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vest — Inferno Beyond the Horizon
Published: 2005-02-07 19:00:01 +0000 UTC; Views: 4202; Favourites: 28; Downloads: 1440
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Description
This is the last image I'm uploading from the Santa Monica shoot, and starting tomorrow, will begin submitting my Redondo Beach series.I like this image because it captures the whole of Santa Monica in the best subtle way. Summing up everything I've said of all my photographs before, the culmination of those statements can all be lumped into this one photograph. The line between nature and humanity is very thin at this point. People tend to congregate towards the coastline with some unexplainable attraction to the waters. There's this tension between the two parts bordering the sandy beach, the water pushing in and the towering apartments and hotels pushing back.
The figure in the right of the image is the perfect signification of all that is Santa Monica. His poise suggested a worldly intellect, his clothes laid back, casual, comfortable, yet not breaking the bank. I look at him as a generic Californian, and a perfect complement to this image.
I also have the pier in this, very distant in the violet haze. It's a defining monument of the city, a hub of everything cultural in the region.
_____
Regarding Aspect Ratio: I got a couple comments on people who run at a resolution higher than 1024x768. Though that's the resolution of this image, you can acquire a large 1600x1200 version by going to my dA scrap resource here: [link]
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Comments: 36
i only wish that the beaches near my home resembled this one. The colors of the sky are beautiful and u captured the reflections wonderfully.
guess i'm on the wrong coast.
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Well ... i did not knew , that not commenting is a so big violation ...
The thing is , that puting some piece as my favorite is not to impress anyone ... if i do so (actually i did it before i noticed your comment) , then it is cause i like the art ... thats it ... as simple as that ... If i would like to impress someone ... i would post some deviations ... i think ... and please ... do not be impressed ...
And i really don't understand why people do thank for favorites ... i really don't get it ... cause it si not up to me what i like , i just do (and sometimes it is up tu my mude or emotions what i allready have ... sometimes , it would be really rare occasion , if i have really shiddy mude , nothing will cheer me up) ... you get the picture ... oh ... and i found this button by mistake actually ...
And about commenting ... but if i really don't have anything to say ... the reasons may be different ... (usually , if i get some emotions or thoughts , i try to share yhem [and usually people don't get it why i'm doing this {they ask:"why are you so personal"} , well ... to me ... everything is personal but we shouldn't take things so personally ... if you know , what i mean] , whatever the consequences would be) . Usually i don't comment cause i'm stoned/astonished/... and if some piece is so ... i don't know ... "well done"? ... then honestly ... there is nothing mutch to say anyway ... So , now you should know , that if people don't comment your pieces ... then it may be because it is so great/beautiful/... ... or just simply ... because not all speak english so well , that they could express themselves completely/correctly ... (if you have noticed , i have the same problem actually , but i'm practiceing it ...) ...
OK , just one more thing ... i hope these things above is more just as guidelines , not as rules ... i hope ...
I like sky in general (but i'm talking about your piece as well) cause the sky is never the same , different clowds , multiplexity of colours what is combined together , the sun ( ... especially rising or setting ...) ... wow ... I like the sea , i like when it washes our steps when we are walking on beach ... i like the sound what waves are amking ... and this beach is so wide ... I want to be on the beach myself , that is what i am thinking , i want sun , i want relaks ... i want freedom ... i would just want to get lost , not worring about anything ... (f**k the city ... really) I don't think that dude ower there would be lonely ... no way , he is thinking hes thoughts and want to be by himself ... at least , for awile ... enjoyng silence , away from noises , away from f**king system ... away from f**king harassment ...
That is only what i think ... and if i get enough money ... i probably will get the f**k out of here ... and forget everything that this s**t is all about ... Would lie down (under a palmtree , if too hot) on some beach and Joy and Peace would be my everlasting friends ...
