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Mars hasn't had water for 3 billion years, but this is what I imagine an ancient Martian ocean might look like. But this is real and here now at Salt Point state park, 2 hours north of San Francisco. This place is covered with these formations! This rock face is only 1-2 feet thick.
I think the big one looks like a crab claw, what do you think?
It was clear and windy with high tide at sunset, so not the best day to go. But I wanted some time to scope out future shots. Since it was so clear, I only had one chance for a decent shot just a few minutes before sunset. The dry season is here. No rain now for nearly a month and probably not much until November.
So after I scoped out the place and found about 20 good shots for the future, I waited for this shot for 3 hours, and hoped for a few thin clouds to cover the sky and fortunately they came in.
This was the only shot I got that day. (Literally, I only took one frame!) I had my plastic bag to cover the camera from the constant rain of salt spray, and as I removed it to take this shot, it blew out of my hand and flew away into the air like a helium balloon. I quickly took the shot and the ND grad was covered in salt after that. Wiping it is not enough, only a bag will do.
1/4 second exposure @F13 with ND grad 0.9 + 0.3
| Title: | Farscape |
| Username: | 
PatrickSmith |
| Uploaded: | 8 May 2006 - 5:37 AM |
| Camera: | Canon EOS 5D |
| Lens: | Canon 17-40L @30 |
| Recording media: | RAW ISO 50 |
| Tags: | Landscape / travel |
| Votes: | 185 |
Comments
Another stunner - I admire your patience and determination - it cetainly paid off!
This is magnificent, well done Patrick. Your images are an inspiration.
Cracking...As I look at this I am drawn in by the primal starkness, beautiful, certainly, but in a very raw and primitive way...your patience for the capture is astounding...I envy it a little...I also want to tahnk you for a, your kind words on some of my paltry efforts, and b, and far more importantly, for sharing your vision of your world with the rest of us...
Well worth the wait,its a fantastic shot, the lighting & sky are super
A smashing shot. Great colours and lead in with the detailed forground.
Lovey image Patrick, love the subtle lighting and those rock formations are just spectacular.
Phil
nicely detailled rock and is that wood aswell patrick? you have the patience of a saint, are you married lol
Have read your narrative Patrick and must say I'm impressed by your patience. It paid off however as you've got a cracking shot. No need to take more than one picture a day when they're as good as this! click
Joan
what an excellent shot. really dramatic atmosphere, and great rocky details. Nice use of light and interesting red sky.
Brill!
John
Thanks for your comments. I've been way behind on commenting so I'll do that soon.
Soupy, no such thing as 'Paltry efforts!'
LOL Maddie. Yes, and I guess I am patient. Actually, reading about how AndyTvCams will wait all day for a shot did make me realize what you have to do to get the shot. And you just enjoy nature while you wait. Much better than being in a office programming all day!
Joan, in this case perhaps, but I risked the whole day hoping to get this one shot. The terrain is too extreme to get anywhere fast enough to set up for another one.
Patrick
Hi Patrick,I love those formations,like arms and the movement they give off.Great shading and light,texture,detail,dof and the terrain that you can see in the photograph in my mind shows you like back and beyond at the same time.Outstanding!Take care.Ann
I like the light on the rocks, the formations are certainly interesting, lovely sky too, well worth the wait Patrick.
Sez
the rockformation almost looks like some half buried pre-historical skeleton. Impressive photo. would love to give you some tips for improvement, but you seem to be doing ok ;o)
A beautiful capture Patrick - I love the harsh line of the rocks in contrast to the delicate sky - beautiful and my idea of heaven!!
Debbie
An almost alien landscape. The patience you've shown waiting for the right light has really paid off in spades here.
D
Thanks for your comments! I was hoping that this would not be too extreme.
Yes, Ann, it is like a giant hand or claw reaching out.
LOL - Debbie, somehow how I knew you'd like this one!
D, this really is an alien place!
Stephan (smourt), so far it is great. Not only are there more pixels, but each one is of much better quality. No bleeding from one pixel to the next and the full frame means that my lens is not stuck at 17 any more. ISO 400 is like ISO 100 on my 350D!
Patrick
Beautiful colours and tones Patrick..Detail and lighting is spot on..
Don
Hello, California!
Hows the weather there? Its so hot here.............no time for EPZing : (
Jouko
Wow, you're right definately has an other worldly feel to it. Can see the crab claw too, like huge pincers.
Tracy
Thanks for looking!
Well Jouko, the weather is cloudless, dry and hot inland and cool at the coast. Not even any fog right now. It was 30c at my house but only 17c in San Francisco. Much warmer today. Maybe 35c by mid-week inland. This is NOT good for photography! I get about 5 minutes of decent light per day.....
