The Kayaker, a photo from Virginia, South

Photographer's Note

Here's the next shot in my series of the C&O Canal and Great Falls. This time we are looking at Great Falls from the other side, Virginia. I caught this kayaker making his way down the Potomac River. The National Park Service is nice enough to allow kayakers to do this. But they prefer that people try this during the week in case there's a bad accident. However this guy was doing this on a weekend. Depending on the water level it can get up to a class 5 rapid.
This was taken with my new Nikon D70. Because of no zoom lens I did severe cropping just so we could see the guy and his surroundings. But I think the image quality is still good, all things considered.

Stay tune for the next shot and we will discover his fate!

digi-mom, nwoehnl, cessy, weswang, MarekP, Tue, jjbach, simonekarl, alford, aloyho, petertee, jpages, quantabeh, jhm, baudinm, robiuk, Emile, Galmeida, waterboy, Didi, aznegrao, huynt, rachelonthego, papagolf21, ramesh_lalwani, cunejo200, martou, anilyn ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

digi-mom (1064) 2005-06-12 11:49

What an eye-catching photo - his bright orange against the natural grays and browns, especially an obvious waterfall, make this very exciting, and yes, I am looking forward to the next shot! I think the cropping worked pretty well too.

[2]

davido (1982) 2005-06-12 11:50

What an impressive shot Stephen! The compo is all right despite you did not have a zoom lens. The kayaker is just very discrete but still visible with his orange boat!
David

rajhema (1873) 2005-06-12 11:59

You have certainly projected the danger the kayaker faces in this picture. Wonderful shot. The ferociousness of the fall is expressed very weel

[2]

Ina (2687) 2005-06-12 12:37

Fantastic colors and composition... I like this red cayak in the middle of all the natural colors...It makes a great contrast... TFS...Ina...

[2]

nwoehnl (122) 2005-06-12 13:07

Hi Steve. An impressive man-vs-the-elements scene captured here, the guy looks kinda lost amidst all the dropping cascades. The bright red color of the boat and the diagonal position of the paddle make your main subject stand out nicely, and the alternating rhythm of rocks and falling water is well depicted.

[2]

naxius (16685) 2005-06-12 13:14

Hi Stephen
Wow! Such a jump! Is he crazy?? Very good POV of this compo. Even though you did not have a tele, you made it good.
Bravo!
Alex

cessy (13647) 2005-06-12 13:24

woww.. excellent shot, Steve
that red kayaker surely brave
the water falling really nice ! very well done

CliffW (2381) 2005-06-12 13:48

Wheww, ok this guy's got some nerve! Cool shot and it didn't come out bad at all for being a crop. A little shake but I would have easily credited that to rapid movement. Can't wait to see how he makes it through.

Jeppe (18654) 2005-06-12 14:46

Oh - I find it hard to believe that guy actually could make it down here - I like this fine action shot very much - the mix of roaring water and cliffs truly amazing to watch thanks Stephen - I put this in my private theme.

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Rockyboy (20598) 2005-06-12 15:22

Impressive to see this guy there! , Stephen! and you catched him at the right moment! Even with a severe cropping the quality is still there. Bravo!

[2]

weswang (18223) 2005-06-12 15:54

Wow, Mr. Steve, This is a fantastic shot. You were in a perfect position and angle in taking this picture. The rapid water is clearly seen and it looks that to kayak in this rapid is quite risky.
This is a high quality photo with nice contrast, clarity, and sharpness. Well done.
I wonder that if you have a long lens, what will you do. I have order a 70~300 lens as we have discussed last time. I am looking forward for its arriving.

robespierre (125) 2005-06-12 16:18

What a suberb waterfall, and what a crazy guy in the kayak!
A fantastic shot taken at the right moment because there is somewhat to guess.
By cropping the scene you've succeeded to create a vey interesting picture. Compliments!

MarekP (4750) 2005-06-12 16:19

Hi Stephen,
You did an excellent job this time. Crop and compostition are absolutely perfect, as well as colours and sharpness. The red kayak amid the huge mass of water looks fantastic. Very well done! I won't sleep waiting for your next photo.