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I do agree with what ~summanaro said about there being some distracting ground elements, especially the building on the far right side as well as the figure standing on the sand. Maybe you use Photoshop, maybe you don't, but it's definitely possible to remove un-sightly elements from the image while still keeping it intact. I myself have had mixed results with the Clone Stamp tool (Sometimes I got what I needed with it, other times I didn't). I tend to prefer the Healing Stamp tool as it does a MUCH better job of replacing certain pixels with others, and I think your best bet would be to use it. As I'm seeing it right now, you shouldn't have very much difficulty with most of the sand, but watch out when you get to the guy standing on the sand, as well as the building on the far right-hand side of the pic. Those areas look like they'll be pretty damn tricky. The light-house shouldn't be a problem to get rid of at all. The sky colors are amazing as they are, so no problems there. I don't like the border, though - Maybe use a border where the outer edge of the photo is darker than the rest? I think that'll really help draw the attention where it should be
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I'm really glad that i stumbled upon your account today, primarily because i noticed you were more than an average member of deviantart, due to the amount of text discussing your personal impressions, but also the connections between the image and your impression. After enjoying your featured deviation, and wandering into your gallery, i was instantly graced with an array of thumbnail sunsets, each attractive in their own reduced preview size. This is the one that stood from the rest out for me, after a short decision period. I think the sun is arguably the first thing which tickles my pickle, with the footprints in the sand, and the "individual" spectating natures-very-own-cinema also competing for my instantaneous attention. So not to get to confusing, i will try and focus my commenting 
Which in turn leads me to comment on the lone individual enjoying this natural spectacle. Well after reviewing his part in the piece, there is not an awful lot that can be seen due to the silhouette effect, but i can tell he is wearing a baseball cap, he is stood as if his hands might be in his pockets, and he has probably achieved an enjoyable peace of mind as to not realise and be disturbed by you taking a picture a little distance behind him... i am incredibly jealous! I have been living in rural france for the last 4 months, living at the foot of high cliffs which are topped with a forest- which has its advantages, but also proves to be quite an obstacle regarding being able to see the setting sun every night. There is also an extreme lack of large ponds, lakes and resevoirs, which go hand in hand with the rising and setting sun in my opinion. So maybe you can feel my discomfort, and appreciate what your gallery does for me in terms of a resource for burning skies when i feel like that little something is missing. If i didn't value my favourites as much as i do, then this would definantly be one. Brilliant capture, and keep them coming.
Fa11.
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That is absolutely gorgeous. I love the colouring and the footprints in the sand. For some reason I get a feeling of loneliness when I look at this picture.
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I'm always a sucker for sunset shots, but this one is one of the best I've seen. The picture really brings out all the hues of the sunset, which gives a great sense of atmosphere. The foreground footprints are a nice detail, and the smallness of the man against the ocean is a powerful image.
Excellent photo.
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Why are all these pictures of yours making me think about past moments in my life and making me cry? And I mean it...i'm seriously crying right now. Not to make you feel bad or anything...because that isn't really my intention. Your works are beautiful....and each of them seem to capture a part of me...it's strange...and I can't really describe it, because i'm not the best at putting my feelings into words, i've never been that kind of person....anyway, this picture reminds me of a time when I was driving with a friend of mine....we were driving back to mine and my boyfriend then's apartment....and we were both sad because we knew that it was the last chance we'd be getting to see each other for a while for certian reasons....mainly because my ex hated her...and refused to let me talk to her...or he threatned to break up with me at the time....so her and I were having to meet secretly. Anyway...I know this is pretty irrelevent to you....but I just thought I'd share why the picture was so touching to me....it's because it reminded me of the sunrise that morning we were driving back to the apartment. I'm not sure if this picture is a sunrise or sunset....because i'm kind of dense in that aspect....but anyway....again...beautiful photo....it really touched me...just as your last one did....thankyou..
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i love this image because it reminds me of a painting. the colours are warm and cosy. i have never been to santa monica but now i ache to! btw you have the same camera as me so yey for you! erm, i hope this is enough, im not really good at criting someones work for the fear of offending them when i dont mean to.
nice photograph and definite fav!