Patrick
good to hear! I will be going to the UK to buy one. About a third cheaper than in South Africa. I considered buying one through B&W in New York but chose to wait, NY was the cheapest by about $300 at the time.
Patrick it is the same here in Cape Town. The reason most of my shots are so late or early is literally because it can get so hot and burned out. I totally understand when you say 5 minutes.
Its all been said Patrick. Outstanding shot. Well worth the long wait.
Geoff
A feast for the eyes. The f.g. detail is particularly good and i enjoyed your intro very much too. Nick.
Another fanstastic image Patrick - inspirational, well done. Your new 5D shows but shouldn't take the credit - you have to operate it - keep them coming
Shawry
Terrific tones, fantastic contorted shapes in the rocks, amazing amount of detail and texture, wonderful light and colour. First class image, well done indeed, another beauty.
Thanks for your comments!
Yes Stephan (smourt), it's time to get one if you can! And I hardly had to do anything in Photoshop either! And yes, 5 minutes is about all you get. I can't believe I actually 'hope' for bad weather now. And I can look forward to 7 more months of dissappointment!
Shawry, you are right. If I had taken this with the 350D, you probably would not know the difference in the 1000 pixel version.
Thanks Eric, this is an 'Eric' type shot to me!
Patrick
There is something about the image that draws you into it, looking for every little detail, yet it is so simple in context and composition. To me the mark of a well thought out and executed composition.
wonderful and brave too with your new camera or any camera given the conditions you speak of
Great location you've found Patrick, I can't wait to see more! Lovely light on this too.
Helen.
Amazing place, great description as usual. Nice work Patrick.
Chris
Hello Patrick. Worth waiting for this week.
Excellent image of that beautiful costline. Very Marshie.
Jan
A very different look to the rock formations here, Patrick. Very interesting. Thanks again for the details on how you captured this shot.
It may have been the only one that day but it is stunning. -=Walter
Its a fine ocean shot. Those rocks look as though they have seen some wear and tear, but the colours are wonderful
Hawk
wow..I have never been up that way to photograph in California, but its on my list now...striking formation with the rocks..I love looking at your images with the full format...they would all look great on a gallery wall..I always come back looking at your work...
alex
Staggering!
To me this looks like the remains of an enourmous dinosaur backbone rising out of the rocks, it really has a very pre-historic look to it. The colours compliment this so well too.
This is just beautiful and I would love to visit the location someday myself.
Ben
Thanks for looking!
Alex, the funny thing about this park, is that you can drive right by it on the coastal highway and never give it a second thought. Even when you go in and park in the lot near the water, you still don't realize what is out there. And I didn't see a single person all day hike this far out form the parking lot to get to this place.
Yes Walter, this is definitely different!
It's a great place Ben, but make sure you have strong knees and ankles. Much of the surface is like the top of that rock, not like the foreground shown here.
Patrick
Love the light and colour in the sky, amazing rock formation too!
gill
Certainly looks like it was taken on another planet !!
Super image
Zippie
So its warm there too....
Just came from two hours shooting trip...the sky was quite amazing this evening. Lots of clouds and the sun shining every now and then....its so hard to choose one shot from 216...LOL...So, I took 216 pictures today...and its then 216 days secured...LOL....
BTW...LOVE THE FG DETAILS IN THIS!
THE LARGER VERSION IS AWESOME!
Jouko
. . . gets my vote for the story alone . . . reminds me of the "double bagger!" gags we might tell down at the pub ? LOL . . .
. . seriously good stake-out Pat! . .
Mike.W
Patrick stunning, as always, at first looking at the thumbnail i thought there was a thin layer of mist below the larger rock formations i did n't realise till i looked at the larger version that its a path of either slightly lighter rock or rock bathed in stronger light - anyway i think it really think it adds something to a superb image.
all the best Paul
Well I have to agree with Jouko, the FG details are definitely superb, but for me I am always impressed by your capture of light, thats what makes this shot quality at its best! My only niggle is that there is no lone Seagull sitting out on the far edge of the rocks, and I looked too! 
Spot on! Click!!!
Greg
Thanks for your comments!
LOL - Leave it to Greg to wonder where the bird is! Well Greg, I didn't bring any nuts or peanut butter to put up there. Hmmm... now maybe that is a good idea....
Thanks Paul.
And what about this gag Mike? LOL - Do I want to know??
