Inner Flame

Excellent composition,nice colors.
István

Tony, I especially like the uniqueness to this composition. Obviously, all the technical elements with the capture and post processing are really outstanding throughout as well.

Excellent, Tony! I really enjoy this image, but I love the commentary behind it even more. It really gets me thinking what is IT? I hope I don't find the exact answer any time soon... I like the mystery behind it all.

The almost 3Dd effect here is stunning, Tony.
Sandy r

Our interest in capturing the moment and to translate our emotions in one frame. Simply, it is like an internal dialog where we dump out what is in our hearts Happiness، sadness...etc

Light talks from each pixel
The color tone is excellent

All the best Tony,

Abdullaziz

The image is amazing Tony, and you raise some great questions. There is something transformative about learning to see, both photographically and in gaining insight. What a great pursuit!

My "flame" is fed by the excitement about what nature will come up with whenever I'm out there. No matter if I know the place and I wonder about the conditions or if it's a new place and I can't wait to peek around the next corner or hill.
Nice shot, Tony. Here your skillful way of processing really enhances the image with its tones and details. Keep your flame burning my friend.

Tony,
my inner flame......every time you're out there even if your a hundred or thousand times at the same place, it's different. you never know what nature comes up with. And as good as your techical equipment is, it's always you, the person,the photgrapher who take the picture. So it's always something between you and the place and the moment.
A very well processed shot, nice natural looking colors, the light is awesome and the image has indeed almost a three dimensional appealing. Great work.

The thing that stands out to me with this image is the incredible optical illusion. I really like how the "flame" part seems to stick out, rather than recede into the background. It looks downright 3D on my monitor.

Amen to that, Tony!

What a gorgeous vision of the slot canyon. It certainly does capture the feeling of the fire within, literally and metaphorically. Absolutely LOVE the color tones you achieved in the image. Just superb. Thanks for sharing both the image and your thoughts. Both certainly do resonate with me.

This is just perfect, Tony--about as crisp and clear as a jpeg can get, and the colors are just sweet and natural. Great photo. My inner flame comes from all the jalapenos i ingested earlier.

What really grabs me is the detail throughout, then the color and composition, you have a way of putting the viewer into the scene, and I cant imagine it looking any different than you presented it, perfectly. Beautiful work Tony .My Inner flame, thats easy, mountain stream or forest on a peaceful, warm morning listening to nature, it just gives me such a feeling of inner peace.
John

Amazing light as always Tony, 3D, the sense of depth is superb.
I think that "nature", its unpredictable light and it endless possiblilities of capturing something different every time you go out shotting is what keeps my inner flame going. And i think you know it very well because you have developed a style, a niche, the sandstones, and every image has something different to offer despite the similarities. Without nature i wouldn´t be taking photos at this time.

Beautiful, the light, texture, color, all great. Does have a 3D look, feels like I'm there..so thanks for the little trip Tony. Inner flame, pretty much my feelings have been said by the rest of the nature photographers here. Being on a location is always different, or the trip getting there. I like to take it all in. It is a wonderful feeling when we become in tune with our surroundings. After we do that we try and make a picture of those feelings. At least that is what keeps me wanting to do this. It is hard to get enough of it.

Nothing stokes my inner flame like the expectation and planning of an extended photo safari. Anything more than one day dedicated to experiencing and trying to capture the wonder in nature gets me fired up more than anything else in my life. And even with all the planning, it is often the unexpected side road or event that stays with me long after the trip. I also agree that I am not the same photographer I was 10 years ago in knowledge or purpose. Great commentary, Tony. And of course the photo is another perfect "Kuyper". And of course you know what it means to have your work identified apart from others simply by stating your last name.

First, can I thank you for making a few of your .PSD files available for study. I find it absolutely fascinating to see how other people think creatively. What was particularly impressive was stepping through your layers and seeing how subtle each individual change is - yet they all add up to a remarkable final result.

Anyway, on to this picture. I love how the 'glow' is in the shape of a candle flame and how the fluid forms of the rock wrap around and envelop it. A beautiful and thought-provoking image, Tony.

Hi Tony: First.... Very nice image. I see a lot of images from the slot canyons, many are nice, but few really are great. This one is very nice. I love the flow of the line and light. Your PS work is superb.

