Slice of Light & Luck Photo

Photographer’s Note

My second post this week is a landscape...

Harsil (altitude 2745 m or 9006 feet) is a sleepy hamlet just 24 Km from Gangotri, the origin of River Bhagirathi. India’s & perhaps the world’s most sacred river Ganges or Ganga is formed by the merger of rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda in a place called Devprayag. Upstream from Devprayag, a beautiful road runs all along the Bhagirathi river all the way past Harsil to the source - at Gangotri.

The distance from Harsil to Uttarkashi (1158 m or 3799 feet) maybe only 72 Km, but remember that’s a drop of over 5200 feet (1587 m) as well. The steep winding road, meandering like hairpins along bends, are sometimes precarious due to monsoon rains, but one gets to see amazing sceneries on the way. We started from Harsil at around 6.15 in the morning under heavy overcast skies as in all days of our stay there...patches of blue gave glimmer of hope. I am not sure about the location of this photograph, but it could be Gangnani (altitude 2133 m or 6998 feet). But that’s an approximation from my part. The river is muddy because of the rainy season & the waters bring in a lot of silt & mud from the mountains.

The sky continued to be heavily loaded with rain clouds as we rumbled down screeching & braking on the sometimes steep slope. Then all of a sudden, this view unfolded before us…a few faint rays of the morning sun managed to pierce the clouds creating a crescent like slice of light on the mountain slopes to the left. I screeched the car to a halt to capture this scene, which lasted alas, a few minutes before the clouds took over yet again. A slice of luck perhaps & hence Decisive Moment!

Maybe you might want to look at the Workshop Post as well? :-)

emjleclercq, edytungkal, jhm, saanjh, Budapestman, Gerrit, bukitgolfb301, nirajsinha, AiresSantos, ChrisJ, patdeph, pierrefonds, jafadabret, avene, stego, Kielia, josepmarin, Waylim, Wanda1, Felip, plimrn, Bluejeans, Atousa, jusninasirun, Urs has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

emjleclercq (14498) 2009-03-18 23:45

Nice point of views on the river enclosed between the two step mountains, but a beautifull emerald green colors for the trees on the left. The river has also a greenish color which is intersting. And the little clouds along the slopes are of course a plus.

All the best,

Emmanuel

Stepan (27175) 2009-03-18 23:57

Impressive valley, excellent pov to enjoy the beauty of the mood...
And the clouds enhances the mood.
Well done.
Stéphane

bracasha75 (22367) 2009-03-18 23:58

Helo Angshuman
Wonderful masterwork of nature and you
Very nice canyon and river inside
Excellent motiv
TFS
Cheers,Braca

edytungkal (4519) 2009-03-19 0:16

At first i'm glad to hear about your picture being selected in National Geograpic and of course I remember that marvelous picture, congrat my friend. And about this, its really got my attention since seeing on thumbnails and indeed you have a fantastic point of view here, I think the weather is one of important things for photograpers and i see your picture has different exposures and thats make this picture special. Great works...and thanks for share it.

daniel

Rafer (4500) 2009-03-19 0:21

Buen tratamiento de la luz, HDR ?...magnífico paisaje. saludos

jasmis (50979) 2009-03-19 0:28

Wild landscape. Superb photo with amazing light. Valuable WS, as well. Congratulations.
Regards my dear friend.

dip (12844) 2009-03-19 0:51

Hello Angshu,
wonderful image,excellent point of view,amazing green tones and very nice light,
well seen and composed,
Greetings,
Dimitris.

pauloog (6883) 2009-03-19 0:57

Hello Angshu,
A dark landscape photo, enlightened by a spot of sunlight, well rendering the cloudy rainy atmosphere in great clarity.
Regards,
Paul

jhm (83298) 2009-03-19 1:59

Hello Angshu,

I like the V form between the both sides of the mountains.
Also the curve of the river care for a excellent perspective
Splendid perspective through the excellent choice of your angle.
Composition and presentation are very well. TFS.

Best regards,
John

Budapestman (42780) 2009-03-19 2:59

Dear Angshu,
Wonderful photo from this fabulous country. The optic angle effective and spectacular, between the mountains flying clouds beautiful. The special lights add a lot to the mood of the photo likewise. Beautiful photo from this majestic place. Thank you for sharing. Have a nice day!
George

Gerrit (36259) 2009-03-19 3:04

Gi Angshu,
An impressive landscape in a wonderful fresh green. The road foloowing the river must be a joy ton ride.
Regards, gerrit

feather (50144) 2009-03-19 4:28

My goodness Angshu! Why aren't you trumpeting the NG post from the rooftops!!!??? Of course you should also post it here! Congratulations!! I've never thought of submitting any of my work but 'nothing ventured; nothing gained' as the saying goes.
Excellent landscape from you too, and apart from some tiny houses no architecture in sight!! ;D You were fast enough to take advantage of the fleeting light (some oe on the right but forgiven in the circumstances) An ND grad filter would have been useful but probably no time to fix it on. The composition is good with the river emerging from the bottom corner and working its way diagonally into the frame.
You could do a straw poll of what percentage looks at the WS ;D Surely anyone who does so will congratulate you!! ;D
Kath

indoka28 (5187) 2009-03-19 6:24

Hello Angshu,

A very very big CONGRATULATIONS to you..guru kaapiye diyecho toh..!!! a very well deserving shot..i must say....and what a shot this one is..!! amazing tone u have achieved here with the sun falling on the hills looking just out of the world..!!absolutely mindblowing composition...this one really pulls me into the mountains...and look at that road...byt the river...wonderful..!!

congratulations once again..ita not a joke to be selected in the NG..!!

