M&N - 1st Place Winner

Very creative and nicely executed, makes me feel like I'm there enjoying the view which is unusual for a night time shot like this.

This has to be the most creative capture of the False Kiva that I've ever seen. The moonset works so well here and really complements the lit ruin while evoking the sense of spirits. Lit up the landscape pretty darned nicely, too. I really like the clouds in the sky.
A very minor point would be to perhaps burn down the brightest area of the overhang on the left to more closely match the rest.
Is this a single exposure?
Regardless, this was nearly flawlessly executed and the resuls are simply superb!

I also agree with John. This is one of the most creative shots from False Kiva. Love everything about it.

Like it. Well planed and beautifully executed.

Shane, this is wonderful! Not easy to do, I imagine. I hope you stayed there overnight rather than hiked out in dark. Great to see your work again.

Hi John

Thanks for the suggestion, I will give it a try and see what it looks like. Yes this is a single exposure, it took me about 20 gos to get the lighting right. During each 25 exposure I was running around the kive popping the flash trying to get it illuminated evenly.

Thanks for your complements.

Shane

Hi Jeffrey

Thanks for the comment. No, I didn't stay there overnight, I hiked out and drove to double arch in Arches and got a really cool shot of the milky way directly over double arch. I will post it next. Hope you are doing well.

Shane

Holy incredible. Red gel over sb900? It's odd that w/ the moon behind the rock you were still able to get light on it...from the flash? Crazy good shot

aF

Hi Aaron

Yes, I used a yellow warming gel over the SB 900. Regarding the illuminated cliff? I really thought that was going to be the shot breaker, knowing there would be no way to light it. I think this speaks highly of the technology we are playing with these days. I can't get over how much light the D3s picks up at night with very little moon light. All I can assume is that the sensor was picking up some reflected light off of the cliff from which the Kiva lives. That, and just ambient light from the shutter being open for 25 secs. Can't explain it beyond that, just glad there was detail to extract. The one thing I am watching closely during starlight captures is that the shadows don't plug on the histogram - there was a thin space on the left side of the histogram, so I knew there was detail to bring out.

Thanks for the comment.

Planning and hard work definitely paid off here. The image has so much depth, and I love the balance of warm and cool tones. Fantastic shot.

WOW! That's a stunning shot!

Awesome shot, Shane. Great to read your vision for the shot has been realized. The red light on the rocks is really beautiful against the blue of the night sky. The stronger light in the pit and the overall red glow gives the impression of a firelight, which triggers images of some sort of native ceremony in my imagination. The beautiful stars and moonlight really play on this imaginary scene as well. Love it.

Shane, I like the shadow placement reaching into the left corner of the frame. The image has a lot of depth going for it. Maybe try adding more warmth inside the speedlight light outside of the Kiva to match it temperature wise. The moon seems a little too cold for it being so close to the horizon. Maybe you're going for the warm cool opposites there but it's seems that warming the moon's orb would help, nice work.

Amazing nightscape! You've done a great job capturing it! Persistence always leads to great results!

Very unique image, I like it very much! Thanks for sharing the details, you did really a great effort!

This is just fantastic. My eyes almost popped out of my head as much as there is to look at.

Superb.

Great vision and execution, Shane! One of the best images of this kind.

Shane,
This is really a treat. I like your vision on this one and how you have developed this. The placement of the moon on the ridgepoint is nice.
On the horizon sky in the darker shadowed sky below the cloud to the left of the distant buttes, there seems to be some lens flare? or a brighter patch in the sky's shadow.
I like how the darker part in the ulc accentuates the curve of the cave opening. Wonder if a slight burn in the extreme urc would do the same.

Doug

This is a very creativ capture. The sky looks a bit too cold for me and the temperature wise it doesn't fit perfectly to the foreground. But this is a great shot as is. Well done

A surreal and beautiful night-scape Shane.

Hi Steve

I like your suggestion to balance out the color temps within the chamber, it would seem more natural perhaps. I will play with warming the moon orb as well. Thanks for your suggestions, I appreciate it.

Shane

Hi Doug

Thanks for your comments. You are right about the bit of lens flare. It was bothering me but I wanted to see if anyone else had an issue with it. Now I guess I have to change it. It would definitely become more of an issue in a larger print for sure. I will also explore adding a bit of a vignette in the URC.

Thanks for your comments.

Hi David

Thanks for the comments. I was hoping someone would share their interpretation and imaginings of the scene. What this invoked for you, was exactly what inspired me to create it, and exactly what I hoped viewers would imagine. The creative cycle completes itself with this sort of confirmation - that's awesome! I was really trying to give a sense of ceremony to this scene, and that there was an actual fire in the kiva, and perhaps fire torches hanging from the walls.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I have seen many pictures from this spot. This is one of the best.

Very impressive work and shot! I love the kiva light, the moonlight cresting the mesa, and that cloud seemingly flowing out of the moon. I can imagine being here and feeling the warmth of a fire. Beautiful!

A splendid result for your attention to lighting.

From a processing view point, way beyond anything I am capable of producing, especially with all of the light sources. Looks other-wordly, as such a moon lit nigh does. Fantastic rendition of this place. The right side looks like it could use a little sharpening, as least with the lareger web view.

One of the more realistic and better shots I have seen from here!

Excellent!!!!

Absolutely beautiful, effort extremely well rewarded, and congratulations on a well deserved WP Shane!

Just stunning - congrats on the EP!
Sandy

Magical...totally awesome photograph and execution!

Awesome !!

This is Awesome!

Hi Harry

Thanks for pointing out the sharpening issues on the LRC. Before I print it, I will look at that more closely.

Shane

Incredible image - congrats on the 1st place M&N win!
Sandy

Wonderful shot and well deserved 2011 win!

D&L

Mindblowing image. Well deserving the 1st place Congratulations to you

Congrats on a well-deserved award. A truly artistic image.

Congrats on the EPA, Shane. I really admire your creativity and perseverence. This is probably the best take on this location that I've seen.

awesome Shane! Well deserved 1st place!

Congrats Shane, Well deserved. Hard work pays off

There are good landscapes, there are great landscapes and there's THIS - off the scale. If I saw a way to improve this I would consider myself a true genius. Unbelievable!

I have admired this and felt it to be more than worthy of recognition and your achievement.

The best night shot I have seen from here. Usually they are tacky and faked. This looks real and great!

Accolades to all the work you put into this great image.