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Bourbon Mistral

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Christw 4 months ago

Amazing ! Sea is quite like rocks ! Compliments Lars.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Christw! It can feel hard as rocks too when it hits!

gordon oreilly 5 months ago

this is just amazing. i have to say i could look at this for hours. (just did) super super super.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for a nice comment Gordon!
It is part of an exhibition set up today together with 12 of my other shots. BTW, most of them rejected here, but works well on large canvases. Only 3 of the pictures are actually accepted here.

John A H Jones 5 months ago

Many thanks for your prompt reply Lars. There really can't be many heavy weather images of this quality around. I may well have seen it in a UK sailing mag about 18 months plus ago - I feel sure they would have used it with permission. As try no to hoard "stuff" any more I haven't kept the mag I fear.
New Design : I hope the bridge is water & bomb proof. Personally I would prefer to face these seas [if ever] from further aft!
You have a real niche market here - congrats once more
Best Wishes
John

Lars Grepstad Hi, and thanks for the comments and your interest in my photo. It is not sold to any UK magazines yet. So it would be interesting to have a look into. I regularly do a search at google for some of my images, and it very often turns up with results. I just email them, and normally it ends with an agreement.
Actually I think you would feel safe on this one in up wind condition. I watched it for hours in 15meters waves, and I never saw it even got spray on deck!
Yes, there is definitely a market, for any good offshore images. Everybody working out here, able to use a camera should bring one.

John A H Jones 5 months ago

Great as well as rather frightening images Lars. Is i tpossible I have seen this in an article on either "Big Waves" or Heavy Weather Sailing ??
I hope you were in a very very large ship when your took them btw
Kind Regards
John
UK

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment John! It is possible you have seen it on print. It has been sold to magazines, newspapers, advertising and books. It was printed in Plissons book Etrave over a double page (a book I will recommend to anybody interested in maritime photography, and for that sake to anybody interested in photography).
It has also been used a lot without any agreement with me. Some has been agreed upon and later charged for, but quite impossible to follow up. I'll be grateful to anybody sending me a message if they see it.
The image has generated a serious income for me actually. But still, I've not started to give it away..
One of the reasons for its popularity is that the ship is a new design, and I think still the only image of these in heavy seas (I have a series of about 90 images from that day).
I was at a large FPSO, oil production vessel, 216 meters long. But then, Bourbon Mistral is not a littl one, at about 95 meters length.
Cheers, Lars

George Doupas 11 months ago

WOW what a REAL image of wild wild sea. Fantastic

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot George!

FrankBa 1 year ago

this capture is quite impressive
I can hear the wind
feel the rain
really incredible

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment FrankBa

BR41N-FCK 1 year ago

The image is so sharp, what lens was it?

Lars Grepstad Thanks! The lens was the Nikon 70-200/2.8 AFS VR. First time I used it actually

BR41N-FCK Was it taken from a helicopter?

Lars Grepstad It was taken from a FPSO, production ship. Helicopters would not go there in that weather

BR41N-FCK It was risky to bring such equipment into such weather, but that only brings more taste to it!
:-)

Lars Grepstad I wreck cameras every year..

Kaloyan Jelev 1 year ago

You're showing great passion to photography, Lars.
One can only be green with envy in front of such a mastery ;-)
Keep on with the excellent work!
My best,
Kaloyan

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for your comment Kaloyan. I just wish I could order the weather conditions and the ships to occur in front of me! I try to use every opportunity for shots like this, but there might be years between the photo opportunities

Kaloyan Jelev Thanks God, Nature does not respond to orders - these occasions are so rare that make us value them all the more. Why be in love with photography if everything is served on a tray? :-)

Lars Grepstad Agree, absolutely!

Peter Olexa 1 year ago

Great photo :) I like it
Carried in Cruzine: http://www.cruzine.com/2011/01/13/ships-photography/

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Peter!

