The Cliffs of The Kerry Peninsula, Ireland
A simple fact of life is that sometimes when you break the rules, good things will happen. Now, If you’re a photographer, and these rules happen to be about trespassing, you’ll find that crossing the line will usually lead to a much better view. Well, either that or some disgruntled farmer will chase you off his property with a baseball bat. So yea, there’s that…
Thankfully in this particular case, there was no angry farmer waiting for me. There was just this amazing view of the Kerry Coastline and a few dozen cows with confused looks on their faces.
Technical Mumbo Jumbo
Camera: Nikon D800
Lens: 14-24 f/2.8
ISO(s): 100
Exposure: ? at f/8
Technique and Details: Digital Blending using 2 exposures. With the wind and thick grass, it was impossible to have full tripod stability.
Software: Lightroom, Photoshop, NIK
Espresso: A generic brand that I bought in Spain. They don’t grind the beans fine enough for a quality shot. 
Okay, I’m gonna just gush, and then no more gushing.
//*begin gush*//
Your photos are, in my opinion, the perfect marriage of technical perfection and artistic sensitivity. Your sense of light and composition, color and texture are, by far, the best expression of what HDR was intended to show. The very first HDR photos I viewed were on a site called “Cambridge in Colour,” and I remember thinking that I wanted to learn how to accomplish such beauty through photography. I held that work up as the pinnacle for which I was striving. No more. Now, it’s your work.
I’m learning, through your published work and your technical specs how to get better and better. Yes, sometimes, I still go overboard with the processing, but not nearly as much. And I think it’s because I realized that if you’re having to process too much to make your image interesting, it’s probably because something in the original is lacking. Your work is such a unique blend of processed and natural, and that’s what I’m “shooting for” as well.
Sometimes I have envied the places you have traveled and what you’ve seen, but then I remember the sacrifice you and your wife made to make your dreams come true and to live into your heart and your passion. All of that… your dreams, your heart, your passion, and your sacrifice… come through so vividly in your work, and I believe, it’s the secret to capturing such stunning images.
So keep up the good work. Keep hanging out with confused cows on windy cliffs and drinking coffee to sustain yourself at 4:00am. I get to travel vicariously through your work and to virtually sit at the feet of the master. Thank you for all that you share with us.
//*end gush*//
Cheryl,
//*begin (lame attempt at a) reply*//
I just want you to know that this is by far the greatest compliment I have ever received. I’m at a total loss for words.
//*end (lame attempt at a) reply*//
Great image, as usual, Elia….(I seem to write that on every comment to you…gotta think of other ways to say the same thing)….hey, just wanted to let you know that I finally got my D800…..what a kick ass camera….my Leica might have to just take a back seat from now on.
Keep on livin’ the dream, Elia!!
Welcome to the dark side my friend. I wish you true 36mp happiness!
This is an incredible shot. I love how the horizon pops — almost as if it was on fire.
But I would have loved to see the faces of those confused cows
lol Ramon, I’ll have to dig a few pictures up.