Stone Free

Gallery: LandscapePosted February 13, 2011607 views44 comments

...to do what i please, to ride the breeze...
baby i can't stay, I got to got to got to get away!

Lyrics aside, this is "Stone Free", a frozen waterfall near Rifle, Colorado that is very popular with ice climbers. Ive been ice climbing a couple times--its a fun thing, but you would have to pay me big time to get me up on a vertical column of ice like this, especially when there are huge chunks of former icicles lying all around the base of the falls...
Anyways, ive been hunting for unique subjects to shoot at night, and this is my first offering. This is one exposure, light provided by the first quarter moon which is off to the right here, so the light on the wall and falls is actually reflected from the opposite snow covered cliffs.
It was a bit of an exercize waiting in the subzero weather waiting for it to get dark; fortunately theres a little cave under the falls
that shelters you from the wind!
5Dmkii; 24mm 20s at f/2 ISO 1600; C&C Welcome!

Comments

44 comments

Comment posted by Tom Haxby on February 13, 2011 at 11:46 AM

I like it, especially the starry sky and the way the moonlight plays on the waterfall. You've maybe just given me an idea for my trip to the Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan next week. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on July 6, 2006, 126 Posts, 647 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Stough on February 13, 2011 at 12:17 PM

Real nice image Stan, and certainly worth the effort. Fine composition and lighting, especially that turquoise ice column. The hillside may be a little too light for a quarter moon and overall sharpening seems a bit crispy but I know how tough that is to avoid when you're downsizing these night shots.
All things considered though this is excellent work.

Registered on November 20, 2010, 26 Posts, 273 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on February 13, 2011 at 12:34 PM

Wow, Stan that is stunning! A very original composition I think! Great job here.

Mark

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

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 13, 2011 at 12:39 PM

Thanks guys! Robert--I think you put your finger on one of the trickier aspects of this kind of shot. On the one hand, i wanted it to look natural, which is why i used natural lighting--i tried some light paintings too and they look hideous. On the other hand, in person i could just barely make out the color/details in the falls (although the opposing cliffs were pretty visible) and maybe only 1/5-1/10 of the stars here were visible to my (lousy) night vision. So, to make it worthwhile i had to go with an exposure that would make the subject more apparent here.

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

Comment posted by Jim Erhardt on February 13, 2011 at 1:28 PM

Stan, I think you struck a good balance for a single exposure and came away with an excellent photo. Nice job!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 245 Posts, 2421 Comments

Comment posted by Laurie Wendt on February 13, 2011 at 2:00 PM

This is very nice, Stan. It is by far my favorite of the bunch you posted on RMNP. Even though I really like the image as is, I think the bright hillside takes away from the frozen waterfall. Really like how you used reflected light to bring out the turquoise color in the waterfall!

Registered on January 23, 2007, 10 Posts, 38 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Wegemann on February 13, 2011 at 2:08 PM

This is wonderful, Stan! I really like the way you planned and composed this. I'm amazed that you shot f2 and got this kind of DOF and sharpness. Well done!

Registered on December 14, 2006, 58 Posts, 1888 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 13, 2011 at 2:40 PM

Im somewhat surprised too, Paul--about f/2. I didnt want to chance it so i took some exposures a bit earlier at f/9 thinking i could blend if need be, but fortunately i was far enough away that f/2 worked fine.

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on February 13, 2011 at 2:46 PM

Really cool looking image, Stan. I love all the stars and the waterfall is awesome. As mentioned, that turquoise color is great. I think you came up with a good balance here too, along with a comp that works well for this. This is nice work!, and interesting to look at.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Dayton on February 13, 2011 at 2:56 PM

Beautiful, Stan! I have never attempted this sort of photography.
Did you experiment with longer shutter speeds to create star
trails, or would that have created over exposed areas? Never
theless, stunning!

Registered on November 11, 2008, 281 Posts, 3958 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 13, 2011 at 3:23 PM

Thanks, Robert--dont really care for star trail shots in general, although ive seen some really creative and appealing stuff with trails. My goal is to capture the moment as i saw it--well, in this case about twice as bright as i saw it

Besides, i would have froze my butt off if i had to sit in that cave all night...

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

Comment posted by Aaron Feinberg on February 13, 2011 at 4:29 PM

Pretty sweet!! f2?? @24...that seems impossible to get sharp throughout... love the look. nothing like big reflectors of snow :)

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

Comment posted by Andreas Resch on February 13, 2011 at 4:34 PM

Well Stan - top compliments on the technical execution here. But honestly I have to say that this is just "too much" for me. Stars in the sky together with a well lit foreground just feels "strange" somehow. I guess you know what I mean by that.

