Geologists

[Mike Buckley]

I came upon a group of really friendly geologists who had travelled from all over the world to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. This was their 40th annual meeting and their first one not held in Europe. I know nothing about geology, but the reason for going to Nova Scotia I think had something to do with that being the area where Europe and North America were joined millions of years ago. Apologies to all geologists if I'm wrong about that.

When they saw my camera gear, they asked me to take a group picture of them using their cameras. Being the salesman that I am, I bargained with them that I would do that so long as they would let me take a few shots using my own equipment. I sent their leader both images shown below.

I happened to mention this in another thread and Allan thinks there is a good possibility that he knows one of the men that might have been in the group. I can't wait to learn if that's so.

[rpcrowe]

I think that these are great informal group shots. Shooting up from a lower vantage point is a new twist. I usually try for a higher point and shooting down. However, IMO, this works so well that I will change my mindset and also think about shooting up for future shots like this.

Up or down, it seems to me that the resluts look more interesting than straight on.

At first, I thought that there was too much rock at the bottom but, considering the group, the rocks were quite appropriate.

[Mike Buckley]

Having seen your nice portraits, Richard, that's quite a compliment coming from you. Were it not for the reason this group got together and visited this particular spot, I would not have included so much of the rocks in the foreground. As for the possibility of shooting from above, that wouldn't have been physically possible in this situation; I got very lucky that I could include these rocks from below considering that it was purely a spur-of-the-moment session with absolutely no planning in advance.

[jeeperman]

Well done Mike, I am sure they will love the shot. I think it would look quite good blown up and hung as the center piece of the next meeting.

[tbob]

The low angle works really well. The foreground is brilliant considering the area of interest. I just wonder about the "fault line" running through through the formation; seven on the left and the rest on the other side of the split. Doesn't bother me, actually adds to the informal charm of the group. Just makes me wonder about the group dynamics ; or is this a natural tendency of geologists to form a sedimentary plane or fracture zone.

[terrib]

That's a great shot - a bunch of geologists on a bunch of rocks. I also like the framing effect that you chose.

[Ryogenetic]

I like the angle and the content, I am positive that the group will like it. From a post processing stand point, you need to reign in the sky. Grabbed your image, reigned in the sky, and then dropped Jiro's effect on it:



I think it gives it that little extra, but as I am often wrong...

Great shot all the same Mike.

Ryo

[Mike Buckley]

Thanks, everyone! I'm looking forward to learning from Allan if he knows anyone in the group.

By the way, the couple on the left in the front row had travelled the farthest; they were from Russia. They are husband and wife, though they look so much alike that they could have been brother and sister.

Thanks, Ryo, for your treatment! I especially like the revised sky.

is this a natural tendency of geologists to form a sedimentary plane or fracture zone.

Your proving, Trevor, that folks in this forum are never lacking imagination or a sense of humor.

The only thing that I asked is for the people in the front to sit down. They were enjoying the moment. When I saw their alignment, I determined that spending time to position them would risk getting them out of their moment of enjoyment and that the image would suffer. I guessed, never having previously met any of them, that they wanted a picture, but like almost everyone, that they didn't want to spend any time having it made. So I left their positioning as is. I agree that the "divide" adds charm to the informal nature of the image.