This image posted thanks to Andrei Frolov.

-- Frank Kolwicz (bb389@lafn.org), January 05, 1999

Answers

The bottom 3/4 of this photograph is a strong image, rich in texture and color. I love the golden light and it's low angle as it sweeps across the rocks. And the creamy texture of the water near the top is nice. The very bright, detail-less sky keeps drawing my eye away. I think I might crop this directly above the water in the background where there are dark forms that look like waves.

-- Barbara Kelly (kellys@alaska.net), January 05, 1999.

I like the lower left soft smooth water going out(or in) and the texture in the sand of it just leaving. The top horizon is distracting to me being so hot. IMHO

-- Micheal F. Kelly (Kellys@alaska.net), January 06, 1999.

Frank,

your images are never banal. This is some disturbing, disorientating: why there is no sky? why there are all that rocks on the beach? the warm orange light from where origins?

What is the world around? It's our beloved Earth? or not?

I am curious to know why and how do you realized this shot.

Bye, Carlo.

-- Carlo Folli (c.folli@rsadvnet.it), January 06, 1999.

First, I apologize for the double posting, I don't know what happened to the first one and I am mystified that it has shown up here!

Yes, Carlo, it certainly is our beloved Earth, the part that is called Oregon in the U.S.

Regarding the white sky: I hate white skies! However, I love the looming black mountain on the edge of the image and would not want to cut it out. The sun has just, barely, set beyond the waves and the golden light is from an intense yellow band of sky - a giant yellow soft box. That's why the sky is white, there is just no way to hold it without a graduated ND filter, which would probably flare like hell with the bright sky beaming straight into it. There is also a very high wind (those distant waves may be 15 feet high) and it would probably have rattled my filter holder. The wind was so bad I went back and got my heavy-duty wooden Zone VI tripod for use with the Pentax 67 and 45mm lens. The film is Velvia.

The rocks are washed out of the mountains by the creek onto the beach and, when storms wash the sand away, they are revealed. I went back to this Oregon beach on several occasions months and years after this shot and the beach was buried in 5 or more feet of sand each time.

What got my interest was a combination of the swarm of black volcanic boulders with the glistening highlights from being wet, the detailed patterns of the water and sand, plus the simplicity of the color scheme which makes it nearly a monochrome.

As to the "why" and "how": why this shot and not something else? That's difficult to say, I simply go with my "eye", I don't analyze images before they are created, things just hit me. "How" is easier to explain - I first saw the texture of the rocks and the sand, etc. about an hour before the light got where I wanted it and I just sat it out, hoping that the light wouldn't blink out suddenly when the sun set and that clouds wouldn't come up and obscure the sun. When I finally set up the camera for shots of the sand and rocks alone, I was very attracted to the whole image as you see it here and that is the one I chose to print. It is the most dramatic of them all.

Frank

-- Frank Kolwicz (bb389@lafn.org), January 06, 1999.

I like the "silky" feel of the image. Has a "large format" look to it.

-- Larry Korhak (lvk@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu), January 07, 1999.

I would vote for leaving the sky in the picture. The mountain to the right adds depth to the shot and continues the "arching diagonal" of the rocks. Beautiful light! Mike Green

-- Mike Green (mgprod@mindspring.com), January 09, 1999.

Frank,

After looking at this image again a number of times I have to agree that leaving in the "looming black mountain" is important and so I would not crop out the sky. Also, it was interesting to hear your description of this area and the challenging conditions when you made the shot.

-- Barbara Kelly (kellys@alaska.net), January 10, 1999.