The Gift

Gallery: LandscapePosted June 26, 2013661 views30 comments

Phillip Island, Australia

Here's an image shot some time after the blue hour evening image I recently posted. I had a very brief window of opportunity to capture the radiating clouds and stars simultaneously. The timing was so tight that the other two photographers with me actually missed it. The reason I was out shooting this several months ago was that is was my birthday and something amazing always happens photographically.

Canon 5DMkIII, 16-35mm, single exposure, f2.8, 30s, ISO 1600.

Comments

30 comments

Comment posted by Gary Gosewisch on June 26, 2013 at 10:38 AM

Beautiful image. I like the star/cloud contrast.

Registered on June 3, 2012, 17 Posts, 59 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on June 26, 2013 at 10:49 AM

Striking image! What an excellent birthday present. I need to hang out with you on your birthday!

Beautiful capture. I love the look of the hint of detail on the left rocks with the silhouette of the rocks on the right, with the milky water.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Joseph Campisi on June 26, 2013 at 11:18 AM

Amazing indeed Kah Kit! This is just a stellar image! Light, shadow, color contrast, drama...and stars! Kudos!

Registered on November 24, 2008, 304 Posts, 3211 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on June 26, 2013 at 11:19 AM

Wow! Pretty amazing to catch both glowing clouds and stars in the same shot. The composition works well also, with the flowing water and flowing clouds.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Kathy Barnhart on June 26, 2013 at 11:32 AM

Beautiful, mysterious feel to this image. The stars in the colorful sky make it special, quite a birthday gift that the universe gave to you.

Registered on November 11, 2011, 404 Posts, 1639 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Turner on June 26, 2013 at 12:19 PM

Outstanding process and capture.

Happy Birthday

Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments

Comment posted by Nathan Apodaca on June 26, 2013 at 12:32 PM

The light, color, stars---everything is spectacular... I do wish there was a tad more detail in the rocks on the top left, but that's the only thing I feel could be improved. Congrats on the good timing, and a late 'happy birthday'!

Registered on November 16, 2011, 67 Posts, 1127 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on June 26, 2013 at 12:43 PM

Beautifully done Kah Kit, I love the mysterious mood. Exceptional work!...and great timing.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Morris McClung on June 26, 2013 at 1:02 PM

Otherworldly in it's scope and beauty. Great work!

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

Comment posted by Allen Brooks on June 26, 2013 at 1:21 PM

Beautiful. I like the dynamic contrast between the radiating clouds and the still water. It's amazing how many stars the sensor was able to capture at that time of night.

Registered on July 27, 2011, 262 Posts, 2597 Comments

Comment posted by Marc Adamus on June 26, 2013 at 2:01 PM

Wow. This is definitely one of your best, and absolutely an incredible sky if a bit on the surreal side (you know I like it that way).

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

Comment posted by Nick Palmieri on June 26, 2013 at 3:45 PM

Really well done!

Registered on September 1, 2011, 35 Posts, 748 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Cameron on June 26, 2013 at 5:27 PM

Lovely and definitely surreal looking.

Registered on August 6, 2004, 1125 Posts, 3318 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Breitkreuz on June 26, 2013 at 5:37 PM

I'm liking the "streaking" in both clouds and sea water action. All the static items in the scene seem to be characters on display taking all this in. Wonderful.

Registered on February 25, 2006, 525 Posts, 8448 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Anderson on June 26, 2013 at 6:09 PM

Kah Kit, I actually prefer this version to your more famous version with the twilight blues. This feels a bit more surreal and I love the colors. Magnificent work!

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

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on June 26, 2013 at 7:31 PM

Really cool, and well composed and processed. Happy birthday.

Registered on July 21, 2004, 706 Posts, 3233 Comments

Comment posted by Eva McDermott on June 26, 2013 at 7:35 PM

Moody and surreal for sure but I love the drama Kah Kit.

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

Comment posted by Ken Smith on June 26, 2013 at 9:06 PM

Really a nice blend of soft clouds with soft enveloping seas... then wonderful light and clarity in the center. Beautiful!
.

Registered on September 5, 2008, 449 Posts, 2444 Comments

Comment posted by Mike Dawson on June 26, 2013 at 10:34 PM

Beautiful image, truly amazing light

Registered on February 4, 2006, 364 Posts, 8872 Comments

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on June 27, 2013 at 2:33 AM

one of ur best indeed

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Lichtman on June 27, 2013 at 10:31 AM

Intense sky you had this evening. The softness of the clouds, water and rock surfaces work well together in this comp. The stars peaking through look very natural. Magical indeed. WOuld not change anything here.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 304 Posts, 3507 Comments

Comment posted by Navin Sarma on June 27, 2013 at 11:06 AM

Excellent mood here! Seems like you got pretty nice depth at 2.8 The sky is fantastic -- is the light from a city or the moon... ?

Registered on July 17, 2011, 233 Posts, 1373 Comments

Comment posted by Floris van Breugel on June 27, 2013 at 1:32 PM

Very surreal! I had the same question as Navin - do you know what the light source for the clouds was?

Registered on December 19, 2008, 306 Posts, 4840 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Harding on June 27, 2013 at 7:51 PM

Stunning photograph Kah Kit. Excellent processing....Happy birthday!

Registered on January 19, 2011, 33 Posts, 408 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on June 28, 2013 at 6:19 PM

Kah Kit, congrats on another amazing birthday! Just enough light in just the right places to make this image seem so vibrant and quite mesmerizing. Thanks for the treat.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on June 29, 2013 at 3:36 AM

Lovely shot Kah Kit. The warmth on the rocks is very nice, and the gap through the clouds to the stars is very cool. It seems just a little dark overall to me. Would you brighten this one up for print?
Happy Birthday!

Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments

Comment posted by Youssef Ismail on June 29, 2013 at 12:00 PM

Looks great! I particularly like the mystery in the rocks in the FG coupled with the mysterious light behind the rocks on the right. Very cool.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 474 Posts, 5555 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on June 29, 2013 at 4:39 PM

Kah Kit,

Stunning! Other-worldly! I love the night sky peeking through up top and also how the clouds and sea/rocks somewhat mimic each other. Wow!

Lon

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

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on July 1, 2013 at 11:15 PM

Thanks for your comments all. The lighting is a combination I think for post sunset colour and some light pollution. There were no major cities in the vicinity so perhaps from a town on Phillip Island.

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

Comment posted by Mark Metternich on July 2, 2013 at 11:41 PM

Geeze! Crazy awesome!

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