Grass Illuminations Photo

Photographer’s Note

Kettleness is a small hamlet on the cliff top in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park just north of Whitby. It is part of the Jurassic coast and popular with fossil hunters. There was a very precarious path down the cliff by use of a rope but it is not recommended to use it. Because of the danger I’m not even sure if the path is still in use. These cliffs are very dangerous with frequent landslips so it is advisable to keep away from the edge. At low tide it is possible to walk along the beach from Runswick Bay, which you can glimpse at the bottom of the cliff on this image at the far left.

I took a few shots that night but what attracted me was the way the sun was illuminating the foreground long grass. It was very windy so I was pleased I could get a reasonable shutter speed to avoid motion blur. There is quite a lot of flare, not helped by also having the polariser on as well as the grad.

ISO100, FL 24mm,

riclopes, Royaldevon, dareco, kpav, robiuk, gunbud, goldyrs, Dyerco, cbrman, UlfE, bakes888, Butterflyka, Kielia, jlbrthnn, Wandering_Dan, Gerrit, Photo65Net, Cricri, gneufeld, papagolf21, ruisc_pt, ChrisJ, plimrn, patdeph, axiotea, TopGeo, snunney, Tue, zeca, Emile, chrisnet, pablominto, Glint, JCG, jean11-3, steliosk has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Royaldevon (5938) 2008-08-14 14:39

Hello Kath,

This really is stunning!
Talk about the Midas touch! It is golden everywhere! The sky is painted with ridges of gold, the sea has a streak of liquid gold and as you say, the grass has turned to gold. (The wind has made it more interesting with its diagonal lie.)
The composition is excellent, adhering to the rule of thirds.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

devimeuxbe (56300) 2008-08-14 14:39

Hi Kath
Amazing colors and light; I like these beautifull rays of light. It's really beautifull
Well done
Bertrand

yedirenk (7539) 2008-08-14 15:05

Hello Kath,
impressive sunset scene.Great light management with superb point of view.colors,reflections and fine details are excellent.very well done.TFS
greetings

Cevdet

maximage (13592) 2008-08-14 15:14

Bonjour Kat,
Wahoo! superbe! Géniale! cette lumière qui se reflète dans l'herbe, c'est grandiose! Un travail magnifique, bravo.
Amitiés.
max

dareco (17104) 2008-08-14 15:15

This lighting on the grass is gorgeous! A very beautiful sunset, one of the nicest sunset pictures I have seen actually. TFS and have a happy day!

Fraipont (104) 2008-08-14 15:17

Beautiful sunset in gold ! The rays of sun give a nice atmosphere, like the reflection and the illumination of grasses.
Jean

kpav (5025) 2008-08-14 15:37

Hello Kath, superb photo, the warm colors are great and the composition very balanced. The light on the grass is amazing and the sky is excellent. Thanks for sharing.
Best regards,
Kostas.

robiuk (10763) 2008-08-14 17:22

Hi Kath,
don't mind the flare with this beautiful golden foreground.
Beautiful one that reminds me of the fact that we DO get
some sunshine in summer!
(drove today to Whitby and over Grossmont and Goathland
to Pickering and back to Scarbie and the rain wouldn't
stop for a second!)
(&$$#"/&%!!!)
Robi
PS. I love Kettleness.

gunbud (28143) 2008-08-14 19:32

Hi Kath,
Wonderful glittering golden coastal image.
You managed the light expertly and the exposure hits the fine line in the strong wind.
Very tranquil end of day capture.
Regards, Tom

goldyrs (136) 2008-08-14 19:46

What a lovely, simple moment of time you've frozen, Kath!And how difficult it must've been to get this right!
Respect, my dear friend!
Very well done!
Goldy

skippy007 (7301) 2008-08-14 20:23

Hello Kath, A very beautiful & impressive sunset. It has so much going for it, golden tones especially on the leaning grass in FG, sun-rays, reflections & not to mention the sky, all captured from a good POV in excellent detail. Well done
Thanks
Santo

Dyerco (9288) 2008-08-14 20:55

Hi Kath
This image is an eye catcher. The texture of the grasses is really enhanced by the back lighting. Good use of the ND grad to even the light from the sky.
Phil

cbrman (19049) 2008-08-14 22:40

Hello Kath,

J'aime beaucoup cette photographie. Le soleil couchant apporte une très grande chaleur par le biais de ces rayons deu soir. L'herbe du premier plan est parfaite pour donner une belle luminosité. Ensuite le regard plonge par delà la mer jusqu'au soleil. La hauteur de ces falaises est impressionnante.
Une photo très réussie et très agréable.