Thanks,
Marek

Leonie (8809) 2005-06-12 17:14

Hi Stephen...
wow...excellent shot! How the hell is he going to get down there?? All these river details are great! Congrats and enjoy your new toy...I can only dream about such a camera!

Cheers, Léonie

Tue (80330) 2005-06-12 17:32

Hi Stephen,
Very nice and well seen capture of this little fierce colours of the kayak in that wild water! Great picture! :-D
Groetjes,
Lars

dbyoungster (29) 2005-06-12 18:01 [Comment]

Show Comment

jjbach (9326) 2005-06-12 19:14

He must be crazy !!!
Very impressive shot Stephen. Excellent contrast and great textures. I'm waiting for your next post. Amazing shot, bravo !!

Regards John

Mishe (3533) 2005-06-12 21:05

Hi Steve!
Very exciting and beautiful made photography!
Best Regards!
Mishe!

PJE (20758) 2005-06-12 23:21

Well Mr Stephen Inguanti this is well worth the checking into for viewing. You have quite a few trips up your sleeve. This photo is excellent but mostly because of what that stupid mad man is about to do..

dsidwell (9783) 2005-06-12 23:34

This looks fun! I'm glad you were able to post the largest size possible. That kayaker really gets lost there. Very exciting and lovely composition, Stephen! Sell it to an outdoor magazine!

simonekarl (404) 2005-06-13 0:47

Great capture, you adapted well to your situation without the zoom, and till posted a great shot. Well done.
One goood thing about the kayaker being small, is that it really emphasises the size the fall he's about to shoot. There is a strong sense of power in this shot. I can't wait for the next one....
Simone..

Mafo (1339) 2005-06-13 1:56

Very impresive photo Stephen!
Very dinamic composition, nice colors and sharpnes!
Regards

danyy (0) 2005-06-13 1:57

Bonjour Stephen,
une image impressionnante en plan semi-rapproché, on distingue bien la furie de eaux et la vitesse à laquelle elle dévale les chutes.
Bien courageux monsieur que celui-là, moi, j'en ai la chair de poule.
Magnifique document.
Daniel.

alford (4063) 2005-06-13 2:08

Hi Stephen! I'm really curious what happened to this guy. The river looks really dangerous! This is an action packed shot! Definitely will return to check out this guy's fate. rgds.

aloyho (6798) 2005-06-13 2:59

Hi Stephen,
Really an adrenalin pack shot!! The overwhelming force of the rapids is very well shown and captured and the sheer size and height makes his task unimaginable. You have successfully put your viewers to wonder what's going to happen next. This is the beauty and strength of this shot. Congratulations!!! Superb shot! All the best.

PixelTerror (0) 2005-06-13 5:27

Hi Steve,
Very well framed and action loaded photo, we get to see well here how powerful the river is and this increases the risky feeling seeing the kayaker, he also had a good idea to take a red kayak, this provided an excellent colored spot for your photo.
Have a nice sunday,
Jean-Yves

[2]

lukkul (510) 2005-06-13 13:43

Hello Stephen,
After a delay of a mounth I'm here to see TE members works. So my sorry for this. Good eyes, sportiv momment and capture and a well production and done frame with all the elements very well located.

Nice and Nice post!
Luis

jpages (1670) 2005-06-13 19:04

Hi Stephen,
very impressive shot, with the orange kayak contrasting in a perfect way with the river waterfalls. The POV is perfect to get this superb force of the water. The light and the clearness are perfect. Simply "spectacular"!!!
Best regards.
Jaume

quantabeh (5205) 2005-06-13 20:19

Hi Steve,
great point of view here, with good sharpness and nice depth of field. you have provided a really good perspective here.
good work!
Behrang

ppetretta (153) 2005-06-13 21:25

Steve,
Thanks for your comments on "Backyard Alley". I find it hard to believe that you would not know where Waterford is having grown up with in a few miles of there. You should consider a visit. I like your photo of the kayaker. Maybe you would try posting one of this boater actually desending the falls. Other wise, I like.

