Automotion

[Colin Southern]

Tonights creation. More details on the FB page (Click to view at full size).

[Sergio M.]

Awesome image, Colin. You captured so many elements in this image with such detail. Must be seen full size.

Fantastic.

Serge

[Rhoads238]

Wonderful photo Colin. I have wanted to take a photo like this for a long time but havent found an ideal location for it. Perfect exposure and composition. Were you using a nd filter? it looks like it's still pretty bright out. This one reminds me of a thread awhile back for photos themed from photoshop tools. Obviously this one would be curves.

-Jason

[Coinneachmhor]

Such an enjoyable image for me. The simplicity of scene really appeals to me and the road and lights just pull me through. Lovely!

[almanzam]

Great photo. You took advantage of the time where it's between DAYLIGHT and the time everyone turns their lights on.

[Colin Southern]

Awesome image, Colin. You captured so many elements in this image with such detail. Must be seen full size.

Fantastic.

Serge

Thanks Serge - the full resolution version at my end is even better

[Colin Southern]

Wonderful photo Colin. I have wanted to take a photo like this for a long time but havent found an ideal location for it. Perfect exposure and composition. Were you using a nd filter? it looks like it's still pretty bright out. This one reminds me of a thread awhile back for photos themed from photoshop tools. Obviously this one would be curves.

-Jason

Hi Jason,

The "perfect location" may be "under your nose" -- it's definitely one of those images where you really have to envisage it first (thinking outside the box) and then just test it out; it's probably not as hard to find a location as you'd think - I think even a busy intersection with traffic lights would work well (I might try that next).

I used a Vari-ND filter and GND filter in some of the other shots last night, but this one was one of the first "testing" frames, so no filters on this one (it would have been nice to protect a bit of sky detail).

[Colin Southern]

Such an enjoyable image for me. The simplicity of scene really appeals to me and the road and lights just pull me through. Lovely!

Thanks Kenny,

I actually cloned out quite a few posts and signs for that very reason. Photoshop's content aware fill works a treat on images like this.

[Colin Southern]

Great photo. You took advantage of the time where it's between DAYLIGHT and the time everyone turns their lights on.

Thanks Miguel,

Yes - I do a lot of low-light photography and like to get there early and go late to "bracket" the opportunity. I actually did a 1 hour exposure later on, but it wasn't a keeper unfortunately.

[Plumcrak]

Colli, wonderful capture. I thought the tail lights were on the wrong side of the road...then I realized that y'all drive on the wrong side.

[arith]

Certainly clever getting the sun and lights. Just about as hard as it gets I suppose.

[tilde531]

Wow... this is really great, Colin!
The light is perfect and unexpected. Most shots of this type are done well after the sun sets!

[Mike Buckley]

I really like the highway and of course the car lights, but I actually find the sun distracting.

Were you shooting through a chain link fence or some other obstruction? The reason I ask is that, in my area, the location of an overhead shot such as this would be very difficult if not impossible to find due to the obstructions that prevent people from jumping off the bridges onto the highway. I realize that you might have explained this on your Facebook page, but I don't have an account and have no plans to get one.

[Colin Southern]

Colli, wonderful capture. I thought the tail lights were on the wrong side of the road...then I realized that y'all drive on the wrong side.

LOL - only in the English language could the right side of the road also be the wrong side of the road!

Thanks for the kind words

[Colin Southern]

Certainly clever getting the sun and lights. Just about as hard as it gets I suppose.

Thanks Steve, but it's actually a street light

[Colin Southern]

Wow... this is really great, Colin!
The light is perfect and unexpected. Most shots of this type are done well after the sun sets!

Thanks Theresa,

I think it's one of those scenes where there are possibly a few combinations of lighting that would work ... this was the one I decided to go with in the end though. I often do low-light photography; problem with scenes like this though is that away from sunlight and street light there's virtually no ambient light for some parts of the scene.

[Colin Southern]

I really like the highway and of course the car lights, but I actually find the sun distracting.

Thanks Mike

Unfortunately ... it's not the sun - it's a street light, which caused "more than a few headaches" due to either being IN the scene or illuminating parts of the road unevenly - or just causing lens flare. This was one of the first shots of the evening -- for later ones I switched to a 70-200 lens (at 200mm) to get as far away from the light as possible (composition wise, not location wise) - and I STILL had to flag off the front of the lens with black foil and duck tape to kill the flare. For this composition I could have done it in HDR, but the light would still be there - and I'd have to go back and reshoot it. Personally I don't mind it, as without it there's no balance in what is a very dark part of the frame.

Were you shooting through a chain link fence or some other obstruction? The reason I ask is that, in my area, the location of an overhead shot such as this would be very difficult if not impossible to find due to the obstructions that prevent people from jumping off the bridges onto the highway.

No - it's just an open overpass with only a handrail "guarding the scene". Not many jumpers in this part of the world I was particularly careful to ensure nothing could fall down though; luckily I was working with a big tool bag and there wasn't any wind.

I realize that you might have explained this on your Facebook page, but I don't have an account and have no plans to get one.

You sound like me a few months ago

I've come to understand it a lot more in that time though; sure, there's a lot of crap on there thanks to kids, but as a serious marketing tool it's just phenominal; stats are now showing I reached over 14,000 people in the last week verses about 20 for my website. Most people don't seem to realize that it's highly tuneable -- so having an account doesn't mean that you get bombarded with junk from family and friends (I get ZERO of that now) (just the content I want). On the plus side it's incredible for keeping up with people I want to keep up with (certain professional models and professional photographers I find inspiring). It's sure opened my eyes I can tell you - was nothing like I thought it was; looking at some of the data and metrics that they make available to advertisers I've come to appreciate that there are some VERY smart cookies driving it.

[jeeperman]

Very cool image Colin.

[Mike Buckley]

You sound like me a few months ago

I'd be willing to bet that I will sound the same years from now. I have no need for Facebook as a marketing tool, so I have no need for it at all.

[Colin Southern]

Very cool image Colin.

Thanks Paul