A+

Dominique

UlfE (9158) 2008-08-14 22:54

Hi Kath,

Wow! Absolutely stunning. The composition with the illuminated grass in the foreground is perfect and your light mangagement is excellent. TFS and have a nice day!

Cheers,

Ulf

bakes888 (18327) 2008-08-14 23:17

Hi Kath. A bit of lens flare in this situation doesn’t detract at all, possibly the opposite in fact. Well constructed, the sky, the reflections, the long grass and the colours all in harmony. Thanks for sharing.
Have a good weekend, Paul.

Butterflyka (518) 2008-08-14 23:18

Hi Kath

Wonderful composition with good POV.
Great golden colors and good light management.
Nice sharpness and clarity.
I like the golden path on the surface.
Well done!

Regards
Karina

emka (22257) 2008-08-14 23:27

Hi Kath,

This setting dun is iluminating the grass fanastic. I like the golden colours of the entire image. Splendid compositin.

Regards

Małgorzata

amaryllis (17764) 2008-08-15 0:03

bonjour,
une tres bonne lumière rasante sur cette côte avec ses rayons, une mer calme,un cadrage excellent
bravo pour cette photo de toute beauté
juliette

Graal (58688) 2008-08-15 0:08

Hi Kath,
fantastic grass iluminations, good idea and realization, amazing theme. Beautiful nature and image here. I like it a lot.
Gr., Aleksander

Kielia (8727) 2008-08-15 0:56

Hi Kath,
you have really captured the most fascinating moment at the end of a day: the last rays of the setting sun sending a golden light on the water and on the grass. Phantastic shot!
Warm regards
Harriet

craiggc (2507) 2008-08-15 1:21

Hi Kath,
What superb, warm light you got here, captured perfectly in the clouds and grass. You did well to bring all the difficult elements of polarizer, grad, wind and direct sunlight together in this excellent scene
Regards
Craig

jlbrthnn (38867) 2008-08-15 2:00

Hello Kath,
I like this setting sun photographed in a nonbanal way, with clouds, ground, and sea which one distinguishes perfectly, and also grasses of the foreground of which the top of the stems is gilded. Excellent image.
Have a nice day
Cordially
Joël

jimkilgallon (0) 2008-08-15 3:31

Hello Kath
Beautiful setting, this is a gorgeous sunset, as simple as that.
Regards
Jim

paura (39170) 2008-08-15 6:56

Kath,
Very nicely obtained photo in an excellent lighting and colours settings. The lighting effect in the grass FG are really beautiful. well done.

Regards

Paulo

Sanderson-Brown (1697) 2008-08-15 8:06

Hi Kath
WOW.........

its good, and a lot of people agree with me :D So i just want to drop off my 2 points and add this one to my favs to look at again.
tfs
kind regards
paul

rodgerg (24909) 2008-08-15 8:45

Hello Kath,

Superb photo. I like especially the hot colors, the ray light, the reflections in the water and especially the grass colour gold. Congratulations,
Roger

Wandering_Dan (3285) 2008-08-15 9:18

Hi, Kath -

Beautifully done! A shot straight into the sun that isn't blown out, and that also captures the light elsewhere. And a great composition, too: the diagonals in the clouds mirror the ones in the grass.

Best,
Dan

Gerrit (36229) 2008-08-15 10:17

Hi Kath,
fantastic picture. I love the golden glow over the high grass ands the well controlled sunlight dominating it.
Regards, Gerrit

Photo65Net (43096) 2008-08-15 10:30

Kath,
Superb light and exposure management here.
Your compo, which includes the golden grass in the FG, is very good too.
A beautiful one,
Regards,
JB.

