Rock on Stage

Critiques [Translate]

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• dlevy23 (1940)
• [2008-03-31 10:37]

Hi Peter, what a great photo. Nice colors and composition. I like how the rock is illuminated. great note by the way.

Daniel

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• mesutilgim (20253)
• [2008-03-31 10:42]
• [+]

Hi dear Peter,
Fascnating ! Thanks to your unlimited phantasy and "all seeing eye" another great capture with great graphical effect.
An entry which absolutely needs to be dedected by all 5 senses !
Very good notes as well.
The only problem -for me- as you are using quite thick frames, it's a danger when surfing on thumbnails !
Very nice notes as well.
TFS
And best regards

PS.What about further entries of TE İstanbul meeting ?

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• bostankorkulugu (20730)
• [2008-03-31 10:48]

what the hell is that?... a shooting star crawling?... what ever it is, what you did to this shot is amazing peter... a real feast to the eyes... congrats...

korkut

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• dkeus31 (21530)
• [2008-03-31 11:06]

hi peter.
very strange indeed, the color of the rock is really interesting, a place to visit ;)
didier

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• zanzi (499)
• [2008-03-31 11:10]

Great picture
Great note
Great idea (flashlight)
I like it.

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• PixelTerror (66449)
• [2008-03-31 11:12]

HI Peter,
Now that's lighting, and even though artificial that's visually very effective, I like it a lot, my congratulations !
Have a nice day JY

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• GUYOFF (585)
• [2008-03-31 11:14]

Hi there,

1st plan, right perspectiv, beautiful colors....so this picture is a sucess....I really like...

Thanks

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• Philippe (8227)
• [2008-03-31 12:30]

Hi, Peter. I think using your flashlight to attract attention to the rock was an excellent idea. It has created contrast with the rest of the picture and gices a very good result. The texture of the ground is very well rendered and tells us what the consitions must be like in such a place. No wonder only stones survive there. the track left by the gliding stone leads us towards the mountainous background and is a very good compositional feature.

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• delkoo (21274)
• [2008-03-31 13:38]

hi peter
i never heard about that before, this Natural phenomenon is amazing, thanks to show us that, in a very beautiful way, by lighting the stone.

best regards
didier

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• sleon (8227)
• [2008-03-31 14:06]

Hi Peter
What a remarkable landscape - I have never heard of this place before! A really fascinating and curious phenomenon which you have treated in an orginal way to add drama and mystery. The lighting and perspective does give the feel of a racetrack, or a stageset. Excellent work and worth the trek to get there!
Regards, Susanna

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• koker (175)
• [2008-03-31 14:11]

Hello Peter,
Very nice composition and beautiful colours. Excellent POV. Regards.
Huseyin

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• azleader (723)
• [2008-03-31 14:26]

Nice idea... good presentation.

This, of course, gives whole new meaning to the movie title "Electra Glide in Blue".

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• Floydian (21598)
• [2008-03-31 14:37]
• [2] [+]

Hi Peter,
Yes i know this strange moving stone although i did not see it 2 years ago. I was there with bad light, so a decent picture was not possible anyway. But here, man you had absolute great light in the sky (thanks to the gradient), but also the painting with flashlight was a great succes. I have never seen a picture from this before under these perfect light conditions, my congratulations, it really looks wonderful in the light.
Minor thing, what's that in the right top corner, strange rippling, any idea what that might be?
Regards, Henk

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• Cormac (24503)
• [2008-03-31 14:46]

Very unique and beautiful image! The rock and it's track is quite interesting by itself, but then when you add in the lighting you really get something quite special. Wonderful colour too. Great idea!

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• lucasgalodoido (7524)
• [2008-03-31 14:49]

Olá Peter,
interessante essa pedra mesmo, como ela foi parar aí? Acredito mais na hipótese extraterresntre, hehe. Gostei da iluminação apenas nela, um belo trabalho.
Parabéns e Abraço!

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• paura (17408)
• [2008-03-31 15:12]

Peter,
Tá uma beleza de fotografia, com interessantes e bem acabados efeitos gráficos e crômicos. Tá cheio de filtro novo, né?

