Gloria Grandolini
July 2024 - Sunset over Kicker Rock
About the Image(s)
I took this image in the Galapagos from the cruise ship. This rock formation is called either ⬓The Sleeping Lion⬠or ⬘Kicker Rock’ depending from the viewpoint. It is about an hour off the island of San Cristobal. The mild current between the 2 rocks attracts plentiful wildlife. I was lucky that we passed by it at sunset. It gave me a sense of awe and calm. The colors of the sky and the ocean seemed seamless and I liked the reflection of the rocks on the water. Let me know how to improve it for printing.
Shot with Canon R5 with tripod.
1/15 sec at f/11 ISO 100
24 mm (RF 24-70 f/2.8 L IS USM)
In Lightroom I applied 50% Denoise, and some dehazing
and I adjusted exposure and whites and blacks.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
4 comments posted
Hello Gloria,
Thanks for sharing your image.
The rock and water reflection colour is beautiful.
I would have suggested to employ a faster shutter speed at a wider aperture, but assuming the ship was moving, using a tripod appears to have worked. A wide aperture would facilitate a shallow depth of field making the rock formation "pop" a bit more. You might consider a bit of a gradual "light fall-off" in the sky towards the top of the image which would focus the viewer's attention on the rock even more.
I could also see cropping a bit off of the left side of the image for an overall balance, but that may just be a personal thought. Posted: 07/10/2024 15:45:51
Thanks for sharing your image.
The rock and water reflection colour is beautiful.
I would have suggested to employ a faster shutter speed at a wider aperture, but assuming the ship was moving, using a tripod appears to have worked. A wide aperture would facilitate a shallow depth of field making the rock formation "pop" a bit more. You might consider a bit of a gradual "light fall-off" in the sky towards the top of the image which would focus the viewer's attention on the rock even more.
I could also see cropping a bit off of the left side of the image for an overall balance, but that may just be a personal thought. Posted: 07/10/2024 15:45:51
Hi Gloria. If all of your Galapagos images are as beautiful as this one, it must have been an amazing trip! The beauty in this photo come from the wonderful color of the rock and its contrast with the water, as well as the very simple clean composition. It doesn't hurt that it is a very charismatic rock.
I think it is possible to do a little more to the image to make it pop even more. Rick has provided some suggestions - crop a little tighter to the rock, and darken the sky so the eye goes to the rock and not the bright sky. I think you can also add a little more contrast in the rock itself. Some thoughts on this are in the image below. Btw, you also have a couple of sensor spots in the sky that become visible as soon as you darken things down; easy to clone those out.
I also see a lot of potential in this image to move past the classic shot of the rock. I really love the colors that are coming out in the water reflections. I think those can be enhanced, and there is a whole second image there if you crop in. To me it could be a bit more abstract and artistic - less the ordinary. I tried such a crop and will post below. Beautiful image no matter what you do with it. And you were skilled to get something this sharp from a rolling boat.
Posted: 07/15/2024 21:42:05
I think it is possible to do a little more to the image to make it pop even more. Rick has provided some suggestions - crop a little tighter to the rock, and darken the sky so the eye goes to the rock and not the bright sky. I think you can also add a little more contrast in the rock itself. Some thoughts on this are in the image below. Btw, you also have a couple of sensor spots in the sky that become visible as soon as you darken things down; easy to clone those out.
I also see a lot of potential in this image to move past the classic shot of the rock. I really love the colors that are coming out in the water reflections. I think those can be enhanced, and there is a whole second image there if you crop in. To me it could be a bit more abstract and artistic - less the ordinary. I tried such a crop and will post below. Beautiful image no matter what you do with it. And you were skilled to get something this sharp from a rolling boat.
Posted: 07/15/2024 21:42:05
Here is the more abstract image ...
Posted: 07/15/2024 21:42:59
Posted: 07/15/2024 21:42:59
Hi Gloria, thank you for sharing.
You were there at the right timing!
It captured great colors, indeed. I like the texture and details of the rocks.
Refection on the water - not bad, but you could have done better using a tripod and slow SS. That way you could deliver "calm" feeling stronger.
Too bad any clouds in the sky - you might want to crop down a bit.
Posted: 07/16/2024 00:41:38
You were there at the right timing!
It captured great colors, indeed. I like the texture and details of the rocks.
Refection on the water - not bad, but you could have done better using a tripod and slow SS. That way you could deliver "calm" feeling stronger.
Too bad any clouds in the sky - you might want to crop down a bit.
Posted: 07/16/2024 00:41:38