The Wet Veil

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 3, 2010787 views28 comments

I did a quick trip up to Fisheating Creek, the last pristine, free flowing waterway that feeds into Lake Okeechobee. I went maybe 5 miles upstream the first day and spent 2 hours paddling in our wonderful summer thunderstorms. Despite starting in 91 degree heat, I was quite chilled at the end of it.

This was taken as the rains had subsided and the light started getting good. I try to always base my images off a strong comp as priority, but feel this is sold mainly on the atmosphere. Curious how it works for you all.

Thanks as always for the comments, and the larger is better,
Paul

5d2, 16-35@35
ISO: 400
Aperture: 16
Shutter: 1/13
Exp. Comp.: -0.7

Comments

28 comments

Comment posted by Paul Marcellini on June 3, 2010 at 4:03 PM

Here's a snap of camp, a little sandbar in the middle of the creek..accompanied by frogs, owls and gators galore.

Registered on November 27, 2007, 250 Posts, 2468 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Budde on June 3, 2010 at 4:04 PM

First thing that came to mind was ethereal. It took me awhile to even figure out what I was looking at. Gorgeous all around.

Registered on May 19, 2008, 39 Posts, 246 Comments

Comment posted by Jay Patel on June 3, 2010 at 4:29 PM

Nice...We spend a wet weekend in Olympic. It wasnt quite 91 degrees, but it rained quite a bit....And there were no alligators! :-))

Registered on August 28, 2008, 87 Posts, 566 Comments

Comment posted by Ed Cooley on June 3, 2010 at 5:27 PM

Wonderful Paul! The light and mist make the photo.

Nothing wrong with the comp either (IMHO).

Registered on August 22, 2007, 45 Posts, 547 Comments

Comment posted by Marc Adamus on June 3, 2010 at 6:18 PM

Really busy scene, Paul, and the top and bottom seem separated by the light. Never the less, it captures the atmosphere and complexities of the moist, swampy environment well. I do like it. I'd never be camping there though. 91 degrees would kill me.

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

Comment posted by Bruno Silva on June 3, 2010 at 6:31 PM

very nice, Paul! love the light and colors here a lot. really feel the air/moist of the swamp here, great conditions.

Registered on May 6, 2009, 132 Posts, 1406 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on June 3, 2010 at 6:46 PM

Holy nuts. Dude. Def the atmosphere. Wicked catch. How did you keep the 16-35 dry w/ that rain? I'd assume the fg foliage is sharp as it looks a bit soft but think that's just the way npn rolls.

aF

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

Comment posted by INGOMA on June 3, 2010 at 7:23 PM

Beautiful light Paul, and well worth your efforts. I love the streaky water but I was wondering whether you have a version with a faster shutter speed? Lovely work.

Registered on July 2, 2004, 231 Posts, 3110 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on June 3, 2010 at 8:03 PM

Paul,

I love it, but I don't understand it. What are the streaks? Looks like a downpour of rain, but yet not striking the water? Is it a veil of moss? sorry for being dense... but when you say the rain subsided, it must be something besides rain coming down.

And even for not understanding, I would be inclined to crop a bit of the empty water at the bottom - coming up not quite to the bottom of the lowest green branch.

Oh, and thanks for including the other image. Puts this this all in a nice perspective about where you were and how you got there.

Lon

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

Comment posted by Richard Bernabe on June 3, 2010 at 8:33 PM

This is very sweet, Paul. Not too busy for me and the light is amazing!

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

Comment posted by Paul Marcellini on June 3, 2010 at 8:52 PM

Thanks everyone,

Aaron, Lon, for full disclosure. The rains had pretty much stopped and I had the idea to tap an out of frame branch to simulate rains, so lens was out of the way and that is why the "rain" isn't hitting the water. I ran out of water on my branch after a few takes so not too much variation in shutter speed either. The veil was meant to be the rain, guess I will stick to boring titles again that make sense. =)

Registered on November 27, 2007, 250 Posts, 2468 Comments

Comment posted by Dean Sauskojus on June 3, 2010 at 10:27 PM

Great use of the back lighting Paul. Creates a very interesting image. I think I agree with Lon, I would crop the glare off the bottom. Great job.