Abração

Paulo

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• Merline (4612)
• [2008-03-31 15:21]

Peter,
thank you and Kensimage for taking the pains and wanting so badly to get to this place. A dream image, a pure moment of poetry and an ode to the beauty of nature. Gorgeous colors and light, and what a great idea to use the flashlight. The texture of the soil is just beautiful. Compliments and great note, you make this come alive with your words too!

TFS
Kind regards
Michèle

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• plimrn (14573)
• [2008-03-31 15:44]
• [2]

Hi Peter,
The violet twilight creates a perfect gradient and the paint job is inspired. Thanks for the link to the theories, it makes fascinating reading. It sounds like an awesome place. Good thing it's so hard to access.
HLJ, Pat

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• lilimih33 (9078)
• [2008-03-31 16:04]

Hello Peter!
Incredible and fantastic composition!
Great colours and wonderful light!
Really magic work!
Excellent done!
Best regards!
Lili

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• jwmunro (5823)
• [2008-03-31 16:33]

Hello Peter -

This is an inspired composition both with the natural lighting and the flashlight painting. I had read and heard the theories of the rock movement and subscribe to the wind (experienced first hand) and the rain. When these playa's get wet, and it doesn't take much, they become very very slippery and dangerous to be on. I got my truck stuck in one over in the Silurian Valley to the east of the park.

I think you did well with the grad but I think the FG could use some more light. Like we discussed over dinner; spot metering is important, set your exposure for the FG and let the grad take care of the BG. This scene the soft grad would have been the one to use.

Well conceived and executed.

Thank you for sharing.

John

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• gneufeld (7864)
• [2008-03-31 18:17]

Hi Peter,
This is unbelievable. Wow, looks like another place this guy wants to visit sometime. Stunning colors and great idea to illumine the rock with a flashlight. Great work and TFS. Gerald

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• Docarmo (5136)
• [2008-03-31 20:10]

Oi Peter,
Impressionante este fenômeno da rocha que se movimentou. Sua nota, como sempre, excelente.
Na imagem, o intento expresso no título está plenamente realizado. Fantástica rocha sob holofotes! Você sempre inovando! A sua galeria passa longe da monotonia. A gente sempre tem surpresas.
Parabéns!
MCV

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• MarcT (9506)
• [2008-03-31 22:12]

Hi Peter,
Your an artist. A great one! The presentation, those colors and the story fit well together.
Cheers
Marc

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• skippy007 (1385)
• [2008-04-01 0:32]

Hi Peter,
What an amazing & surreal image you have presented us with. Beautiful colours and a interesting and informative note to go with it. An image worth seeing.
Thanks
Santo

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• tehanu_f (4712)
• [2008-04-01 1:29]

This is unbelievable! I imagine you running amok in the middle of the valley, shouting at a rock chasing you, "Go away, go away, leave me alone you evil thing!" ))) Thanks for showing us such an amazing phenomenon, for your note and this beautiful (and scary) photo.
Best wishes,
Fusun

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• John_F_Kennedy (16997)
• [2008-04-01 3:24]

Excellent composition of this incredibly nature phenomen. Superb shot.
Best wishes,
Achim

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• ktanska (10730)
• [2008-04-01 3:56]

Hi Peter,
Marvel of nature. Shot on very special purple twilight. The colour is hard to believe real, but as I've never been on a place like that I just have to trust you. Your illumination is creative and works well. And i love the title!
Kari

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• Greg1949 (4239)
• [2008-04-01 5:36]

Peter, nice capture, good thng you are quick, this one might have escaped... just joking. I like the lighting, very effective. What is a 3 stop ND, does that equate to a 2, 4 or 6?