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A beautiful picture of the sunset as many have said before me.
What would really be of interest to some of us here though is the technical specifications of the image as well.
What type of camera did you use, what lens, what focal length, what aperture, what ISO, any filters? (Unless you have a good reason for not divulging that information - if this is the case please let me know why - just curious?)
Also has any post-work been done on this image (besides the border which I find ugly by the way - but that's my personal preference and I'm sure it works for you)?
Also, for me this is definitely one of your best images which I picked up right out of your gallery in thumbnail because it was so striking.
Very well done, if I can aspire to such a photograph one day I will be happy.
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Ah, yes. More people complaining about the borders. 
Usually, the technical specs are carried over in the image's file, and will automatically display in the deviation's description. However, it seems to not be the case here. Guess it was because it was taken into Photoshop for some post-work, and was lost in the file conversion. Thus I'll explain here.
This was taken with a lowly but dependable Nikon Coolpix 3500 with the picture mode set to "sunset". No special lenses or such. I only wish I could afford a camera with all those things.
The image was then loaded into Neat Image to remove the film grain. It's a free program, highly reccomended for photographers, and can be found here: [link]
Lastly, I took this image into Photoshop to pull out the colors and accentuate the reds and blues. I've also made a before/after for this image right now, so you can see the original in comparison to the modified color palette. [link]
So, thanks for the great comment.
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Beautiful. I love how you captured the reflection on the water and how the man crops the horizon. Gives a very serene feel to the picture. another reason why is that it stikes a balance between the warm and cool in terms of color by way of the blue at the bottom right hand corner. Great job on this, not to mention im a sucker for beautiful sunrise/sets.
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the reflection on the beach is beautiful, not just that of the sun, but of the person as well, is it you? anyways, the person standing alone to me seems almost like a metaphor for all of humanity. We like to think of ourselves as these immense powerful creatures, but before nature we are nothing. At the same time, we can see ourselves reflected in nature, in the ways we act and react. Even though our thoughts have been distorted by being separated from the system we still resemble our animal counterparts in instinct. I like how at first glance you don't really notice the man, but as you take a closer look he becomes more obvious, and the footsteps in the sand are a nice touch. the color composition is nice, especially the mottled clouds, and i like the contrast between the left and right.
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I absolutely love it. I love the reflections, i love the colours, i love the person standing there - complete with his hat and making a character out of him, the border goes perfectly, and all in all it's fantastic.
The one thing i'd change would be the boat over to the right.
The footprints are beautiful, too.
Awesome work.
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A generic californian with his baseball cap, contemplating the unknown, almost waiting for it to wash up on him, but I guess the tide is going out there, or else the footprints wouldn't be so soggy. The shininess of the sand is something I haven't come across in a photograph like this before so well done for introducing that... and it fits perfectly because of the beautiful hues in the sky are reflected in it.
I like the relationship between him and the pier. It gives the feeling of exploitation and technology overshadowing nature, bu the man is relaxed and happy with nature and himself. Reminds me of a winter's morning getting up for choir on a sunday - I'm up early so all the beautiful sunrises greet me first, and are gone before others get up. I used to stand and stare for half an hour or more.
Og.
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The whole image is beautiful. Everything is amazing in it. I like that you hadn't shot the picture with the sun in the center. o.o It just creates an off-balance that's really cool. ^^ If I had shot the picture I would've put the sun in the middle because I guess I'm an amateur. XD
I love the colours, the soft and vibrant tones look amazing together. ^^ I can't believe how many beautiful sunsets/sunrises, you have in... wherever you live. o.o I really like the silhouette of the lighthouse and I like the drift wood, too.
I really like all of your borders. 
All and all, I think the whole image is wonderful. You take amazing photos and I envy your MAD NINJA SKILLZ. x3; Heh, sorry, just psycho little me breaking out.
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Good Lord. This is my favourite out of all of your pictures I've seen so far. I read a few of the comments below, and I agree with some, and yet disagree with some, too.