Registered on September 29, 2009, 137 Posts, 2659 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on June 3, 2010 at 11:38 PM

Great atmosphere with the 'simulated' rain backlit. The composition is more than adequate. We have salt water crocs in Australia. How dangerous is it to me camping and paddling around waters with gators?

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

Comment posted by Steve Sieren on June 3, 2010 at 11:52 PM

Regardless of how the atmosphere is quite moving Paul. It could pass for the first few seconds of rainfall!

Registered on January 2, 2008, 360 Posts, 5321 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on June 4, 2010 at 12:37 AM

Nice job here Paul!

Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments

Comment posted by Jimmy Gekas on June 4, 2010 at 2:28 AM

Awesome. Love the atmosphere you talk about and the light is sweet. Nice campsite, too

Registered on July 26, 2007, 244 Posts, 2807 Comments

Comment posted by Stuart Williams on June 4, 2010 at 2:37 AM

i like this a lot. there's obviously a bit of separation between the top and the bottom with them not quite melding together. the light and atmosphere in top half are outstanding. perhaps a slight lower perspective might have yielded a more harmonious image (although i understand that it'd have been difficult to control the brighter stuff at the top at that point).

i can't quite make out if the *porcupine* thing in the mid-right is from water drops or a plant !!

Registered on December 7, 2007, 247 Posts, 4792 Comments

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on June 4, 2010 at 5:21 AM

Good full disclosure and even better idea. Killer.

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

Comment posted by Stan Rose on June 4, 2010 at 8:48 AM

I like it, Paul, interesting study in light. Looks like a muggy place to camp.

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Pelton on June 4, 2010 at 9:16 AM

very interesting idea and I think it works wonderfully. Great lighting.

Registered on November 25, 2003, 380 Posts, 4647 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on June 4, 2010 at 10:35 AM

Yeah comp is maybe not as clean and "designed" as most of you images, but the light and the capture of the rain is just great. This is about the moment. A stunning image Paul.

Registered on January 26, 2007, 360 Posts, 9876 Comments

Comment posted by Luis Argerich on June 4, 2010 at 1:33 PM

Terrific shot Paul. I like the sharpness in the image and how the light filters softly. It's a magnificent execution.

Registered on December 22, 2009, 91 Posts, 1349 Comments

Comment posted by Zack Schnepf on June 4, 2010 at 4:27 PM

Interesting image Paul, nice job capturing a tough scene. You wouldn't catch me camping there though, I would be afraid a gator would cozy up to me in the middle of the night.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 403 Posts, 2528 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on June 4, 2010 at 8:39 PM

Very interesting comp Paul. Love the detail in the large version! The upper portion looks like some intense rain.

Registered on January 4, 2009, 1015 Posts, 13229 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Anderson on June 4, 2010 at 8:59 PM

Paul,

I really like the water streaming down into the scene. GREAT idea to shake the branch! The fact the falling water is backlit really makes it work well here. I like the unique vision you had here. This captures the feeling of hiking in a swamp unlike any other image I've seen. Great vision as usual!

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

Comment posted by Alex Mody on June 4, 2010 at 9:54 PM

Ahhh, yes!

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

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on June 6, 2010 at 12:04 AM

I thought it was rain, but it didn't look quite right. The fact that it isn't hitting the water that much had me thinking it was some kind of vegetation at first too. I don't care about composition too much here. It's the effect of the backlit "rain" that makes the shot for me. Nice and creative!

Chris

Registered on March 13, 2007, 500 Posts, 8365 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Gomez on November 10, 2010 at 2:26 PM

That's just crazy! I think you told me about this one , but I hadn't seen it yet.
Did the drops on your lens drive you crazy, or did you have an umbrella this time?

Registered on March 3, 2007, 206 Posts, 1853 Comments