Greg

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• anes_lc (12944)
• [2008-04-01 5:38]

before knowing you personal ..i was thinking seeing your shots you sonme kind of magician :D
and how to think different having infront this post ? :) gorgeous picture dear
thanks sharing
hugs,anes

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• Dyerco (4395)
• [2008-04-01 5:48]

Hi Peter
WOW!! This is a wonderful shot. Painted with light at dusk. Great idea. It really grabs the viewer's attention. I saw some images from the Racetrack in National Geographic recently and I vowed to go back there and make that drive although I'm not sure about doing it in a rental car.
Phil

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• isabela_sor (30268)
• [2008-04-01 5:53]
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• zmey (3551)
• [2008-04-01 7:01]
• [+]

hello peter

very fine work, in my opinion. the rock does appear as if it was in the limelight. fascinating story about these tracks. i actually did not have any idea about them until i read your note.

beautiful composition and colors. would not mind hanging this in my living room :)

regards and TFS
kristaps

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• Tobias__Ortmann (1156)
• [2008-04-01 7:33]

Hi peter what a picture
amazing colours good composition and very good lights
very well done my friend
Tfs Toba

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• feather (36887)
• [2008-04-01 7:45]
• [+]

The colour of the sky and its reflection on the ground is amazing. Your idea to use the flash-light was inspired. Did you keep it on for the whole exposure of just a short time? The phenomenon of the gliding rock is certainly strange and something I never heard about before.
Kath

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• gokanlam (1715)
• [2008-04-01 8:02]

what a different rock with its light.. it and its way gives a nice depth to the whole composition.. the colors are really great, blue and relevant tones.. i like the surface of the ground too.. great job,
ReLa

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• mark_mk (518)
• [2008-04-01 8:21]
• [+]

Hi Peter,
first of all thanks for writing in German, your German is pretty good! Anyway, I prefer writing most critiques in English so that everyone can understand it, but I`m sure you could understand it if I wrote in German. Well what should I saw, I first couldn`t believe this is on earth! You have done an amazing job creating a mystical atmosphere, really fascinating. I`m really looking forward to my visit of the national park in May after seeing such an amazing picture. The colors are great, nice POV and excellent light situations. I have never seen anything like that before and I can just thank you for sharing this great picture! Very, very well done!

Greetings
Mark

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• Henryk_Bilor (18092)
• [2008-04-01 9:08]

Hi Peter
Amazing capture of this rock against the dark blue background. Excellent composition and perfect colours.
Regards

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• donluicu (20553)
• [2008-04-01 9:33]

wow Pete

excellent idea of composition!!

congrats the result is excellent and the picture is very original

bravo

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• lasscor (7205)
• [2008-04-01 11:35]

Hi Peter,
Wonderful artistic blue/purple composition.
Amazing landscape.
Great pov and creative postprocessing.
TFS,
Corinne

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• crckt (5427)
• [2008-04-01 12:07]

Hi Peter,
Your latest photos have been all of the highest quality. Amazing composition! I wish I could ever take one shot like this.
Regards,
Shaeri

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• Wandering_Dan (2520)
• [2008-04-01 12:38]
• [+]

Hello, Peter -

Great shot. Good angle and very creative use of lighting.

The best explanation I've heard for this phenomenon is that the rocks move "because they can."

Best,
Dan

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• belido (6958)
• [2008-04-01 12:57]

Olá Peter,

já tinha visto algumas imagens desse lugar antes e confesso que sempre fico coçando a cabeça de como isso ocorre. Bom, fora que essa sua aqui dá de 10 a hora em muitas outras que já tenha visto. A coloração está muito boa assim como o posicionamento da misteriosa rocha no quadro. Beleza pura (e mistério também).
Abraço,
Carlos

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• jusninasirun (4107)
• [2008-04-01 18:42]

Hello Peter. One for the X-file and amazing note you have written there. The rock and the landscape story is spooky enough and the image is well presented in graphical manner. Thanks for the image and the note. Well done and best regards. Jusni

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• zeca (14811)
• [2008-04-01 23:21]

Peter, este é mais um excelente trabalho seu! Parabéns! Você criou aqui uma imagem cheia de vida, uma estoria a partir de elementos simples numa aridez enorme. Além disso a beleza plástica desta foto é notável, enriquecida por demais pelas suas cores lindas e bem saturadas. Olha... você está cada vez mais craque e esse trabalho aqui é digno de publicação em qualquer revista, concurso, etc...
Grande abraço,
Zeca

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• luisafonso (12561)
• [2008-04-02 2:20]

I like it. Very much. Normally I am not a keen fan of these purple landscapes, but here the peaceful character of the scene is very suitable for such editing. I like your flashlight trick.