Peter

supereira (9576) 2005-06-14 6:05

Great shot.Great composition and point of view.I like the colors,light,textures and sharpness.Great details.Very dinamic shot.Well done!

jhm (200739) 2005-06-14 7:29

Hi Stephen,
The waterfall together with the splendid stones, make you picture very beautiful, but the man in the boat is a everything daring.
Very well done!
John.

jemaflor (133302) 2005-06-14 12:59

Superb shot Stephen, very impressive view. Kayak seems a small point in this dangerous panorama. I like kayak ... but not in this place !
Very well done.

baudinm (349) 2005-06-14 13:24

Hi Stephen,
This is an incredible shot that you captured.
The point of view is perfect.
The composition is perfect : the size of the men seems very small !
The impression of speed is interesting.
Bravo !
Amicalement,
Michaël

robiuk (10807) 2005-06-14 16:52

Can't wait to see what happened - I'm sure he ended up down there safely!
I suppose a shot with better zoom range would do justice to a sharper image of the kayaker, but as you say, even with 18-70 it looks good.
Absolutely stunning riverscape shot, Stephen!
Cheers,
Robi

john_c (24666) 2005-06-15 0:40

My goodness, Stephen. You have really scored with this shot. The large format is so enhancing for the action in this scene, which you have captured so clearly. Your results here restore my faith in digital. The clarity and contrast are perfect. Very well captured. First rate.

ChrisJ (157383) 2005-06-15 3:35

Hi Stephen

You could also add this to a decisive moment theme! Excellent sharpness, color, & pov. Well done!

Emile (20352) 2005-06-16 1:26

Very good shot, beautiful place.
The guy is very brave. Nice colors and sharpness.
Very well captured from an excellent angle.
Well done Stephen.

Galmeida (12559) 2005-06-16 16:05

Hi Stephen,
I agree with your gidelines but you reached a great composition and try. And this is a great experience, because is the momment and the new! Reduced is allways a not so quality but only the blind can't see the work.

Best to you and also for this nice sportiv and different approach!

Fernando

premels (2400) 2005-06-19 4:22

Hi Stephen, This is a very nice set of action shots. The exposure and focus are quite good. I like specially the rendering of the rocks.

Steft (6109) 2005-06-19 18:38

Oh, what is this guy doing? He must be very brave! I also have done this in Belgium, but there, the waterfalls weren't higher than my leggs;)

You caught this at the very right moment. I like the fact this the kayak is red, because it gives the photo some good contrasts.

I like this shot a lot!

alainh (33209) 2005-06-20 17:18

hello Stephen.
Too much for me !!!
a very good shot just before ....
good balance and colours.
regards
alain

RegisMinot (1543) 2005-06-22 16:50

Hi Steve !
After looking at the whole series of action shots in the falls, this is the one I prefer because the kayaker is really in a situation of "no return" (this sounds like a movie with Marilyn Monroe, the river of no return). Very good DOF, nice and well contrasted colours also !

mumek (20226) 2005-06-23 20:25

Good evening Stephen!
Very good photographer, good camera, timming and super picture! Everything here for me is excellent. Thanks for posting and thanks for the note
best regards
ziggy

Murmeli (191) 2005-06-29 4:23

très impréssionant mais la photo me parait un peu floue.

ayobami (1353) 2005-06-30 4:05

Amazing shot! What a perfect contrast in colors too against the gray and blue of the rest of the scene. Nice job selecting your area to crop, this came out well!

waterboy (20) 2005-07-09 2:25

An amazing shot from an amazing photographer!

Didi (61587) 2005-07-24 4:05

Bonjour Stephen
Je comprends pourquoi cette photo a eu beaucoup de succès.
C'est un très bon moment décisif et l'agrandissement n'a pas altéré l'image, elle n'est pas floue.
Peut-etre un excès de sharpeness mais ce n'est pas grave.
Je vous conseille d'utiliser le format RAW.
Merci.

