Yesterday I took the short trip to Titahi Bay on the coast a little way North of Wellington. The track dropped steeply down the dusty, scrubby hillside to the rocky coast where small shingle beaches were littered with silvery, bleached driftwood, washed up plastic bottles turned opaque by the sun, lost floats, a solitary, faded sneaker, broken glass and the rust-rotted engine blocks of dumped cars. Large, aggressive salt-water mosquitoes (Opifex fuscus) swarmed around me when I sat down; unlike most other mosquitoes they have a bite that's easily felt. I clambered over the rocks, resisting the urge to try a few of the climbs, and peered down at the swell surging in and swirling the weed. Brilliant sunlight glittered on the sea; one or two small boats motored past; black-backed gulls flew overhead, yelping.While this has had a fair amount of post-processing to accentuate colours and movement, it's actually not far from the raw photo.
All content © 2009 Pete McGregor
Something about the light - maybe the minimum of shadows? - makes this look like a painting! With beautifully chosen subtle colors, and vibrant brushstrokes.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful abstract. The colours are glorious.
ReplyDeleteI love the movement in this image. I can hear and smell this photo - fantastic!
ReplyDeleteHas a surreal quality, implying aliens and nebulae.
ReplyDeleteChristy, that's exactly the effect I wanted. I could see just enough of it in the raw photo and all I had to do was emphasis it a little and sharpen it slightly.
ReplyDeleteRR, thanks. I'm pleased with this, given my other efforts in the hard light were uninspired
Anne-Marie, I guessed you'd feel like dipping your toes into it ;^)
Zhoen, now that's something I hadn't been conscious of, but I see what you mean. Thanks!
Pete - this is extraterrestrial.
ReplyDeleteThe photo has an interesting feeling of three dimensional space containing multiple textures and its all in its own world of water.
Cheers Gustav :^) There was something hypnotic about staring into that water: a feeling almost of being drawn in, and beyond.
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