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• jemaflor (27730)
• [2008-04-02 3:48]

Hi Peter,
So lovely shot, perfect capture, great result with this light, well composed and made, bravo !

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• Cretense (28875)
• [2008-04-02 3:53]

Hi Peter!

This is one of the most incredible places on Planet Earth, full of magic and mystery. You have increased this feeling of mystery with your extraordinary photo! There are some amazing colours in this photo, the use of the flashlight is trully original, the result is very impressive. Of course, framing composition and perspective are flawless as always. To my favorites!

Hercules

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• aadilj (7324)
• [2008-04-02 4:54]

I love the colours and the way you have managed the glow and the tones. The composition is remarkable and serene. indeed a lovely place and a beautiful composition.

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• happypoppeye (3427)
• [2008-04-02 7:29]

Beautiful Peter. Colors are superb as is the composition. Nice looking depth created by the track of the racing rock and great idea using the flashlight for some added "punch". Really nothing more to say, it's friggin excellent and just about perfect (maybe a bit too much sky??? - not sure).

...and Ken isn't no slouch either...

Great work
John

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• Dpbours (5874)
• [2008-04-02 7:42]

Hi Peter,

22 seconds!! Wow, that flash must have been pretty powerfull to keep that light in 22 seconds. Very very nice result. Very well balanced with the natural light on the horizon.
Just read through the discussion with Henk, since I was also wondering about the artifact in the right top corner. I use Noise Ninja, CS3 plugin, which is very nice to use as well!

Greetings,
Dennis

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• guillaumejm (7192)
• [2008-04-02 12:44]

Hello peter
What an extraordinary picture!. by the subject and colours. it coul look like a surrealistic painting of dali!. The light on the rock is unique and work like in a show. For the track i've an idea : some people are used st sweep desert to lower the unemployment rate and these people quite annoyed of such a job may show they still have some humour capability instead of moneyback.
I'll be very interested to know what our french president could say, because his favorite sentence is "work more to earn more ....". I guess some have tried to do so here.

Best regards
Jmarc

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• rigoletto (17957)
• [2008-04-02 14:18]

Hi Peter,
Really a honest man you are to mention about that flash light. It made me more curious than how that rock moves due in time.
OK, joking, i also wonder the theories about its movement. But i trust the validity of classical Newton mechanics on earth. Force = mass x acceleration, even though the acceleration limits down to zero in this case :P
Fantastic colors which i guess satisfy your high levels of satisfaction :))
Best,
Deniz

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• Charo (13024)
• [2008-04-02 15:42]

Hola Peter,
El efecto conseguido es fantástico, pues parece que un rayo de sol se ha independizado y colocado justo en la piedra. Una foto genial y muy buena idea lo de la linterna.
Cordialmente
Charo

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• euryan (7309)
• [2008-04-02 16:47]

Brilliant! One of the best "painting with light" photos I've seen. This really worked out nicely. The light on the rock seems to match the light on the horizon. I love the purple tones. Like I mentioned before, your photos have been keeping me thoroughly entertained lately. Keep it up. :-) Regards,
Ryan

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• avene (3752)
• [2008-04-02 18:42]

hello Peter,
I usually try and expand my comments a little beyond "fantastic work!", but this shot leaves me speachless. I can only nod my silend agreement with the others about the excellent light management and smart composition, and keep staring at this fascinating scene. love the colour, for some reason it makes me think of Artic nights.
superb work, my compliments.

with kind regards,
Kristine

p.s. Greg says this rock must've been running away, but may be it was speeding towards you instead, to make sure it gets into this photo? :)

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• batalay (13003)
• [2008-04-02 20:14]

Hello Peter,

Absolutely fascinating note, accompanying a surrealistic work. Everything about the photograph is exquisite.

