Stormy weather in the lowlands

Ha!

Wonderful capture, Cem,

This is unusual light, seldom seen by anyone while they're carrying a camera. Was this scene photographed due to foreknowledge, or did luck play a role? Either way, it's a stunner.

Congrats!

Tom

Wonderful! Those rays of sunlight are pure magic.

Cem,
This image is spectacular!
I think the composition is spot-on, having the magnitude of sky shining upon the small structure.

Cem_Usakligil said:

Thanks for looking,

Cheers,

Click to expand...

Cem,

This must be some sign form the heavens that you are entering a new phase of life blessed from above. This is like the images Prateek shows of Biblical proportions where one's very fate is being decided, as here or here, except, in this picture it's power is in layered billowing clouds, (like the furrowed brows of all the Gods above the Acropolis in Athens, debating the future of the world) and the light shining through as if the Great Flood had just abated and Noah's Arc just rested on the top of Mount Ararat.

So, my dear firend, Cem, what's the story? It's not the ordinary view one sees. Look at the amazing angles of the beams covering this farmstead like scene; biblical and phenomenal.

But is it art? Interestingly, ignoring the clouds, except just the lowest 1 cm, we have an exceptional landscape picture in its own right. I'd love you to post that and also the story of how this occurred and what struggles, if any on how you would process it?

Asher

Art? No matter how you define it, for this image the answer is "Hell, yes!"

Hi Tom,

Tom Robbins said:

Ha!

Wonderful capture, Cem,

This is unusual light, seldom seen by anyone while they're carrying a camera. Was this scene photographed due to foreknowledge, or did luck play a role? Either way, it's a stunner.

Congrats!

Tom

Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words. The light was not the usual one we have here in the low countries, because it was about to storm. There was a very powerful wind blowing and the cloudscape was changing every second. The rays of the sun were there for a few minutes before the holes in the clouds have closed and the whole scenery has become something else. So to answer the question, also asked by Asher below, I was there intentionally to take some landscape pictures also taking the weather into account, but luck certainly has played a role in catching these rays above this farm. I had only a few seconds to set up the tripod and take 3 bracketed exposures. I have taken a couple of other sets after that but the position of the rays have moved within seconds and then disappeared.


Hi Rachel,

Rachel Foster said:

Wonderful! Those rays of sunlight are pure magic.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your kind words, much appreciated!


Hi John,

John Angulat said:

Cem,
This image is spectacular!
I think the composition is spot-on, having the magnitude of sky shining upon the small structure.

Click to expand...

The magnitude of the sky is indeed intentional in this composition. That is why I am hesitant to crop it away as suggested by Asher below. Thanks for your comments.


Hi Asher,

Asher Kelman said:

Cem,

This must be some sign form the heavens that you are entering a new phase of life blessed from above. This is like the images Prateek shows of Biblical proportions where one's very fate is being decided, as here or here, except, in this picture it's power is in layered billowing clouds, (like the furrowed brows of all the Gods above the Acropolis in Athens, debating the future of the world) and the light shining through as if the Great Flood had just abated and Noah's Arc just rested on the top of Mount Ararat.

So, my dear firend, Cem, what's the story? It's not the ordinary view one sees. Look at the amazing angles of the beams covering this farmstead like scene; biblical and phenomenal.

But is it art? Interestingly, ignoring the clouds, except just the lowest 1 cm, we have an exceptional landscape picture in its own right. I'd love you to post that and also the story of how this occurred and what struggles, if any on how you would process it?

Asher

Click to expand...

The story is a longish one. I have written a few times that the difficulty of finding good locations for landscape pictures here it is one of my pet peeves. The problem is that the country is too flat so layering the landscape is next to impossible. Also, finding a high vantage point from which some detail can be captured in the lower half of the picture is a PITA. Most landscapes pictures depend on the weather/sky to add some interest to them. So I have been itching to go out to shoot some landscapes for a long while and today the weather seemed to be suitable. I should add that I had a secondary purpose (which has failed completely). I was planning to use my EOS 3 to shoot B&W film along with my 5DII (the same scenery using the same lenses and a tripod) so that I could do some comparisons later. Unfortunately, my EOS 3 has issued the dreaded BC error and refused to function at all. So I've continued to shoot digital only. I was visiting a nature reservation area some 30 minutes from my home, but I could not get in as it was flooded and very marshy. So I have wandered onto the neighborhood dike to scout for some landscape possibilities. That is when I ran into this scenery. It was about 45 min before the sunset.

As I wrote above, I have set up the tripod very quickly and took 3 bracketed exposures using the EF 100mm 2.8 macro lens on the 5DII. I have then tone mapped the 3 images using the new tone mapping program (SNS-HDR) as introduced by Bart here. The results were so good, I was knocked off my socks so I will be buying that program definitely. After the tone mapping, I took the result into CS4 and played with tonality/contrast and added some local contrast enhancement. After that, downsized for web and output sharpened.

Re. your suggestion for another crop, I can see where you are coming from. However, the cloudscape and the sun rays are the main elements of why I decided to take this picture. So cutting them off is something which I would not consider at this early stage. Perhaps given some time, I might revisit this, I promise.

Cheers,

Amazing image Cem and even more impressive PP with what is turning out to be a very worthy little HDR program.

Cem,

When you tell this story with it's dependencies on looking for one thing but it being blocked by happenstance then we can learn from this that the consequence is an opportunity which might be exploited. Part of the essential quality of an artist and scientist or philosopher is to be open to new experience. Look how well you rode the waves of disappointment and uncertainty to find within all that such a great opportunity, transient yes, but you, being so prepared aced it! Kudos. This was a mini-adventure you had for yourself. Did you take your family with you? I know mine would be complaining but then would be gushing in praise when the final scene appeared.

How did the final scene compare to what you saw in the moments the light broke through the clouds?

I don't know whether or not you knew Bart before OPF, but if not, then it's a feather in the cap of this community that we can share these new ideas and implement them so well.

I'm happy seeing this picture and am really appreciative that there is such sharing of not only the picture, but the compelling story behind it too.

as to my suggestion of a crop, it's not that really, not a "crop" as I see it, as that would imply that the heavy broiling clouds above are not needed. Far from it! That picture is fine by me. It's that within this successful image there's nested another independent image in its own right. This is like a piece of DNA that codes for one protein but read backwards, codes for another independent function too. We don't have to think of one as a version of the other, just occupying the same space.

Asher

Cem_Usakligil said:

I have set up the tripod very quickly and took 3 bracketed exposures using the EF 100mm 2.8 macro lens on the 5DII. I have then tone mapped the 3 images using the new tone mapping program (SNS-HDR) as introduced by Bart here. The results were so good, I was knocked off my socks so I will be buying that program definitely

Click to expand...

HI Cem

Sorry I'm late in here, but I love this shot, what a sky! the sort of sky I yearn for when I'm in Scotland. Fascinating reading about your processing of this shot using the software Bart recommended, certainly produced an excelllent result, Ill keep an eye out for the Mac version. Thank you for sharing your shot and all this information with us.

Hi Cem,

I viewed your image earlier and came back to have a second look. This is a (cough) heavenly image. I applaud your before thoughts of the image capture by placing yourself in the right location to take advantage of the changing weather. Perhaps the local vicar might like a copy of this?

Hi Ivan, Janet and Steve,.

Thanks all for your kind comments, much appreciated .


Cheers,