What trips my inner flame? The adventure is the first part. I love to be out. Sometimes I get to come home with great images, and sometimes I come home with nothing, but being out there not knowing what might be around the corner makes it all worth while. When I can't be out there, I love teaching and helping others become better at what they do in the world of photography and post processing.

Regards... Keith

Tony
To me, this is not a photograph. It is a masterpiece in sculpture!
My inner flame: The insatiable desire to learn, to open my eyes and mind to see beauty and share the joy with others.
On a scientific basis: We are all addicts to the joys and the disappointments, to the highs and the lows, to the challenges and the conquests. The learning and addiction will last slightly more than a lifetime. But, boy, what a way to go!!!
Kumar

I love the light, textures, and color Tony. A beautiful image as well as thought provoking, beautiful words.

What sparks my inner flame? Anticipation of seeing beauty unfold in nature from a foreboding stormy sky to a spectacular colorful sunset, from tiny water droplets on the end of a twig to giant frozen waterfalls, almost anything natural in the world around us. I also know, we as photographers see things very differently than most people, things people miss. I enjoy sharing my vision with family and friends and hope it is inspires them to go see for themselves all the beauty around us.

Tony,

Beautiful photo that touches the soul, and excellent comments on your feelings!
Thanks for sharing

Great photo, Tony. The light and textures on display here are fantastic. The lighting conditions seem to be slightly different than what I am used to seeing in slot canyon images which gives this photo a distinctive quality.

Interesting question that you pose here, Tony. I am an amateur photographer--in my day job I work as an accountant. In some ways, my interest in photography came at an early age. But ultimately a casual interest was fanned into flame when I saw David Muench's coffee table books on Colorado and the Rockies. Growing up I had family in Colorado and I have always had an interest in the Colorado / Rocky Mountain landscape. Although I live in the Texas Panhandle I hope to visit the Rockies as much as possible. However, I am also trying to learn how to capture the local landscape in photos. This can be challenging but I keep trying.

Photography is also a creative release from the world of debits and credits. Although the surrounding local landscape where I live is not as majestic as the Rockies or even the deserts of the Southwest it is refreshing to get out and enjoy the stillness in creation. It is a nice relief from the stresses and pressures of the daily grind.

However, for me there is an "Inner Flame" that runs deeper than all of that. As a Christian, I see God's glory on display in the beauty and majesty and wisdom of the creation that he has made whether in a landscape or wildlife or flora. Even in the macro-world there is an order to creation and everything has its created purpose within the greater ecosystem. For me seeing the beauty in creation is a way of being still and knowing that He is God.

the sharpness of this image is very impressive, tony. nobody does these gender like you. not much more to be said that hasen´t already been mentioned. light and textures are fabulous. my inner flame, hum, well I think it might be the pursuit for peace in my soul wich sometimes/nowdays is already quite a battle. beautiful piece of work tony.

Beauty and creativity always accompany your artwork indeed

i cant stopping claps

all the best bro

Hamed

Truly, this is a very tidy composition. I notice, upon inspection, that I'm kept in the frame by the careful way the foreground "path" is closed, as I suppose I should be because I enter the photograph at the flame and that IS the subject.

Nature photographers really love their subjects. That is what I love about nature photography. I try to show what is beautiful and amazing about my subjects, and I reckon you do too.

Pete D.

Very nice shot and commentary here Tony.

It is spiritual for me and you are right, how can you put it into words?

As I put in my bio: it is not nearly as much about getting a photograph as it is about experiencing then sharing the awesome beauty of creation in a way that hopefully helps people see a "bigger picture." It is amazing that we can go see and experience these, sometimes mind blowing, things! Then, what a PRIVILIDGE that we can actually capture (in some sense) them and bring them back so that others can peer into the window too! I call these things "hints of glory." Hints of something magnificent, that is so much bigger than our often puny little worlds.

Tony, nice looking image.
I'm not sure I agree full discloser of all the processing. It's very noble of you.
Sometimes I think it shows that we go through too many hoops (perceived) to get the results we need/want.

You've always been quite forthright with your bag tricks.

Wonderful light and tonalities in this image. Superb as always

What keeps my photography going? I've never really thought about it... The immense enjoyment that simply being in the field brings me certain plays an important role. Hmmm, I'll have to think some more on this. A very worthy question you've posed

This is amazing Tony. I catch myself staring at it for so long which actually turns it into a two-dimensional abstract. This is one of the absolute best images I have seen from here.