Warm regards,

Bulent

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• MarianneS (4128)
• [2008-04-03 1:02]

Hi Peter,
I missed this one. Fortunately, you included the link in your previous post and I can enjoy it now.
It is incredible! Congratulations for the photo, the treatment and your passionating note.
Regards,
Marianne

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• marietom (15806)
• [2008-04-03 9:04]

Hello Peter,

c'est tout simplement magnifique, superbes couleurs et composition.
Bonne soirée
Marie

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• baba_flies (3804)
• [2008-04-03 9:57]

Einfach wunderschoen, Peter, und der Atem bleibt fast etwas stehen, die Augen weit offen, und man kann nur staunen und geniessen. Ich meine die Natur hier draussen ist schon grandios genug, aber diese Lichtgeschichte, diese Idee es genau dort zu plazieren, diesen einen Felsbrocken zu beleuchten, ja das braucht schon mehr als nur ein wenig Fantasie, es braucht dieses begnadet sein, aber auch das Hinausgehen in die Stille, und keine Angst davor zu haben. Ich habe immer etwas Angst, wenn es zu still wird, oder ich hoere dann was weiss der Himmel was, irgend ein Viech, und ich kann dann prompt nicht schlafen.

Wir sind wirklich verwoehnt, das muss ich schon sagen, und ich hatte gerade wieder so ein Reisehefterlebnis, und da ist mir Dein Bild in den Sinn gekommen, und ich dachte, nehmt doch Peter und seine Texte, dann haetten alle etwas davon. In diesem Sinne, irgendwie so, Barbara.

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• capthaddock (27519)
• [2008-04-03 17:41]

The painting with the flashlight was a clever idea, Death Valley has been photographed to Death itself, but this one is something I haven't seen before.

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• shevchenko (3150)
• [2008-04-03 21:58]

Hi Peter,
Interesting story of a rock on the waste land, detail to see the dry land form the tidy geometry patterns, fantastic color, well done.
Ally

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• JPlumb (2708)
• [2008-04-04 2:10]

Hi Peter, I've heard about these rocks, so do you have a theory?

When i first saw the thumbnail I thought oh oh, Peter has gone over the top with his PP, but when I read your note it was like "wow, what a cool idea". I will definitely need to borrow that one from you for some project in the future. So, I definitely like your lighting. The composition works well of course, showing the course of that stone. Placing it in the long portrait format works quite well, to give us a better sense of the distance. Very nice job, looks like an amazing place to camp out.

Thanks, John

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• sagar (1776)
• [2008-04-04 6:09]

Hi Peter,
This is an amazing shot!!Truth is really stranger than fiction. Lovely colors, great accomplishment!!!
Regards,
Sagarneel.

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• rajiv_077 (1153)
• [2008-04-04 6:35]

Hi Peter

Another stunning picture of yours. Compo and color tone is amazing and that bright rock looks amazing between in. Your picture and note is really useful and so much of informative.

Great work.

kind regards

rajiv

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• sebinho342 (16948)
• [2008-04-04 7:14]

Hi Peter, this is sublim, you were touched by grace when shooting this one and having THE idea of lightening with your light this rock. The result seems sureal, this purple color omnipresent in the cherry on cake.
What a picture !

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• gunbud (14386)
• [2008-04-04 19:51]

Hi Peter,
Wonderful vertical presentation to this lovely puzzle in varying shades of electric blue and purple. The golden hue to the mysterious rock compliments this image at the same time it lends great scale. Wonderfully shapr texture to this dessert beauty.
Regards, Tom

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• Bluejeans (14848)
• [2008-04-05 2:26]

Oi Peter,
Já não a muito a falar mas a ideia de iluminar a pedra foi fantástica com uma lanterna , já li em livros esta técnica mas nunca utilizei , um lugar bem intrigante este onde as pedras andam , gostei muito dos tons roxos da foto , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

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• doubay (3929)
• [2008-04-06 3:04]
• [+]

Hallo Peter!
Deine Todeswüstenfotos sind wirklich klasse. Alles wirkt wie auf einem anderen Stern. Die Lichtverhältnisse und die Farben verleihen diesem Foto einen ganz besonderen außerirdischen Anstrich. Zur Bildgestaltung gibt´s nur eins zu sagen: Einfach perfekt.
Hast du den Lichteffekt beim Stein wirklich mit deinem Blitzlicht hinbekommen?
Beste Grüße
Andreas

PS: Hast du immer noch Informationsbedarf hinsichtlich HDR? Du hattest mich ja mal nach einer Erklärung gefragt, woraufhin ich mich aus Faulheit nicht gerührt habe. Wenn du aber weiterhin Interesse hast, werde ich versuchen, es dir – so gut es geht – zu erklären.