216 shots Jouko? That's 216 times as many shots as I took - LOL! That could last until the end of the year. You must have a very large capacity CF card to hold all those shots. Or do you just have several cards? I have only taken about 20 shots (+ 30 test shots) with the new 5D in almost a month now! Just one clear day after another and no time to compensate by spending all day to get that last 5 minutes of light!
Patrick
Patrick, the light, textures and detail on the rocks is outstanding. your patience paid off here.
Nigel
A good record shot, Patrick, shows it just like it is.....what it has to with Mars I have no idea......LOL...but as you live in Cali you are probably whacked out on Scooby Snacks.
Thanks Nigel.
Scooby whats Keith? lol... Supposedly Mars was covered in water about 3 billion years ago. I could just see it being like this.
Now I have to reseach Manet, Monet and Scooby snacks all in the same day? You sure make a lot of work for me! BTW, there are some seriously great landscapes here, as you will see later. Gotta wait for the right conditions. Maybe in the winter, but you'll see them. Sorry, but I can't find any warmly lit barns, so you'll have to put up with this.
Also BTW, Californians are very health conscious, we only prefer the finest natural herbs!
Patrick
Lol @ Martian ocean - tend to agree with Keith re the Scooby snacks! (Don't you watch Scooby Doo???)
Great shot - as usual!
Great use of a fascinating and surreal rock formation.
Those clouds did you a good service turning up just in time, the colour they provide really adds an important element.
Simon
Patrick, it's wonderful and very surreal...when are those flights tickets going to arrive for me
Angie x
Extraordinary shapes on this rocks. Like that beautiful sky complementing colors with the rocks.
Antonio
What a strange looking rock formation. You have captured the scene very well.
Ted
Stunning work again Patrick.
I admire your dedication .... 3 hours for one shot is incredible. Do you have a day job??
Keep them coming. Dave.
What an extraordinary landscape, Patrick. Your saintly patience paid off with a remarkable image that really does speak of another world. (You're pretty legendary, too!)
Lovely ragged seascape, - I love the weird rock in the middle of the frame.
W
Lovely exposure, once again captured just the right amount of movement in the sea water. As Simon mentioned the clouds turned up just in time! Great detail and lighting, although I am sure your future efforts from here will surpass it! Perseverance pays off...
Mark
Fantastic shot Patrick, amazing how you find these interesting locations.
Jason
Agree with your description it does look like a landscape from another planet. I love how the light hits the rocks and you can see all the textures and detail in the rock. I admire your determination and patience to get the right shot Patrick.
Mark.
Terrific seascape Patrick. Great rock shapes, almost like tree stumps and the wait was worth it to get that sky.Nice one.
Brian.
You have found an extraordinary formation of rocks here Patrick, the lighting and the exposure has brought out the beautiful colours and texures to great advantage. Another stunner.
John
Some beautiful light and texture going on in this Patrick. Didn't realise you'd upgraded to a 5D - well worth the expense with the standard of your shots these days.
Nik
Love the light and the atmosphere you have captured.The rock formations are quite unusual, well in UK at least.
Here we go again way too late to add anything new to the comments....
John
it's all been said, outstanding capture, very very well done indeed.
marc.
Very impressive work ... again ... as always! lol Well done, Patrick.
Susie :o)
Thank you for your comments!
Angie (beanibabe), if you can make it rain this week, the tickets are in the mail. LOL - No rain forecast for months so don't hold your breath LOL!
Yes dave, I have a day job. But fortunately I did have all of saturday to hike around and plan out a few shots!
LOL Ian.. I wish. Hmmm.. or do I?
Mark (sneazy) this is the tip of the iceberg here!
LOL Atu, or Godzilla!
Yes Nik, the 5D is worth it. So much less to do in Photoshop now!
Cathy, I've never seen a place like this anywhere in the world in any magazine or website!
(Smiling) Are you laughing at me again Susie?
Patrick
You are the MAN! You don`t go lower than 100 votes
stunning pf!!!
Michal
Cmon Man!
Its made for shots!
I got my 20D in the beginning of last June and now Ive been taken 17 500 shots with it!
I have five CF cards always with me and usually they last about an hour or so and they are full...LOL...3 Gt!...and all RAW images...
Jouko
Paddie, I think this is certainly one of your best!! The larger version a definite must-see!
The rock formations could be a number of different images within this photo.....
But what really stands out to me, is how you've captured the sunlight, the way it seems to intensify the image....One is drawn to it....
The Rocks.....Rugged, yet picturesque with the golden sun melting upon them...
Really quite Beautiful!
I can almost smell the aroma of seawater....Can only imagine this as one of many small inlets secreted along the coast....
A breath-taking sight and what a magnificent landscape this would make on canvas!
