1x.com - The tree by Mel Brackstone

Photos Artists Forum Tutorials Critique Books Buy Prints About

Stumble 1X

Tour

Join

Sign in

Click on the photo to see another

The tree

Painting with light

Buy a print

Related photos

Write

Alberto Di Donato 4 days ago

amazing light, compliments

Liloni Luca 9 months ago

Wow this is really a wonderful shot! Compliment!

David Martin Castan 1 year ago

Preciosa nocturna

saludos

navab mousavi 1 year ago

great!

Muzaffer Sütlüo?lu 1 year ago

Well done

john CLANCY 1 year ago

Magical and inspiring

Peter Olexa 1 year ago

Great photo :) I like it
Carried in Cruzine: http://www.cruzine.com/2010/11/24/trees-photography/

Cemal KALDIRIM 1 year ago

çok kaliteli bir yap?t

Morgs 2 years ago

Inspirational work.

pop-aj 2 years ago

powerful,cong.

yudiecesi 2 years ago

amazing.....

Mel Brackstone Cheers!

rudman 2 years ago

amazing imaj...

Mel Brackstone Thank you!

MaguirePhoto 2 years ago

Hey Mel, dont know how you do it, but WOW.
Absolutely stunning as always.

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much! Was a lucky catch :)

Paulo Brandao 2 years ago

how, this shot is amazing :)
love the composition and the painting was in "point"
such a fantastic sky :)
one of my favorites

Mel Brackstone Thank you so much Paulo!

Darmal Ali 2 years ago

superb....

Mel Brackstone Thanks!

Nazir 2 years ago

amazing image

Mel Brackstone Thank you Nazir!

Paul Boomsma 3 years ago

Amazing,this is Super.

Mel Brackstone Cheers Paul, thank you!

Andrei Baciu 3 years ago

stunning!!!

Mel Brackstone Thanks Andrei!

Junying Shao 3 years ago

Amazing~~

Mel Brackstone Thanks!!

Faces, Places and Things 3 years ago

This is absolutely stunning.

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much!

Zsolt Arkossy 3 years ago

Unbelievable...

Mel Brackstone Thanks Zsolt!

Omer Gencal 3 years ago

Gorgeous...

Mel Brackstone Thanks Omer!

Jeffrey Wickersty 3 years ago

wow

Mel Brackstone Thanks Jeffrey!

fdr408 3 years ago

Absolutly beautiful.

Mel Brackstone Thank you!

Rippinit 3 years ago

Beautifully accomplished

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much!

Alex OBrien 3 years ago

amazing!

Mel Brackstone Thanks Alex!

Edy Santosa 3 years ago

lovely picture!

Mel Brackstone Thanks, Edy!

Robert Gingher 3 years ago

Remarkable balance of light, color, detail. Ethereal.

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much Robert!

Travers Henry 3 years ago

Simply amazing.
How long was exposure? What I thought was the sun I now think could be light emanating from a city or town, like the other glowing spots on the horizon.

Mel Brackstone Thanks Travers. 86 seconds, bright moon behind me, small townships on the horizon, it's very tough to stop light pollution.

Travers Henry Heh, that is true. :D
But I like the various bright spots on the horizon. Gives it an almost alien quality, like there's more than one sun and their all setting at about the same time.
Definitely one of my favorite photos.

Tim Corbeel 3 years ago

yabadabadoooo...excellent!
I'm speechless...

Mel Brackstone So pleased you like it Tim :D Thank you!

Romain Desfosses 3 years ago

Simply superb!

Mel Brackstone Thank you, Romain!

andrewng 3 years ago

Mel - you are a master photographer! I have seen a bunch of your photos - all I can do is to ponder and admire! So good!

Andrew Ng

Mel Brackstone Andrew, thank you for your kind words, very much appreciated!

Thomas Sass Pedersen 3 years ago

Stunning capture you made here, Mel, I like the sky, I like the tree. Did you use a flash here or is it moon-light?
Keep clicking ;o) Cheers, Sass

Mel Brackstone Thank you so much, Thomas....a strong torch was used to light the trunks for so many seconds of the exposure. From memory it was around 15-20seconds....

fauzan ijazah 3 years ago

beautiful, just gorgeous..

Mel Brackstone Thank you, fauzan!

Gabriel Amza 3 years ago

Words can not describe the awesomeness.

Mel Brackstone Thank you so much, Gabriel!

dhieLs 3 years ago

Wonderful night shoot.... i think Not just capture object, but must have deep feeling to do this...