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• Rosa (3261)
• [2008-04-06 5:30]

Bonjour Peter,
Pour moi c'est une meteorite qui est tombe sur ce champs de course et qui a rouler cette grosse masse de pierre sur elle meme ce qui a former cette trace sur le sol.
Excellente compo, tres belle realisation, belle couleurs et tres bonne nettete.
Bravo,
Amitiés,
Rosa.

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• wishlist (2520)
• [2008-04-06 14:59]

Amazing piece of work Peter, with the rock and the its track giving an almost surreal vision. The use of the flash is the icing on the cake adding a special point to this beautiful presentation.

Igor

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• InasiaJones (13520)
• [2008-04-06 22:31]

Hi Peter,

What a trip, you and Ken must have out there, far away in Death Valley... I'm just thinking about "No Country for Old Men".... :-P)

The flashlight thing is a useful trick, that works efficiently when doing long exposures. Here, the result is great and fits perfectly with the ambient colours and atmosphere. I'm really impressed by this image.

Excellent work Peter!

André

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• Didi (26686)
• [2008-04-06 22:54]

Hi Peter
Very interesting picture, looks like a piece of Kryptonite, no good for Superman :)
A very original idea.
Cheers.

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• toto (11942)
• [2008-04-07 2:18]

Bonsoir,
Belle photo de cette météorite qui est tombée sur cette pente en étant toujours en semi fusion et a laissé cette trace bien marquée dans cette matière du sol.
Voila ma théorie a moi, je supose qu' elle rejoint certaines autre qui sont plus malin que moi.
Pour ce qui est de la photo, elle est bien prise sous un bon POV qui nous montre bien la trace et cet éclairage sur la roche est superbe.Elle donne l' impression de ne pas encore etre bien refroidie et de dégager toujours de la chaleur.

Amitiés Thomas
Je reviens

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• devimeuxbe (42213)
• [2008-04-07 9:00]

Hi Peter
It's not easy to understand this picture. It's like if the rock had wove by itself
excellent light
Well done
Bertrand

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• Emile (14766)
• [2008-04-08 6:40]

Hola Peter.
A very impressive shot and a very interesting note, your PP is very good. Well done.
Un fuerte abrazo.

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• pasternak (11635)
• [2008-04-09 5:36]

Wow, excellent landscape shot with my favorite color - purple - dominating the palette, the flash is really well used to highlight the stone and its path...

Cheers
A.

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• bakes888 (10637)
• [2008-04-10 0:18]

Hi Peter. Your painting with light trick adds an even more surreal atmosphere to this scene, along with the sunset. Well composed also. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

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• kensimage (6803)
• [2008-04-10 9:42]
• [+]

This came out really nicely, Peter. The rock looks so lonely. The colors are not what the eye saw (you can't fool me, I was there), but artistically they are great. If it were film, I could imagine these colors resulting from color-shifting in a long exposure, but here they must be from PS, right? Anyway, it's surreal (fitting for that location!) and very effective. Regards, Ken.

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• abulafia (4179)
• [2008-04-11 2:11]

Hi Peter
An interesting phenomenon! I like the blue hour shot, and the "painting" with the flashlight is not a bad idea, but it would have been good if you had only lit up the rock, instead of parts of the surrounding area as well.
But it is definitely a beautiful shot, and the rock looks more like a meteor hit.
Harry

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• Angshu (21936)
• [2008-05-03 11:46]

Hello Peter
Two thumbs up for the use of the flashlight on the rock. Very ingenuous & I was initially wondering about this gliding as well as glowing rock!:-) Great colour of the sky as well. I had read about these rocks, but thanks for the link providing a theory for their 'action'. The blue tones are excellent & similar to your two later posts from this same place..very eerie. A Very fine work!
Regards
Angshu