To me...The claw-like formation looks like a man (or maybe a 'Big-Foot'), that had tried to dive into the rocks, with the 'claws' being his legs, can even make out the little toes on the one foot...
Well Done...
Hope you have a nice day,
Suzan
Thanks Michal!
LOL - Sorry Jouko, only one shot per outing for me! Actually, on my 350D I've had since last May, I've put on about 4,000 photos. So far I have 50 frames on the 5D, most of those are experimental shots taken down from street and different apertures, ISO's, and focal lengths, so that I know exactly what to do when I'm out there.
There are no clouds! Maybe for months.... Usually a few will come along, so I'll have to wait. And the ocean fog will definitely be here in June.
Thanks Suzan! Wait until you see this coast under good light. Is there a way to uncompress that file without registering to download the program? Or can you send a zip file? I would like to see it, but Mac's often don't talk to PC's very well sometimes.
Yes, there are claws, feet, hands, lots of heads, even entire bodies of strange creatures in these rocks!
Patrick
no problem, Patrick!
Im a bit Canon holic...LOL....I take about five or six shots with different settings, from -2EV to -0.33EV and then choose which best fits to occasion...I have ordered Cokin filter system with three ND grads and a Tobacco filter...Hope I get them next Friday...then I dont have to shoot so many shots from same spot....but who am I, teaching the Master!
Thanks!
Jouko
Hello Patrick, another good exposure detailing well the rock profile against the beauty of your sky. Perfect exposure.
Doug.
hi Patrick, the detail is amazing.....All i can say is stunning!!
Keith
What amazing rock formation, Patrick, nicely captured too, lovely sky
Mari
You certainly have a lot of patience Patrick! This is a super shot. I love the colours, lighting and mood!
Very "raw" look to it. Lovely picture Patrick. I must say that I definately enjoy your photos. Thanks also for the comments on my "airscapes".
Lately the clouds seem to be avoiding me, or they keep moving too fast!
Have a splendid day.
Georg
Thanks for your comments!
Wow Jouko, that's a lot of work! the filters will change everything. You will see.
(smiling) Z-what Sweetpea? You sure fall asleep quickly! Actually, you might as well go back to sleep because it is just one clear day after another. No good light or anything. So no decent shots yet from me.
LOL - So wake up, get up off the sidewalk and move along. This is a respectable neighborhood!
Patrick
another excellent shot,great shapes in the rock formation and tones
samantha
Rofl Patrick. Jeez, it must be so depressing, all that good weather! ;0)
Thanks Samantha!
Yes Sweetpea, we will only get a few days with any rain from now until November, as this is the dry season now. So I'll be squeezing every last drop out of every cloud I see!
And BTW; if you look in the EPZ rules and regulations Chapter 92834 Section 75b-2, Paragraph 17,3 near the bottom, it states:
"Thou shalt not fall asleep under another member's photograph, unless thou hath uploadith a photograph more recently."
'nuff said..lol!
Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Wow 124 people like this. Dont blame them its stunning. I thought it looked like a claw too. Also looks like a fine mist along the rocks. Excellent work.
Love Tanya
Hey Patrick another beauty to be proud of!! Love how much detail is captured especially from the rocks in a gorgeous scene!Beauty all the way!
stay well
tonymarq
Goodness,it's a long way down here Parick !
A super composition & exposure,very good photography work.
Janet
gorgeous scene, brilliant composition, stunning light
Fascinating landscape, Patrick. The look of Mars certainly is there. Did you have to zoom the 5D?
(I've made a slight concession and ordered a monopod.)
What can I add this late oh well another excellent shot Patrick, that will do.
Chris
Thanks for your comments.
LOL - Teresa, for a second I thought you wrote 'Sea Monster!'
Yes Tanya, I actually waited for the waves to calm down, as they were covering up the view across the ocean for most fo the time.
Sorry for the finger cramp Janet!
Yes Verne, this one is in the middle of the lens. It's not stuck on 17 any more! A monopod? What's gotten into you? You're becoming 'one of them!' What's next? Landscapes?
Patrick
Don't think there's any more I can say PAtrick, that hasn't already been said.
I will say that this is outrageously good though!!
All the best
Martin
This is another stunning shot and well worth your long wait. I don't often see the sea because I live inland but I did have a trip to the coast this week and am trying to learn what I can from your superb shots. It could take a while though! I may upload some later this week!
AMAZING PIECE! Very artistic viewpoint and just the right elements of color...exposure..and the photographer!
RicoChico
Its a tough job but somebody has to do it - 3 hours? Thats patience! Although looking at the view, I could easily lose 3 hours or so just admiring the view.....thanks for sharing such a great location with us.