Cricri (43706) 2008-08-15 12:08

Hi Kath,
Vraiment trés jolie avec le vent sur les herbes dorées, le reflet du soleil sur l'eau et les couleurs chaudes dans le ciel, un moment magique bien capturer
Best regard
cricri

huahoa (3691) 2008-08-15 12:39

Hi Kath,
A very warm picture !
I'm very impressed by the sun reflect on water and grasses.
Very well done !
Hoa

gneufeld (15233) 2008-08-15 12:59

Hi Kath,
This is gorgeous. Wow, the backlighting and how your camera recorded the details in the foreground is stunning. Great colors, awesome perspective, and perfect presentation. WEll done and TFS. Gerald

ysabaner (1067) 2008-08-15 13:09

Hi Kath,
Wonderful sunset, nice colors, excellent composition.
Well done.
Yahya

gilou530 (35642) 2008-08-15 14:09

salut kath
j'adore le reflet du soleil sur les herbes du premier plan, un paysage des cotes anglaise sous une lumiére fabuleuse, beau travail
amitiés
gilbert

ruisc_pt (6207) 2008-08-15 14:46

fantastic golden light at the sunset.
In fact this grass looks like corn golden fields.
Great light management Kath.
TY
Rui

papagolf21 (56715) 2008-08-16 1:52

Bonsoir, chère Kath,
Très grand coup de coeur pour cette magnifique réalisation. Un mot devrait suffire pour donner à cette composition un nom : Superbe !
Merci, Kath, de nous emporter dans un si beau rêve.
Félicitations pour cette maîtrise technique et de la poésie qui se dégage de cette composition.
Amitiés.
Philippe

ChrisJ (70443) 2008-08-16 6:31

Hi Kath

A spectacular sunset, with marvellous colour, contrast, & repetition of the golden tinged grass stems in the fg. Tfs!

Stepan (27175) 2008-08-16 9:02

I really do appreciate and enjoy the golden light on the grass. Quite unusual and simply beautiful. Like a kind of caress...
A great technical management, a great post...
Excellent.
Stéphane

AiresSantos (42826) 2008-08-16 9:14

HI Kath
Lovely light and colours in the grass. Beautiful colours in this fine photojob.
Thanks for sharing and greetings
Aires

danos (33192) 2008-08-16 9:30

Hello Kath,
splendid the captured light of the foreground that make it so great, with the sunset beams to floodlight it.Excellent the colors and the sublight of the sky that make the scene memorable.Well done.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

plimrn (19694) 2008-08-16 10:15

Hi Kath,
One can't call the light magical becuase you consisently show it so well. However the golden tips of grass dancing in the last light make a beautiful sunset - extraordinary!!
HLJ, Pat

albertz (2310) 2008-08-16 19:22

What a beautiful foreground for a sunset, the grass indeed illuminates and the casting of golden brown conveys an excellent sense of isolation and broodiness. Great shot Kath, i just put it in my favorites.

ElAprendiz (7370) 2008-08-16 19:44

Hello Kath:

I think any comment that emits, is no different to all the comments made. Simply amazing and thank you for sharing this beautiful landscape, so full of light and splendor.

A hug from Colombia

John

jurek1951 (26110) 2008-08-16 23:28

Hi Kath,
Very nice and touching story and a very good sunset picture, well composed and technically good, well done,
Georg

holmertz (9939) 2008-08-17 2:07

Hello Kath,
Fantastic light, painting the grass yellow. Technically very well done under difficult circumstances.
Best wishes,
Gert

berek (29005) 2008-08-17 2:12

Hi Kath,
I like lovely sunset colours and beautiful nature. its calm place. thanks for your sharing. greetings.
Burak

patdeph (18286) 2008-08-17 2:27

hello Kath
yourtitle could not be better!The grass is wondrefuly lightened,but there is also a superb sky,and fantastic sunrays!Splendid!
Regards
Pascale

axiotea (16263) 2008-08-17 4:35

hello Kath
Stunning sunset colors for this wonderful landscape! I like the impression of movement provided by the golden and well textured grass which adds depth to the image.
Cheers
Marilyn

TopGeo (22181) 2008-08-17 5:19

Hi Kath excellent choice point!A fine and top quality presentation!Superb sharpness good golden in FG, and BG colours and so much details a great serene and peaseful atmosphere photo Many thanks!
Geo

snunney (35436) 2008-08-17 6:27

Hello Kath,
What else can one say about this except how beautiful and amazing it is.

