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Notice: Undefined index: LatestPoster in /var/www/vhosts/fredmiranda.com/httpdocs/forum/functions_2021_i.php on line 1852 Landscape Photographer - Photography - FM Forums
Congratulations to Mark Metternich for winning Feature Thread of the Week with 4 votes - View Previous Winners
Here is the release of my second image of what now has been clearly recorded by a number of photographers as one of the greatest light shows over Crater Lake (Oregon) maybe in history. In some ways luck had me there, but the honest truth is that as a full time professional landscape photographer I spend far too much time studying the weather and I chased thunder cells to Crater Lake 4 days in a row to arrive at the timing here. I kept studying the overall weather in Oregon and each early afternoon I saw that Crater Lake specifically seemed to be the best bet for my investment of time and money to get dramatic light.
This image was taken approximately 10 minutes before the image ”Spell Bound.” Before the ridiculous pink show hit. It was shot with the Sony A7R and Rokinon 14mm in continuous mode, which recorded just a few of the dozens of lightning strikes that evening. As the A7R was doing its job I was also shooting with my backup Canon 5D2 for various other compositions. All in all, about 3000 images were taken but only a few have enough variety for me to feel them worth posting.
A HUGE thanks goes out to Ryan Dyar for initial feedback on post production. Also, a slew of other incredible photographer friends also gave me feedback on it (to which I implemented) before the release. Special thanks go out to: Alex Noriega, Ted Gore, Scott Smorra, Erin Babnik, Andreas Resch, Jeff Lewis, Majeed Badizadegan and Stefan Hefele.
Great light to everyone and thank you for looking!
Feel free to Facebook me for some exciting new announcements and other cool stuff.
Awesome shot Mark. I especially like the natural balance with sunlit areas and the shadow of the foreground. You've brought up detail without letting things go super unnatural in the shadows like is so tantalizingly easy to do these days.
Am I mistaken in thinking you are standing on basically the highest point of the rim during what the park called a "severe thunderstorm"? Judging by the amount of lightning you (and others) seem to have captured from what was clearly a magical evening, I am just wondering if your hair started standing on end, hehe. I'm betting the thunder came in less than 30 seconds from that strike, and the literature for my lightning trigger says anything under 30 seconds between flash and thunder and you are in the danger zone
Great image. Cheers.
P.S. I was there a few weeks ago and the park had closed early for the season, rendering most of the park inaccessible without a good hike in cold, wet conditions. You were clearly there at the right time. I got no good shots while I was there.
A super cool looking rainbow you have here. It sounds like a magical evening. I am not sold on the composition though, I see the forethought to frame Wizards Island in the gap there, but it feels unbalanced to me. Did you get an shots where you are positioned more to the right? Perhaps even having the gap centered? It's a cool looking shot, but it's leaving me wanting in the foreground dept.
Jim
Nov 10, 2014 at 12:50 AM
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Hi Mark. Beautiful image! A subtle touch that I like about this one compared to "spellbound" is the shadow of the peak found right in the center of the frame at the horizon. Weird to like that when surrounded by so much epicness, but it's a really cool little touch. The colors of the rainbow in this brighter image also come through a little stronger too. Very nice.
Dude you are just killing it this year! That is maybe the most incredible shot I have ever seen in my life! Career defining and I am sure you will win a bunch of awards for it. Yeah, it probably would have been nice to have a huge patch of Indian Paintbrush to put in that foreground (or even a unicorn flying by spreading fairy dust) but that is just amazingly nit-picky. Even with a somewhat empty foreground this is one of the greatest images ever posted on Fred Miranda!
BTW is it true that you and Ryan Dyar are co leading a winter workshop in Oregon this year? If so, dang dude, count me in! I cant think of a better couple of guys to learn from! Also, if you are down this way again look me up.
This is just an awesome image and your story of how critical the timing is shows the great effort put in. I believe in luck but also believe that one needs to make ones luck and you did very good here!
A huge thank you to everyone! Once I get back from my constant travels I will address some of the questions here. Sorry for the delay. I practically live on the road these days.
nicknick23 wrote:
BTW is it true that you and Ryan Dyar are co leading a winter workshop in Oregon this year? If so, dang dude, count me in! I cant think of a better couple of guys to learn from!
Cheers.
Oh yes!!! This is half booked up already and is going to be awesome. 3 days in the Winter Wonderland that is Mt Hood, and then 1 day of intensive Post Production instruction by Ryan and myself. Just look either of us up for the details...