Oh - and yes, I agree it looks like a crabs claw : )
Jeanie
Interesting rock formations and a lovely sky. Well captured.
Saskia
Thanks for looking!
Barbara, I look forward to seeing what you get. It takes a long time to get used to doing seascapes vs. landscapes. With the salt spray and threatening waves, it is like a contact sport sometimes.
Jeanie, for 3 hours I was trying to get a shot of what was in the opposite direction of this shot but the waves were too big and the tide was too high..and the wind was blowing spray everywhere. When I get that shot, it will be my most favourite one yet. But I knew that this one would be ready just as the sun set.
Patrick
Blah blah blah... Gorgeous... yadda yadda yadda... Patrick rules... Same 'ole same 'ole praise. You're like a photography rock star.
LOL Carol Ann, I could never be a star because I don't have a drug problem and I have never been in rehab for anything!
Patrick
Mi Estimado Paddie,
Esperando que usted se despierta pronto y anuncia una fotografa nueva. ropas ....My salen del estilo como yo aguardo su prximo disparo.....With tent aliento, no menos!
Los abrazos a usted tambin,
Suzan X
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hee Hee!
PS: Thought you could translate this better than 'Pig Latin'...
LOL Suzan, if you hadn't translated it, I'd be getting Jouko in here to help me out!
And wake up, I'll try to find something to put up here to amuse you!
Patrick
Paddie,
Muy bueno..................It should have been at least a.....Muy Muy bueno...LOL!!!
Hey....I am awake, in fact, I think it was you that woke me up......I heard the 'Drama' coming loud and clear all the way from the west coast???
Something about someone whining and crying about having NO pictures.....?
Wait.....Do you hear that....Listen........It's Violins!!
LOL!
Here's the answer to all of your Drama Problems....Take a walk down to Pier 39.5, order a Super-Sizer Coffee, then get a bag full of those licious mini-Dognuts (LOL), I mean do-nuts, and just take a picture, without the Drama...And don't forget to add, "Please, Oh Please, NO Comments today....LOL!!!
Big Hug to the Drama-King.....Suze x
Sharp as ever Pat, a nice warm tone to the whole scene, couldn't you have got a seagull to pose on the rocks for you though?...lol
i know what you mean about seaspray/salt on the filter, last time i went, my lens took a hit from the spray and no amount of cleaning with a cloth would remove it, i had to wait till i got home to clean it properly, next time i'll bag it
Good stuff as always, Patrick. Can't wait to see the 'future' shots from that place.
Benedict
Thanks for looking!
Aye caramba, Suzan!
Terry, you know I bring lots of paper towels, but even that is not enough when it is like rain! I'll have a look around for seagulls!
Me too Benedict.
Patrick
LOL, Paddie.....This could only mean 2 things....
An exclamation of disgust or an interjection denoting your surprise???
Hmmmm, think I'll just say....'No comprende'...LOL!!
Have a Wonderful Thursday, Paddie.....Suze
Well Suzan,
LOL - How about disgust about you hearing violins and surprize that you are awake during the daytime?
Thanks for the sentiments Suzan but it has been a super busy day. More later...
Patrick
having just seen this for myself yesterday, i can appreciate it more, the light here was way better bringing out the textures and providing a warm feel to the scene, and the cloudy skies held off for you too, well done with this Patrick, nice shot.
Something romantic about this shot: it's almost as if a full rigged ship will come round the bay at any minute. The texture reminds me of paintings I may be wrong here all I can say is thank you for waiting, and for your skill and patience.
(*.*)D
Thanks for looking!
Thanks Terry. I'm not putting up anything new from here this time around. The light was just bad!
You're right Daphne. I had not thought of that.
That is what it seemed like, Denka!
Patrick
Beautiful shot, those rock formations have a mysterious feel them, a view from the jurrasic period, Superb.
Yogendra
Wonderful golden light and excellent detail in the rocks, certainly does look like it's from a different planet!
Charlotte
This is a wonderful shot excellent detail and colour.Thanks for your advice on my photo any advice is welcomed i have seen your work what can i say excellent.
Patrick, this is one of my fav shots I think .... tho I could say that about all of your work .... but it is high up the list for me .... the colours ... the light and textures ..... the amazing detail ... just stunning! Ans as everyone has already said ..... your patience certainly pays off and shows so well in your work! I am in awe! Take care ... Click*
Karen
The shape of the rocks remind me of the beams of an old ship left for the sea to reclaim, or possibly even the bones of a dinosaur... Rather fanciful possibly but I really enjoy an image that sets my imagination off and this one certainly does that!
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