Regards,
Indro

marietom (32076) 2009-03-19 11:55

hello Angshu,

This picture is wonderful. Very nice landscape, with great colors.
Bonne soirée
Marie

bukitgolfb301 (4957) 2009-03-19 16:02

Hello my dear Prof. Angshu

It is quite rare for you to submit landscape photo. Maybe the first time for me. Your repertory is very wide isn't it? Still great and perfect shot.
Thanks for sharing and best regards
Takero

nirajsinha (822) 2009-03-19 21:11

Hi Angshu,

You are a master of cam and lens and your works are masterpiece. You have a great ability to perceive things very quickly and grab the opportunity.This one is indeed a superb shot considering your limitations.

Niraj Sinha

vincz (19045) 2009-03-20 0:39

Great shot with the beautiful light on the green slopes and the clouds in the back. A great atmosphere.

AiresSantos (42844) 2009-03-20 0:49

Hi Angshu
Amazing light and reflections in this very beautiful composition. I like the high point of view and the cloudy sky. Very well managed the light
TFS and greetings
Aires

Graal (58714) 2009-03-20 1:45

Hi Angshuman,
amazing landscape, good POV and presentation. Fantastic valley of river between the mountains. Good note. Well photojob. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

ChrisJ (70443) 2009-03-20 3:49

Namaste Angshuman

A superb high pov overlooking the attractive valley with the snaking rober providing beautiful lead in lines & perspective. Good sharpness & framing, & nice repetition of the green terraces at left. Tfs!

patdeph (18324) 2009-03-20 4:35

namasté Angshuman
I am happy to see some photos from Uttarakand,because I will be there in 4 weeks,and I dream to see these splendid landscape!In spite of the clouds,you had a beautiful ray of sun on a part of the mountain,that give a nice contrast!Anyway,these clouds give a special and nice atmosphere!Very beautiful!
Regards
Pascale

pierrefonds (26625) 2009-03-20 4:55

Hi Angshuman,

The curve of the river is an asset to the composition. The side of the mountains are a natural frame to the river. The point of view is allowing us to see the different level on the left side and the road or path on the right side. The light is enhancing the colors and is giving them a good contrast. Have a nice day.

Pierre

jafadabret (40315) 2009-03-20 6:21

Hello Angshu.
Félicitations pour la photo sur National Geographic !
J'aime cette photo de montagne prise au bon moment quand la lumière éclaire davantage une partie du paysage. On sent la puissance de la nature.
Excellent !
Jacques

avene (11136) 2009-03-20 7:55

hi Angshuman,
I quite like this one, the lush green colours feels fresh, as if just washed with rain. the V-shape of the composition works well to draw the eye in, and also adds a good depth. the only remark I have is about the clouds. I guess you worked in layers, so now the clouds against the mountain have a dark halo around them, looks a little muddied. I agree with Kath about the ND filter, it would certainly have helped to retain textures in the clouds.
and congratulations about the NG :) I've read that page several times, thought about submitting my shapshots, but never felt good enough :)

best,
Kristine

rajiv_077 (1355) 2009-03-20 8:30

Hi Dear

Lovely view of this beautiful valley, I most like the clouds and green valley. Good composition and sharpness.

Nice capture.

regards

rajiv

npecanhuk (14652) 2009-03-20 8:46

Hello Angshuman!
Fantastic view over this deep valley, with the winding river, road, houses on the slopes and steep high mountains!
Superb viewpoint, simple but pretty effective composition, very nice colors and light! Sharpness is adequate and gives a painting-like effect to the image!
I really like it!
TFS - Congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan

RedDevil (1071) 2009-03-20 9:32

Hi Angshuman,
This river is superb, excellent framing and composition, great light management, beautiful colours! Congratulations
Salvatore

stego (22448) 2009-03-20 10:38

Hi Angshu,
You were very clever turning the scarce light into one of the charms of the photo. The large shadows, the little glimpses of sun here and there and the clouds seeming to be descending the slopes make it very appealing. The green hues are amazing and the metallic reflections on the water is also very attractive.
Regards, José.

