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Circular Connectivity


Circular Connectivity
Photo Information
Copyright: Brian Hartley (akula802) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 68 W: 3 N: 135] (1099)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-04-16
Categories: Nature, Decisive Moment, Experimental, Nocturnal
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon 18-55 EFS
Details: Tripod: Yes (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Northern Lights, Dingo's favourites too, Viewer [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-04-17 4:02
Viewed: 1335
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 29
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
"Everything in nature goes in circles. The seasons change in a circular cycle. The earth itself is a circle, and it travels in a circular orbit around the great circle of the sun. The path of life is a circle; we go from from birth to death, ashes to ashes, and from dust eventually back into dust.

-- Eustace Conway, 'The Last American Man'



Last Wednesday, I met a friend of mine in Grand Forks, and we departed for a backpacking expedition into the Roosevelt Wilderness - the heart of the rugged country that makes up the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The ranger sent us up a few miles of prairie trail to the 'back door' of the park, and we made our way toward the Achenbach Spring with howling wind and intermittent rain blasting us in the face for the entirity of the day's journey. We packed down the side of a steep, 400-foot butte to link up with the trail a few miles ahead of schedule, and the adventure began.

All in all, it was just what the doctor ordered; a little bit of solitude, a little bit of peace and quiet, and a little bit of actually living life instead of wasting it away in some air-conditioned office. We woke up to a herd of bison grazing just outside our camp, explored the unique land formations caused by the downcutting of the Little Missouri River, navigated by the stars for the last leg of the journey, and consumed an unbelievable amount of raisins and peanut butter.

I've been meaning to try out this photo idea for quite some time now, but I lacked the proper opportunity until this weekend. Basically, I wanted to take a sort of self-portrait using a long enough shutter speed to record the rotation of the stars, and this one worked out the best of all the attempts I made.

I simply waited for dusk, and set up right away because the moon phase was full, and I wanted to get the shot while the sky was at its darkest and thus had the most stars visible. I had my companion light from behind me with one burst of my flash unit, and then I sat there trying not to move for the better part of 10 minutes per attempt. Luckily, the breeze made the insects stay mostly away from us.

This particular shot worked out best because although faint, the greenish glow of the Aurora Borealis can be seen just above the horizon in front of me. It started its dance just after the exposure did, and ended shortly before the shutter snapped back shut. In photography, timing in everything ... timing and a whole pile of luck :-)

The post processing included a slight crop, levels adjustment, and a slight tweak in saturation, and I also had to clone-stamp out a 'ghost' line on my left side because as hard as I tried, I found it impossible to sit perfectly still for that long.

This is a new idea that I plan on continually experimenting with. I hope you enjoy it!


www.losthighwayphoto.com
thor68, tcenger, wl78njco, miroku2006, perryhooter, Dingo, BigWolf260, kbeall, sbelkoski has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
thanks to allakula802 1 04-29 21:39
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Critiques [Translate]

what an amazing photograph! it's very impressive. great execution. Thank you for the detailed note. -t

Awesome. I wish everyone gave such detail in their notes. Great color from top going to bottom, but the grass behind you and the back of you blue coat are quite bright! It's almost as if you were sitting under a street lamp. Sounds like a fun trip.

The best one.
Your note is totally great with aa lot of informations:)
Great picture
Regards

Few would ever go to this kind of effort for a self portrait. This is an astounding shot - and not just for the work you did to achieve it, but for how incredibly well it works.
Terms like DOF and composition are redundant, here, because it is what it is - and it "is" a simply stunning work of art.
Congratulations.

great star trails...beautiful shot...peace***

  • Great 
  • c3101 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 161 W: 0 N: 94] (1246)
  • [2006-04-17 10:29]

This is always very exiting doing this type of photography Brian, especially because you are forced to get outside in the middle of night :)
Your execution of the image went well. You kept still :) and the star trails came out nicely. Well done.

  • Great 
  • Tim Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 188 W: 18 N: 241] (1137)
  • [2006-04-21 11:08]

Very cool Brian. A real eye catcher.

Tim

hi,

yor picture is unbeatable.
its more than a photograph.

regards
mirek

  • Great 
  • iso Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1119 W: 62 N: 167] (27939)
  • [2006-04-29 20:47]

Something quite special, different, original, congrats Brian. Yes I liked it, I have a great admiration for your experiment, your patience. I'll give you more than two points but...
Thanks for the note, a plus.

Michel

Excellent shot! Just love it. Good use of long exposure. I like the effect of the stars.

  • Great 
  • thor68 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 412 W: 117 N: 762] (4536)
  • [2006-07-13 17:47]

wow, amazing "self-portrait", brian! :-)
sitting still for 10 minutes really paid off..
thanks for your hard work to show us this piece of art.
superb idea & well done, thorsten.

Great idea Brian!

Simple but very well set up and realized . Super note to complete your work! Indeed the image is not perfect. But a big A+ for your creativity .

Superb POV!!!! (LOL!)

Cheers!
Robert

  • Great 
  • Dingo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2744 W: 370 N: 2624] (11948)
  • [2006-10-23 15:24]

This is a beauty, Brian. I'm glad it showed up on TL's home page ;o).
A good idea and very well executed. The human element adds a piece of interest, still the sky with all its elements makes the undeniable subject...
Very well done, TFS

  • Great 
  • kbeall Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 532 W: 109 N: 902] (3580)
  • [2006-12-01 18:13]

Hi Brian,
I admire your creativity as well as your dedication in getting this shot. You tied it all together very well, and the journalism-part of your studies shines through in your contributions to TL.
All the best,
Karen

  • Great 
  • mbasil Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 250 W: 150 N: 409] (2860)
  • [2009-11-11 14:45]

Wow. Well done, Brian. I probably would have done a long exposure of the sky, walked into the shot and fired a flash at myself, and walked out and closed the shutter. Your is better an more real, and definitely took more patience.
Mike

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