I think the driftwood and the lighthouse actually add to the picture in a mjaor way. It might just be me, but comehow it adds to the feeling of distance. If you were to take them out, the photo would look flat, and rather 2 dimensional. Just a personal opinion, though. I love how the clouds are all fluffy looking, and how thet're reflected in the water. The sunset/sunrise was caught at a wonderful moment, and it too, is reflected in the water. The colours explode on the page, and there is enough black to balance all those hues. Fantastic job, (AGAIN!).
What kind of camera did you use, (model and price) and did you use a tripod? I've been considering getting a tripod, but I don't know if it actually helps alot. ...?
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Thanks for the time. I do appreciate all those kind words. Whether I agree with the others or not, any and every comment is fair game as long as it shows me that the commenter actually looked at the image, and absorbed it. Even if all they have to say are bad things, pointing at every flaw, it's still fair because it's put in a way that shows they gave it some attention i.e. specifying what parts of the image don't work.
However, I'm glad that you can see it the other way as well, where what some people see as flaws, you see as beneficial to the acquisition of depth to the scene.
Also, I wield a Nikon Coolpix 3500 and I use a very small tripod that deploys from shin to thigh height. I feel I don't need a tripod to be any higher, as the majority of my photos are shot near the ground looking up. I'll sometimes bury it halfway in the sand!
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Hate to hog all the comments but daaayyaaammm...... I'm starting to seriously considering a move out West if the skies are like that on a regular basis in CA (I'm stuck in tree and amish-infested PA)
Photos like this DEMAND full-view. I audibly gasped when I saw it, it's so gorgeous. I've always been drawn to color because its such a strong and universal element that can influence a piece more than any other element. It sets the whole tone and purpose of the piece...
Anyways, this is my new wallpaper if you don't mind. I LOVE the echo of the clouds that you can see on the beach. The composition here is just so perfect...from every little nook and cranny of the footsteps in the foreground to the gentle gleam of the water to the sprawling clouds above.....it gives me a sense of hope and inspiration. Its almost as if man and anything he creates (i.e. the ship in the background) are NOTHING in comparison to the grandeur of nature. I love that you border your photos in black rather than white or any other color, it's so subtle and yet balances out those blacks while bringing out the lighter tones.....
I don't know, I'm babbling and I need to get to work here in Graphic Design (blegh) but this is BY FAR one of my favorite photgraphs of yours or anyone's for that matter.
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I am very fond of this image, the vanilla skie's the silhouette of the man and the contrast. I also like the footsteps' im sure the are footsteps are'nt they? They bring to me a feeling of being stoic. Alone but not afraid, in a cochoon of their own thought's, just what is that figure pondering upon? Is he checking out the weather, awing the sunset? Or are his eye's looking beyond the horizon to a place where he can think of good memories.
At a second look over, I start to notice the relatively calm sea, but when I look closer I see wave's and I superimpoze them in my head, something's dangerous, I am reminded of the dangers of the sea.
END.
Where I live, in Iceland we get very beautiful sunsets and skies in the autumn, they are almost blood-red it's like the summer is in rage of it's loss against the winter.
Vest, sometime I will get my perfect picture of an Icelandic autumn-sunset, I can notify you if you want.
Out' Sindri
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It's really gorgeous. I love the colors of this one especially. I couldn't see the figure at first since it seemed a little dark and the detail is destroyed where the sun is almost creating an unpleasant break instead of a softer one. Although I suppose that was the reality of it. And reality is important in my book.
The ship in the side gives it almost a look of glory. Almost militaristic feel. Which offsets the mood of the person in the picture being the hard working individual of a middle class America stopping for a breath to observe one of the few miracle sin life.
California does have the best sunsets. And you are capturing them quite well. I only wish I had the camera and idea to do so from the balconies of the dormatory in Long Beach to the purple mountains of the western coastline in my home Oregon.