Kielia (8729) 2009-03-20 11:07

Hello Angshu,
congratulation on your photo in National Geographic. This is a great honour indeed! But I think that this image here is also worthwhile being published. It shows an impressive landscape beautifully captured with an excellent POV on the muddy river and the green mountains. The clouds are also fantastic. Most of all I like the wonderful light. My compliments.
(By the way: I love the teas from this region.)
Warm regards
Harriet

carper (65622) 2009-03-20 11:09

very beautiful my friend,
a fantastic view here, marvelous place, good composition, fine photo job, have a good weekend.
regard jaap

josepmarin (34081) 2009-03-20 11:40

Hi Angshuman,
First, congratulations for the choice of your photo for National Geographic, this is a great pride for you, and you deserve it for your excellent photographic work.
And your today photo is a magnificent sight on this landscape, in which the river, the valley with the strong hillsides and leafy so green vegetation, and the hamlet play a great graphical role.
I like the result of all these elements in the composition.
Great shot.
Friendly regards,
Josep

Waylim (11153) 2009-03-20 21:30

Angshu,
First of all congratulations for your photo being chosen to feature in NG web page, a well deserved honnor.
This image is wonderful, the clouds look 3D, I can nearly feel it moving within the image. I must had too much to drink :) With so dense clouds, you manage excellent shot out of it with just that slice of light that come to your rescue, which make it so special and make this shot magical. Thanks
Way

Wanda1 (11015) 2009-03-20 22:41

Hi Angshuman,
What a breathtaking view over this beautiful landcsape. I love the winding river cutting through the green mountainscape with the little bit of light refelcting upon it and on a bit of the green enhancing it. The cottonwool clouds tumbling down are lovey too and I like your composition with the mountains intersecting one another. I can just imagine the feeling when standing there.
Best Regards
Wanda
P.s. Hey, I could not help reading and seeing that your shot was on the NG site, congratulations, thats brilliant!

Felip (3905) 2009-03-21 5:15

Hi Angshu,
Very impressive and breathtaking view of those ready to discharge clouds.
Very beautiful landscape.
All the best my friend

Felip

plimrn (19694) 2009-03-24 11:22

Hi Angshu,
Wow, congratulations!! 1)On getting your worthy post selected for National Geographic!! It really does capture pure joy!!
2) on your good fortune in getting that magical ray of sunlight in todays post, I love the way it lights the clouds & the hillside and turns the river gold. Just stunning. That does sound like a significant grade to drop so much in such a short distance, if I calculated that correctly, it's a 17% AVERAGE downgrade!! We went down two roads in Alaska that had sections with an 18% downgrade. I have NO pictures of the one with 22 km of 18% downgrade because I couldn't bear to look. Your road must have had many sections that exceeded 18% to collect a 17% average!!

Clearly you have a better head for heights than I do!!

HLJ, Pat and once again, CONGRATULATIONS!!

sagar (2307) 2009-03-24 12:14

Hi Angshumanda,
A postcard straight from paradise...its the lights, the dull, yet very romantic and melancholic lights that make this one a treat to watch.
Splendid work of art!!
Regards,
Sagarneel.

aadilj (17950) 2009-03-25 3:45

and then there was this one which I missed because I was travelling to Kolkata! I like the way you have handled the lights and the wide landscape with such control and expertise Angshuman. BTW Kolkata was a splendid experience. I loved the city and its people

pablominto (41340) 2009-03-26 23:49

Hello Angshu,

The elevated point of view gives a great impression of the valley!
The fresh green and low clouds indicate rainy season, and the atmosphere is well conveyed...
Good sense of depth and fine details in this well balanced presentation!

Greetings,
Pablo -

Bluejeans (33049) 2009-03-30 16:38

Hello my friend,
Belo ponto de visão sobre este vale transpira ar puro e natureza , os tons de verde ficaram lindos, gostei muito do céu com as nuvens a tocar nas encostas, parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Atousa (3466) 2009-04-06 0:38

Salam Angshu,

A beautiful nature shot full of lovely elements from the muddy river to the cloudy sky ..good title too; that slice of light has made this image more special..I also like the road along the river plus little houses surrounded by the greenery..thanks for sharing n congratulations for the success of the WS photo.
Best regards, A

siolaw (25830) 2009-04-10 4:08

Hi Angshu,
I had no luck while coming down to Uttarkashi and passing through Ganganani... i got stuck 4 days in Ganganani coz of huge mudslide that took the road away...! I cant exactly remember the view, so i cant help with the exact location of this one...
Nice view anyway woth a pleasant shine of the Bagirathi and nice light and shade on the valley...
Greetings
Laurent

jusninasirun (10213) 2009-04-12 21:24

Hi Angshu,

Light and luck play their role in photography and moments captured in the slightest hour make the difference.

This is such a very good capitalization of the available light and moment for the scene. TFS and best regards,

Jusni

Urs (3238) 2009-07-23 17:15

Dear Angsuhman

I still remember Uttarkashi, walking around taking picture of the swinging bridge. That was one of our stops when researching and photographing the Ganges. As transport we had hired an Ambassador, that was in 1996, if I'm not mistaken. It was a very nice journey. Most probably I must have a similar shot in my slides archives, but I'm not sure. Certainly my light was differnt, you have that green-golden tint. Nice. The sharpness and DOF are great. Well done.

Best regards
Urs