Root Island
This is from the main salmon viewing area closest to the parking area at Goldstream River, taken near the end of my time there when most people had gone home and it was getting dark.
I was drawn to this mass of roots around a lone tree, isolated from the river bank by a back eddy. I am guessing, from the bark, that the tree is either a broadleaf maple, or an alder.
I had just had coffee with the Toad of Toadhollow Photography who had told me that indeed I could choose which bracket to use for de-ghosting, something I had thought was not possible with Photomatix. And thus I did not wait around for this guy to disappear from my shots, especially since someone else was likely to show up. In the end he stood remarkably still for a couple of the brackets, and so I could leave him in.
But it sure is nice to learn that I could have just de-ghosted him out of existence entirely (works better with more brackets as well) as I had to do for some blurry seagulls on the island edge which were not still and not even present in at least one bracket..
Canon 5Dii, Nikkor-N pre-ai 24mm/f2.8 lens, ISO100, f-16?, 3 brackets , +/- 1.0 EV, with 0 EV at 13 seconds.
.
.
burnt embers 
What an honor and a privileged to be part of this, Ehpem, I am totally humbled! LOVE this photo, it totally oozes drama of the highest magnitude. Isn’t nature beautiful, even when it’s strange? That tree is simply one of the most amazing things I’ve seen… I should make a point of going and checking it out myself, although I hesitate to do so now given that there is now way I could top this image!
LikeLike
Hi Toad – thanks for all the tips. It’s great to learn from someone as knowledgeable as you are. You should check it out – I think the water level makes a big difference. Sometimes it must be submerged and others high and dry. Probably worth visits throughout the year to capture its differing personalities.
LikeLike
Great idea, Ehpem! I love doing follow ups to see a scene as the seasons (and thus immediate surroundings) go through change.
LikeLike
Ephem, this feels like an infrared photograph. All dreamy and mysterious. I love that there is a salmon ‘glowing’ in the water.
The man is kind of interesting, actually – I didn’t notice him for some time.
LikeLike
Thanks! I had not thought of infrared, but when processing it there was something familiar that I was not able to name, and infrared it is, I am pretty sure. So thanks! I did another version of this where the leaves and trees in the background are much brighter and that one was even more like infrared. The man does not stand out in black and white, which is all for the better I think.
LikeLike
Pingback: Salmon Log « burnt embers
I am struck by the dichotomy of the soft water and the almost dreamy root island contrasted by the dead salmon visible in the lower left portion of the image. Almost like “raw nature”, beautiful but also sometimes unforgiving. Very intriguing shot Ehpem!
LikeLike
Hi Mrs. Toad – thank you so much. It maybe raw, but to me it comes across as soft, dead fish included. Is there room for soft (not sharp edged) in ‘raw nature’?
LikeLike
Looks like winter with ice, not fall with salmon, but the leaves on the trees show its still fall. Phew! Big relief!
LikeLike
I had not thought of the ice comparison, but you are right. Good thing it’s not ice – that much ice on such a fast moving river in this part of the world would be bad news indeed. We are not equipped for it at all.
LikeLike
I like the glassy water against the texture of the trees. A very nice effect. The ghost fish is sort of an eerie reminder of it’s existence. Nice!!!
LikeLike
Thanks Ken – I like those contrasting textures as well. The fish is ghost-like now that you mention it (though I did ‘de-ghost’ it as it must have been moving gently making it even less distinct).
LikeLike
The guy standing still and looking away from the camera gives the image a slightly macabre feel which without him I don’t think would be present. Reminds me of the Blair Witch Project for some reason.
LikeLike
Hi Katherine. I have never seen the Blair Witch Project so I can’t respond to that. But it was weird how he stood so still for the better part of a minute. I think he was probably taking pictures with his phone; there is a stranded dead salmon at his feet which I also gravitated towards for photography.
LikeLike