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I really wish I had a proper critique to give you... but I quit even trying long ago, seen that, besides insanely complementing your work, I can usually say little or nothing more about what I fav.
I did tell you I wouldn't even bother comment anymore a while ago, right?
Not in most cases, but with you, I fav only those I find (most) flawless.
On this one, for example, all I see is that the man interrupts the flow of the image, which would be more dynamic without him. Other then that, the strong warm colors and the gradient from light to dark make it just too lovely, along with the wet look of the sand.
That is my justification for faving
Again, forgive if future faveds are left uncommented.
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However, I'm not sure what you meant to do with including that tall dark thing about midway in the picture? It's a little distracting, as summanaro said. I know you've got a thing for combining a view of something artificial against a natural sky (like the Ferris Wheel, the ski lift, the power lines, etc), but in this case, the artificial item is so small that it becomes more distraction than visual interest.
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I can understand that two-worded comments don't really express a complete thought on your works, but it's more of exactly what they say rather than in how many words they say it in. Someone could totally change your perspective with what you did in 5 words, and someone can just make completely no sense in 25. I understand it helps in a way to get more crtique on your art, but that is what the crtique settings were made for. Like this one, it says "Critique Welcome" for your comments. Which really expresses no real view on the situation. It's like saying "I don't really care, say what you want." Yet you explain in the description that we should say what we should say what we like, what wrong with it, etc. Which is basically thorough critique. Which is much like the "Advance Critique Encouraged" setting. So if you want that type of critique, then you should set it as so. And changing your requirements for comments as well would help. Like instead of what you have now, say something like "If you're not going to follow the critique settings I have for this picture, don't bother commenting at all". It'd make a lot more sense then the way you have it now.
Anyways, on the image, there are a few things that distract me from the sunset. Like the driftwood, that bird, and I think.. maybe a lighthouse in the faint background? I know they're tiny things, but they do distract me, and probably some other people too. Try to look for some small things like that in your next shoot, and try to rid of them. You'd have an even more beautiful shot than you do now. With that aside, I absolutely love the colors. How the sun is very bright, but yet the other side of the image is pretty dark. It makes it look intriguing.
Okay, I'm done now.
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I agree, somebody can express a critique in five words, and I do not discount them. If somebody can bang out something thought provoking and to the point in just one short sentence, then by all means I'll let them. Yet I'm not targetting those people, I'm just getting a bit annoyed by the abundance of deviants with the "yeah, lol!!1" comments. I'm aware of the "Critique Encouraged" option, and I should get into the habit of using that, but it makes people think that I'm looking for feedback telling me what could use work.
I just want a bit of elaboration, and if they want to say they like it, I want to know what it is and why. It's like a step below "Critique Encouraged".
But your points are good and fair. I like your suggestion of "if you don't follow critique guidelines, don't bother". I'll have to try that more in the future.
As for your observations on the piece, yeah I do see a good amount of distracting ground elements. I'll have to work on finding less of those in future shoots, yes. So thanks a bunch for the solid feedback on both what I acquired and what I sought after.
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The second i looked at this, my mind screamed 'fav!!' and then i read the bolded text
This is definitely my favourite of the santa monica beach set so far - the vibrancy and balance of colours is perfect, and the brightness of the sun really brings out the highlights in the scene, and it balances out the darkness of that pillar-thing on the right perfectly. it's a simply beautiful capture of sky/sea - the most stunning and versatile canvas nature has to offer
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Did you people even read the bolded text? It amazes me that you could just skim over something so pronounced.
Anywho, onto the picture. It's layout is quite nice and the colors are very vibrant; something I love in a landscape/sunset picture. The sillouetted post adds a nice touch to an already splended picture.
Overall, this is a wonderfull picture; one of the best in the whole Santa Monica set. (:
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Eh, don't get mad at them. I think it's important to say that I added the bolded text right after I submitted this image, and unfortunately didn't finish typing it before those three people got their word in. However, as for everybody beyond those first three, then for shame they should know better to not waste their time.
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