Mel Brackstone Thank you so much, dhieLs!

Alain Dejeaifve 3 years ago

Really impressive shot!
Seems that the composition was somewhat "forced" but I really like it.
Congrats!

Mel Brackstone Thanks for your comment, Alain!

Jacob Berghult 3 years ago

Stunning picture, Love how the branches on the ground feels like shadows and brings forth an incredibly deep in the picture!

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much for your comment, Jacob! So pleased you like it :D

alvaro 3 years ago

OMG!!! This is absolutely stunning!!! What an incredible sky and lighting. Congratulations for such a good job!

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much, alvaro!!

yuan 3 years ago

wow... dreamy!!! regards -u1-

Mel Brackstone Thank you, yaun!

Hans van de Griendt 3 years ago

Wow, this is Super..

Complimens.

Mel Brackstone Thanks, Hans!

A.madestra. W 3 years ago

AMAZING....great picture Mel :D

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much!

Matt Mawson 3 years ago

brilliant! this is magical, Mel

Mel Brackstone Awww, thanks Matt!!

Ancite 3 years ago

Divine image.... superb :)

Mel Brackstone Thank you :)

Scott Crouse 3 years ago

This looks fabulous on the front page Mel!

Mel Brackstone Thanks Scott!

Pouya Nakhaie 3 years ago

Amazing. Great Capture.

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much Pouya!

Irene van der Meijs 3 years ago

Great! Very Nice and amazing colours!

Mel Brackstone Thank you, Irene!

Hans Van Rafelghem 3 years ago

Wow, what an image !!

Mel Brackstone Thanks Hans!

Stuart Patrick 3 years ago

:-) great pic!

Mel Brackstone Thanks Stuart!

Reggy 3 years ago

Great!

Mel Brackstone Thanks!

Diana Bodea 3 years ago

Wow indeed!!! wonderful shot, I love it!

Mel Brackstone Pleased you love it, thanks Diana!

Joni Niemelä 3 years ago

Wow! This is really nice!

Mel Brackstone Glad you like it Joni!

Frank Decker 3 years ago

incredible....I like it!

Mel Brackstone Thanks Frank!

MOH 3 years ago

Amazing shot!! much artistic!! Congratulations..(:M:)

Mel Brackstone Thank you, MOH!

Lachlan Kent 3 years ago

Congrats on the homepage Mel... sublime piece of photography

Mel Brackstone Thanks Locky!

Jan Timmons 3 years ago

Wow. 86 seconds. Creative and thought-provoking, and with an almost disturbing root structure. Nicely done.

Mel Brackstone Thank you, Jan!

Doug Roane 3 years ago

Incredible photo. Congrats for being the 'headliner'!

Mel Brackstone Doug, thank you!

Judy W 3 years ago

WOW Mel!! That's amazing.

Mel Brackstone Thanks Judy!

Nicole Goggins 3 years ago

congrats on an 'onexposure' homepage feature - well done! love this shot!

Mel Brackstone Hey thanks, Nicole!

Dan.Heacock 3 years ago

This is truly gorgeous! To me it feels almost as if the tree is 'reflected' on the ground as if it were next to a still pond. Once again, gorgeous shot!

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much, Dan!

Schnette 3 years ago

Just wonderful...!

Mel Brackstone Thank you!

moses stell 3 years ago

fantastic!

Mel Brackstone Thanks, moses!

King Douglas 3 years ago

Simply awesome. I read below of the hardships and challenges you overcame here--and your first night shot? Way to go!

Mel Brackstone Thanks, King, it was very much a challenge, but I find they are nearly always worth the effort. Cheers!

Stefan Rigo 3 years ago

This shot is amazing! Great colors!

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much, Stefan!

Daria Endresen 3 years ago

Fantastic, Mel! You've got really terrific results here :)

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much, Daria. :)

Lars Grepstad 3 years ago

Excellent light, excellent photography!

Mel Brackstone Thank you, Lars!

Emily Bem 3 years ago

Gorgeous ! ;)

Mel Brackstone Thanks Em :)

nicola 3 years ago

This is a great image, I'd love to understand how was it done

great, bravo!

Mel Brackstone Thanks Nicola, you need a camera, good batteries, tripod, cable release, bulb setting, the ability to see in the dark to compose and focus, a torch to very quickly light up the tree, good moonlight, and not a lot of light pollution from nearby.

