busy but the graceful "flow" of the "rivers" through the image create a beautiful pattern and pull everything together exceptionally well.

Congrats on the EP!

Registered on January 19, 2007, 47 Posts, 1051 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on April 15, 2008 at 12:47 AM

Great to see this as the ESS Pick this week!!

It's truly a wonderful image.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Christine Adams on April 15, 2008 at 9:17 AM

Hi Eric!! Congrats on your EP!! For first attempt, you sure pulled out a WINNER!! I like everything about this and I also agree with Amab about not needing to do anything with this. It has and keeps visual interest all through out the whole image!! Looking forward to seeing MORE!!!

Registered on January 24, 2006, 119 Posts, 1871 Comments

Comment posted by Avi Hirschfield on April 15, 2008 at 9:53 AM

Speechless

Registered on November 1, 2003, 518 Posts, 2114 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Anderson on May 3, 2008 at 8:17 PM

Eric,

Congratulations on the cover photo and photo of the month honor! Very well deserved!

Cheers.

-Mike

Registered on January 31, 2006, 228 Posts, 3072 Comments

Comment posted by Brian J. Porter on May 3, 2008 at 10:35 PM

I just saw this for the first time today -- it is an amazing shot. Congratulations.