Registered on November 14, 2007, 322 Posts, 6101 Comments

Comment posted by Alex Mody on February 13, 2011 at 4:35 PM

Hey, this looks sweet. I appreciate the effort taken not to have star trails - it looks sweet!

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

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 13, 2011 at 5:03 PM

Andreas--i appreciate the honesty! I know what you mean, im totally critical of a lot of night shots even with the full moon lighting them--most of them look strange or funky as you say. All i can say in my defense is that having seen this in person, this capture (which i admit is about twice as bright as i perceived it) is not so big of a stretch. I was quite frankly surprised at how much light the half-a-moon delivered here, i guess the snow really helped cause it was very visible even in the darkness here. If you think this is strange, hope you can check out my next post, which i shot with the next nights moon--its even closer to how it appeared in person but its even more of a night-day look!

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

Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on February 13, 2011 at 6:06 PM

This looks very surreal and a but HDRish even though I know it isn't. However I don't mind that. I like the surreal painting feel to it.

- Dan.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 473 Posts, 7980 Comments

Comment posted by Chris Chamberlain on February 13, 2011 at 6:21 PM

I'm glad you didn't light paint it! I think it looks pretty natural, and very good. I would say it looks lighter than you'd see in real time, as you mentioned, but it's pretty darn cool if you ask me. The blue translucence in the ice is gorgeous! I think for a shot like this, it should take us beyond reality some.

Chris

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

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on February 13, 2011 at 6:24 PM

When I saw the thumbnail I was thinking "Oh, somebody screwed up and underexposed that one"; then I saw your name and decided to at least open it and check it out. Glad I did! Gorgeous shot and a perfect exposure Stan. Looks like the ice formation is just glowing - beautiful sky too. Well done.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on February 13, 2011 at 7:11 PM

Definitely the pick of the litter here, Stan! Outstanding comp, pinpoint stars, and the color in the ice of the falls with the light shining through is so good it's ridiculous! You even caught a meteor just above the treeline.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on February 13, 2011 at 8:00 PM

Stan,

I think this is awesome and expertly crafted. The contrast in blues of the sky and turquoise of the ice fall is beautiful. Looks like you even caught a shooting star (in the lower sky.)

I don't mind so much the brighter landscape, but if it was 2X as bright to the naked eye, I could see dropping the whites down just some, and not quite 1/2. A minor nit though.

Unique and beautifully seen and captured.

Lon

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

Comment posted by James Fougère on February 13, 2011 at 9:38 PM

Very unique image Stan! Sky color and with pin point stars looks great. Interesting and crafty idea

I am very much looking forward to my trip next month down in the SW, to play with these type of images

Registered on October 25, 2010, 41 Posts, 831 Comments

Comment posted by Kevin Trinkner on February 13, 2011 at 9:42 PM

Very cool Stan, I'm not a big night shot fan because of some of the already mentioned concerns with night shooting, but I think you did a great job of making this presentable to the viewer, without making it "unnatural" with light painting. Excellent work!

Registered on June 30, 2008, 203 Posts, 2641 Comments

Comment posted by Mitchell Fowler on February 13, 2011 at 10:10 PM

Stan this is intense! I've been away from NPN for a while really glad to see you are still knocking 'em outta the park.
No nits here at all.
I like Aaron am wondering how you keep it sharp at f2.0?
Cheers

Registered on January 2, 2009, 62 Posts, 510 Comments

Comment posted by Andrew Morrill on February 13, 2011 at 10:26 PM

This is awesome Stan. The comp really "takes you there". I love the color in the ice and how that color works so well with the sky color. My only suggestion would be to add some definition to the brightest snow sections in the lower left.

Registered on June 10, 2010, 51 Posts, 216 Comments

Comment posted by Pam Colander on February 13, 2011 at 10:27 PM

So is the underside of the rock formation being lit up by the snow too??? It seems the upper part especially shouldn't be as bright as it is. You said you ditched the painting efforts. The hump of frozen water at the base of the falls is dark so I'd expect the rock facing us to be as well. I would've liked this better if the bright BG slope weren't there. Good deal catching the meteor and for just being out there getting shots like this

Registered on December 7, 2006, 210 Posts, 1062 Comments

Comment posted by Yan Zhang on February 14, 2011 at 4:27 AM

This is an awesome shot, very unique. Your effort has been paid back with this nice image.