Josh

Tony, this a marvelous image, and the processing looks perfect. Very interesting questions you bring up. I know that I'm not the same photographer I was ten years ago, thanks to you and other wonderful people on this site. Thanks loads for sharing this image and your thoughts!

I don't usually get too philosophical about it, but for me, photography has definitely strengthened my connection with nature. ...but that connection is also what drives me photographically - especially the desire to draw the viewer into the scene to experience part of the connection that I felt being there. The better I get as a photographer, the more I "see", and the stronger that connection gets...and the easier it is for the viewer to 'connect' also.

The image is flawless, Tony. The glow is beautiful and toning is exceptional.

Beautiful photograph and you wrote a beautiful story with it, Tony. Photography really draws us in, just like the "inner flame" in your image here. It's so very cool. You want to keep going, hoping to find something new and exciting on the way, you never want to stop. It's so motivating. For me it's all about the adventure I experience with it. It's a one big package that cannot be separated and I hope it will never end.
Thank you for writing this and for sharing this gorgeous image. It is very special.

Wow, inspiring Tony! Your images always seem other-worldly to me. Living in the rain forest as I do, these types of shots always blow me away, and you've mastered them. Thanks for sharing.

Perfect timing and title for this shot, the light is gorgeous. For me it's all about nature, the challenge of capturing it is fun but the experience of just seeing what nature has to offer will never get old for me.

Beautiful composition and presentation, Tony. I said it before - your connection with these sandstone worlds is very evident and beautifully expressed in your work.

Guy

An elegant and exquisite presentation, Tony! Fine art at its best here! Thanks for providing the .psd file. I've learnt a few new things from it when it comes to subtle processing.
Hmmm...my inner flame. It's about the peace I find when being out there. Combine this with one of the few things I like doing and it just clicks.

Always love going through your psd files when provided. This is wonderful Tony!

I'm not sure what drives me, always been attracted to nature, painting it first. I love sharing my views to others but have also become more content to just sit and watch a good sunset if the camera is not with me.

Simply beautiful, your ability to capture these canyons is unmatched, imho.

I love the realism in this one Tony. This is EXACTLY what it really looks like to explore the slots. Lots of warm hues without the velvia blues. Glowing walls and intricate sandstone details. This is my favorite image from your last few posts. Just awesome all around!

Beautiful Tony, excellent composition that includes both wonderful shapes, and some sense of place and depth. Colors look nice and natural too

Personally, I just love exploring, and trying new things... all about the creativity

Another TK shot, awesome as usual, amazing light, and wonderful processing. Inner flame, a drive to see the beauty we walk upon, especially the SW. I have a connection with that area, that as of now I cannot quite express why. It could be the light, the history, the amazing formations and textures, the spirituality of land, or all combined that drives me to want to see more. It is ever changing, through wind and water, much like we are getting weathered as our years past. I have a constant want to go out there all the time, and when I am there, I find myself at total peace, whole, and centered. I see things differently out there, maybe because of the scenery I see daily, is completely different from other parts of the world, or maybe it is because I have a connection there, unlike any other place. In the SW, I dont have to shoot all the time, I can sit, listen, watch, and enjoy silence, and sounds around me. I can hike for hours, not say a word, and feel utterly calm, connected. So, maybe my inner flame is a place of peace, of connection, or a state of calmness I always drive to have each day.

Great tone and sense of 3d.

Ian

Hi Tony,

Almost missed this one - I am glad I checked out the 2nd page. As Michael A. has pointed out, this one is different from the typical slot canyon pictures, in the sense that it presents a view that is more akin to what one would expect to see with their naked eyes. The composition is flawless! I really love how the various shapes in the sandstone have been showcased here. The flame at the end is the centerpiece and offers a hint of what might lie beyond. Absolutely delightful.

I'll discuss the "inner flame" with you in a private email.

Regards.

Anther Tony K. masterpiece. I enjoy the ideas you wrote about as much as the image itself. For me, my inner fire is cyclical; when inspiration grabs me I follow where it leads and try to harness as much of it as I can. I try not to force it too much. This has always been how I operate and it always leads me to interesting places, nature never ceases to amaze and inspire me. I love to look back on different stages of my photography to see how I was looking at things.

This is another of my favorites of yours, Tony. The literal candle flame shape taken on by the glowing surface is fantastic.