Tue (25608) 2008-08-17 6:33

Hi Kath,
What a gorgeous sunset photo with such great golden colours. I really like the clouds and the silhouettes of the cliffs in the background and it's just great how the grass reflects the light, it gets a wonderful golden hue. Very well seen and captured!
Regards,
Lars

zeca (20026) 2008-08-17 21:48

Wow! Beautiful picture, Kath! The foreground is amazing! And its nice that 1/40 didn´t blurr the details in the golden plants. I am supposing that there was no wind to play against your shot. Well taken! Its great!
Regards,
Zeca

marietom (32076) 2008-08-18 2:39

hello Kath,

Wonderful atmosphere and colors.
Bonne journée
Marie

LamCam (3603) 2008-08-18 11:46

Hello Kath,
A superb scene, but a difficult one to capture well. You have risen to the challenge marvellously with this shot. The texture of the burnished grasses makes this coastal sunset special.
Best wishes...Maggie

Emile (20107) 2008-08-19 12:20

Hola Kath.
Superb sunset scene with beautiful golden tones and magnificent silhouette and reflection. The high grass looks like painted by the sun light. Wonderful composition. Very well captured.
Well done.
Best wishes.

chrisnet (20376) 2008-08-19 12:49

Hello Kath,
I like this amazing sunset, the rays of light on the grass are stunning, very nice composition.
Regards

Angshu (34089) 2008-08-19 20:40

Hello Kath
The grasses in the FG, reflecting the sun...gorgeous! Like the overall colour & the streaky clouds. The sun being almost in the centre does hurt the eye a bit, but the exposure is well handled, being armed with Grad & polariser. Technically in my humble opinion, this is a superbly done photograph.
Best Regards
Angshu

pablominto (41314) 2008-08-20 7:25

Hello Kath,

The strong attraction is in the golden straws moving in the evening breeze!
The composition is near perfect, so is the exposure...
Not much more to say, really!

Greetings,
Pablo -

derek3755 (2341) 2008-08-20 23:48

Hi Kath

wonderful coastal scene, the light and atmosphere is great, but for me the flare is annoying, and i know it is not your fault, it's a problem we get with all digital cameras especially when combined with filters, and one thing the camera manufacturers will have to address at some point, or at least i hope they do so.

Regards
Derek

lasscor (7637) 2008-08-21 11:28

Hi Kath,
Wonderful golden composition.
Wonderful landscape.
Wonderful light and grass illuminations in foreground.
TFS,
Corinne

Glint (3058) 2008-08-24 13:29

hello Kath,
This is like painting with gold.The rays of the diving sun and the shaft of gold on the sea, together with grass like golden embroidery threads make an amazing picture.
Bev

JCG (25741) 2008-09-06 11:14

Hi Kath,

It is one magic moment which you photographed here, it is a true happiness for the eyes. A superb management of the lights which gives fabulous reflections to this seaside. Kath, cheer and thank you.

With all my friendships and a very good WE,

Jean-Charles

jean11-3 (2799) 2008-09-17 8:29

Hello Kath, this is a very special shot;you could go there many times and maybe never experience such a wonderful sunset again.
I love the golden sun shining on the grass, the very reason you selected this picture.
Beautiful composition, colours and sharpness.
Tfs, regards Jean.

steliosk (4784) 2008-09-27 19:08

Hi Kath, I've return from my long absence work/vacations. I see you have many new posts, I'll start with this one where i love the way you have captured the light, and the sun looking faithful and not overexposed. I'm wondering how you did it. HDR / RAW? Sun gets white most of the times.

Many Regards my friend
Stelios

riclopes (33131) 2008-11-02 6:58

Most amazing image, Kath. Sunsets give me mixed feelings: I'm tired of photos of them and at the same time I feel very atractted to them. Even more if they bring something extraordinary, which is the case with this FG. What attracted you is what makes this so beautiful. In fact, the background is also very beautiful but not so extraordinary - I actually like a lot that bright line close to the horizon. Now, my words sound confusing...Anyway, congrats on this spectacular work.
ric