Registered on April 10, 2010, 28 Posts, 292 Comments

Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on February 14, 2011 at 8:05 AM

I think you did a very good job here exposure-wise and composition wise. Excellent work

Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments

Comment posted by Arnab Banerjee on February 14, 2011 at 10:37 AM

Sweet..hard to believe that it's all natural light. The snow reflects light so well - I thought that you used some kind of artificial light. Great shot

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

Comment posted by Jimmy Gekas on February 14, 2011 at 11:31 AM

Very cooooool! I love the way the ice is glowing from all the bounced moonlight. Great find.

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

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 14, 2011 at 11:36 AM

Thanks folks!

About f/2: i dont carry around a DOF calculator, but i just checked and as luck would have it, 25 feet is the hyperfocal distance for this aperature/lens. Since i focused on the falls, which were about 20+ feet away, both the stars and falls are in perfect focus. In fact, even the twigs up front are in decent focus, even though they fall within the near focus limit of ~12 feet.

Pam, not totally sure what your saying, but maybe this will help explain: what you dont see from this photo is that it is at the top of a steep snow-covered cliff (and lots of fun climbing up even when it was light out

) Theres a river valley to the left here, and im a couple hundred feet above it. So, theres lots of moon-lit snow down and to the left that is lighting up the overhanging cliffs in this shot. the light is coming from the left, so the stuff facing us (like the falls base) isnt getting that light.

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

Comment posted by Carl Battreall on February 14, 2011 at 12:26 PM

All you need is an ice climber on the route and it would be a climbing magazine cover for sure. Nice job.

Registered on August 29, 2007, 24 Posts, 222 Comments

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on February 14, 2011 at 1:25 PM

This is truly unique, Stan. I really like it! The soft glow coming through the column tips the scale on this.

I've done a bit of ice climbing, all alpine stuff. Free standing columns like this one would give me the willies!

"Ice is nice, and will sufffice"

Well done!

--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on February 14, 2011 at 1:46 PM

Amazing image, Stan. The clarity of the stars, the ice and rock is remarkable. Fantastic work. Looks like you even caught a meteor trail low in the sky just to the left of the ice. Extraordinary.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Pam Colander on February 14, 2011 at 2:39 PM

OK, got it

Registered on December 7, 2006, 210 Posts, 1062 Comments

Comment posted by Justin Peterson on February 14, 2011 at 3:23 PM

Really cool shot, Stan. Man, I miss Colorado more than ever.

Registered on January 20, 2008, 33 Posts, 298 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on February 14, 2011 at 4:00 PM

I like the back lit column of ice and pin point stars Stan. Stunning landscape and unique pov. I like that you made the best out of the natural lighting.

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

Comment posted by Rick Goldwasser on February 14, 2011 at 6:22 PM

I really like this one Stan, nice comp and the blue ice is spectacular. Two minor nits - I'd like a little less blue in the sky and I might consider a small crop on the bottom to get rid of the sticks. I agree that these night shots show more than my eyes can see, but they make for some truly amazing and original artisitc impressions of the landscape.

Registered on May 10, 2009, 127 Posts, 970 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Lundh on February 14, 2011 at 6:33 PM

Very unique and awesome image, Stan!

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

Comment posted by Mat Malone on February 15, 2011 at 12:06 AM

Stan, very unique and beautiful shot. I can't say I've ever seen an ice column like that before. I think darkening the opposite hill side would make it look more natural and less like a blend (even though it's a single exposure!)

Registered on December 15, 2008, 91 Posts, 882 Comments

Comment posted by Dietrich Gloger on February 15, 2011 at 12:48 AM

This is really cool Stan! Sounds like a great project you started here. And this is a very good start. I have to admit that I like this one more because of the "effect" and the unique look, not so much for the scene, but that makes 2 vs 1, so this is fine..

And I think I even see a shooting star just above the horizon which is another plus!

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

Comment posted by Lorna Taylor on February 15, 2011 at 8:09 PM

Stunning work Stan, such a fantastic shot!

Registered on November 12, 2010, 254 Posts, 3083 Comments

Comment posted by Anil Rao on February 15, 2011 at 10:50 PM

Outstanding photograph. It compines beauty and mystery while preserving the natural feel.

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

Comment posted by Stan Rose on February 16, 2011 at 11:30 AM

Thanks for all the nice remarks, folks!

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

Comment posted by Roman Kurywczak on February 18, 2011 at 4:52 PM

I like the balance you achieved here Stan! Not always an easy task at night! Very nicely done!

Registered on November 20, 2009, 56 Posts, 748 Comments