Jure Kravanja 3 years ago

amazing

Mel Brackstone Thanks for your "amazing" Jure.

Carola Lundmark 3 years ago

Amazing! Love the angle and the feeling of total lonelyness..
Best regards Carola

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much Carola!

Andrew Thatcher 3 years ago

Stunning night shot. Nice to see you have avoided the long exposure star trap ;)

Mel Brackstone Thank you Andrew....it wasn't for lack of trying....lol

Lars Klottrup 3 years ago

Looks great :-)

Mel Brackstone Thanks Lars!

Pierre Boisgontier 3 years ago

I would like to be able to do that kind of picture. Congratulation Mel, that is really perfect.

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much Pierre!

David Andrews 3 years ago

has a great feel to it

Mel Brackstone Thanks, David!

Quinn Reynolds 3 years ago

Unbelievable, it looks more like a painting than a photograph! Excellent work.

Mel Brackstone Thanks Quinn!

Codrin Lupei 3 years ago

Wonderful image, Mel! Perfectly done, love it!
all the best
Codrin

Mel Brackstone Thanks so very much, Codrin!

Remo Rufer 3 years ago

just wow!

Mel Brackstone Thank you Remo!

Rupal Goradia 3 years ago

Fantastic!! Just amazing. I too could stare at this for hours on end...

Mel Brackstone Thanks Rupal, glad you enjoy staring at it for hours!

Thomas Ljungberg 3 years ago

Great shot. Love all the stars and the symmetry of the tree. The roots look almost like shadows created by the light from the stars...
/Thomas

Mel Brackstone Thanks Thomas, much appreciated!

Piotr Potępa 3 years ago

Wow! It's great. Do You hahe problem with noise?

Mel Brackstone Thanks Piotr, yes, noise is a problem. I used the noise reduction setting, which helps a great deal.

Ralf Stelander 3 years ago

Smashing!

Mel Brackstone Thanks Ralf!

Mihaela Cojocariu 3 years ago

impressive!

Mel Brackstone Thank you, Mihaela!

Elisabeth Gustafson 3 years ago

As i said in screening, this feels like a tribute to Michael Frye, one of the greatest night photographers in the world. I actually thought for a second it was hes but the composition gave it away.. That is a big compliment from me! :O)
Really exellent work with that great lit tree, the roots looks like shadows and gives dept to the photo. Beautiful sky, and the "man made" light gives comfort. Great job, i am sure glad it made it! :O)
/
E

Mel Brackstone Thank you very much, Elisabeth! I'll have to look for his work!

Alberto Peroni 3 years ago

Really faboulous!

Dare Turnsek 3 years ago

Great one Mel, i like it very much!

Mel Brackstone Thank you so much, Dare!

Judy W 3 years ago

This deserves a big YES. Fabulous shot. I could look at it for hours. :~)

Mel Brackstone Thanks so much Judy, glad you like it!

Richard Ford 3 years ago

Nice. Australia I take it?

Mel Brackstone Thanks Richard, yes, Inskip point is just south of Fraser Island, in Queensland.

Richard Ford I was in the Hunter Valley in March and the sky was lit up so bright with billions of stars. I tried many a night/star shot and they all sucked! I can't wait to try it again though. Not in Beijing though, never see a star here...... :-(

I have never been to Fraser, but have gone to Stradbroke a lot, leaving from Hervey Bay.

Mel Brackstone This was my first night shoot, and I too wasted most shots...mostly because my batteries failed and the image weren't written to the card. I kept shooting with noise reduction on, so rather than wait to see the result, I persisted in my attempts to capture this beauty....not realising the batteries I had with me were all suspect, plus it was very cold.....

The Milky Way and other stars are the jewels in the southern sky though, we are surely blessed.

Jerry Berry 3 years ago

I liked pretty much everything about this except the centering of the tree. Not because I don't think anything should be centered because many things can break this rule, but I think it could have improved by setting it to the side a bit. Otherwise very nice.

Mel Brackstone Thanks Jerry, I had no choice in placement, there are trees either side. I'd love to have placed it differently too, but there are laws against cutting down the mangroves :)

Jerry Berry Well I wouldn't want you to break any laws. And typically I find that situation the usual reason that this happens. Glad it made it and sorry I was one that voted against for that reason. Guess I shouldn't be so darn picky and give others the benefit of the doubt more often than not. My Bad.

Mel Brackstone I'll certainly attempt to maximise the small gap between the other trees next time I return to this spot....