Hello Stephen
I understand why this photo had much success. It is a very good decisive moment and the enlarging did not deteriorate the image, it is not fuzzy. Perhaps a little excess of sharpeness but it is not important. Try to use RAW format.
Thank you.

aznegrao (10316) 2005-10-08 12:03

Wowwww Stephen, it's fantastic!!!
Gosto desse angulo, bem interessante e informativo. As cascatas e as cores dão mais força a imagem. Otimo trabalho.
Rgds.
Friend.
aznegrao.

snwdgs (10) 2005-10-28 3:41

Stephen, great shot I can almost feel the anxiousness this guy must of felt when he was about to go over the falls... Your pictures are good PR for Virginia, they show that there is much to do... it's too bad though that you didn't have a zoom... maybe the program genuine fractals would be of some use, i've read some about it but haven't tried it as of yet...

huynt (5079) 2005-10-28 9:20

Hi Stephen
Wow very great shot.Bravo for hero of kayake
Congratulation. Bon week end. huy

feather (51130) 2005-12-24 5:45

Too right; crop or not this is a fantastic image. There is so much drama in the rocks and water and the splash of colour from the kayak lifts the image higher. I can't wait for the next instalment!
Merry Christmas to you and your family
Kath

papagolf21 (151691) 2006-01-26 4:33

Bonjour Steve,
Comment se fait-il que cette superbe photographie n'ait pas franchi le cap des 100 points, eu égard à sa beauté et à sa qualité.
Je corrige rapidement cette erreur ! ;o)
Amitiés.
Philippe

ramesh_lalwani (3213) 2006-01-27 0:57

very interesting.very nicely captured moment.colors are ete catching. i was worried about the kayaker falling down the fall.TFS
Ramesh

cunejo200 (7281) 2006-06-12 15:59

Hi Stephen,
This is awesome. I can't wait for the next photo. I also live in N. Virginia, and I frequent this place. Congrats! Danilo

devimeuxbe (58557) 2006-06-14 10:29

Hi Stephen
I didn't see this picture before but it's unbeleivible
Great great capture
Well done
Bertrand

martou (1660) 2006-06-28 12:53

bonjour Stephen,
I miss this earlier shot, just amazing, this is a cray guy in the kayak, the POV give a scary perspective for the landing, stunning, gorgeous, great work,
bravo Martin

capthaddock (28790) 2006-07-23 19:25

Hi Stephen - the poor little fellow is about to get a whipping, I like how the red canoe stands out, and the powerful dynamism of the rapids

paul_lombard (375) 2006-11-15 23:00 [Comment]

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jsec (2154) 2006-11-15 23:01

Aw, come on man what happened to the guy? I like the composition. Could use a 200mm but good all the same.

Regards

Jeff

Andre-H (1271) 2007-05-09 5:53

Hi Stephen,

Please don't tell me this was the last shot of this guy alive! You've got me gripped, I will have to check out the next photo to learn his fate. Overall it's an impressive and powerful image, but I find the red a little over saturated, and it could do with being sharper.

André

anilyn (87) 2007-08-10 8:32

Impressive! A place where nature is in fury, and the little orange human spot lost in the middle...

>Stay tune for the next shot and we will discover his fate!
I can't wait!

dokadak (11518) 2007-08-10 8:33

Hi Stephen,

What a chance shoting such amazing photo... and wonder how kayaker felldown from? TFS

Hasan

jmdaoudal (82) 2007-08-10 8:36

Spectacular, will see if he survives....
A good one even in quality, and certainly an attractive story to come.
Jean Michel

batalay (41261) 2008-02-13 20:18

Hello Stephen,

This image came up in the random order in which you've arranged your Intro page slides, and what a photo. you caught this man engaged in a suicidal activity, a waterfalls we both know well. Your D70 was brand new then. I wonder if the D200 could possibly have improved upon this image.

Warm regards,

Bulent