Salman 1 year ago

Like it.
so great!!!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Salman

JUNG C.P. 2 years ago

EXCELLENT MOOD AND DRAMA

JUNG

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Jung!
I just got a copy of A book from Philip Plisson where it was published. I'm happy to be in that company!

JUNG C.P. location ? metering? iso setting? bw setting?
lens type?
20mm? any special techniques?

jung

Lars Grepstad Location, North Sea, Varg Field
Lens, 70-200/2.8 AFS VR, I think almost fully open, ISO 400, and time somewhere around 1/125s at 200mm. Can't guarantee all is excact as I don't have the file available at the moment. (I'm at the same location just now).
Technique.. Find cover for the wind and rain, support yourself as best as you can from the shaking of the ship, then shoot away!
Later, heavy adjustment of contrast after converting from raw. try to stretch the colors back to what it looked like (++). The raw file looks terribly flat in contrast. they always do in weather and light like this.

Philip Høpner 2 years ago

Very dramatic!
-Nice shot.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Philip! I worked for that one. The shot, out of camera looked terrible and was not worked at for 6 months. Then I started working on it..
It is true that photographers used to film are getting bad when converting to digital. There is so much new to learn. I'm happy with the end result too!

ixhumni 2 years ago

Really beautifull Lars..i too Love the Sea..;-)...Best Regards

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot ixhumni! Can't live far from the sea. Looking down at the sea from where I sit now, in my home office!

pascal bobillon 2 years ago

spectaculaire !!!!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Pascal!

pop-aj 2 years ago

excellent

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment pop-aj!

Suren Manvelyan 2 years ago

Vary impressive!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Suren!

andry rivan sumara 2 years ago

great photo..:)

is it true that the color of ocean is black in north sea..?
seeing this picture makes me remember my father, he is a seaman in supply boat (offshore)

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot andry!
It can look quite black sometimes. In the winter when the weather goes bad.

Pierre Pageau 2 years ago

félicitations .

Lars Grepstad Thank you Pierre!

Peter Davidson 2 years ago

Powerful sea - and image!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Peter!

KDOGAN 2 years ago

wow! great shot! scene, colors, composition, contrast, light, everything perfect in my opinion, congratulations!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for that KDOGAN! I'm out there now, waiting for new opportunities. But, the weather is nice, unfortunately..

ris 2 years ago

amazing!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot ris!

gabtudor 2 years ago

This is a great shot, I wonder how is it that you are so near those boats, are you a sailor yourself or you work on an oil rig? Any way, your entire series is simply amazing, bravo for the work, I guess it does take a lot of concentration in seas like this one.

Lars Grepstad Thanks for that gabtudor! I work on a FPSO, a floating production vessel in the North Sea. I was a bit lucky with that one, usually any traffic has to be more than 500meters away from us, but this one was waiting for unloading supplies to us.
My problem is more to get time to shoot, as my main job is within electrical and instrumentation, and I just can't run around with a camera all the time.
Outside it is also considered hazardous (the possibility for gas and oil leaks), so electrical things like digital cameras needs permit to use.

It is my favorite kind of photography, I will continue trying to get shots like this, but usually the only ship around is our stand-by vessel Ranger. Getting tired of that one..

Mat Arlander 3 years ago

This make me think of Estonia assident! The great see is just not something we play games with. I feel a little bit scared when I look at this picture. Mat Arlander

Lars Grepstad The Estonia accident was bad, and we've had some bad ones in the North Sea too. The oceans simply needs to be respected. Thanks a lot for the comment!

Earl A. Jones 3 years ago

This is really great work! Well done!!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Earl! Weather getting bad here again, hoping to get more photo opportunities.

Faddoush 3 years ago

Love the impact this photo has...makes me feel small.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for your nice comment Faddoush!
The weather out there in winter makes anybody feel small. Power of nature!

Daniel 3 years ago

pretty awesome.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the nice comment Daniel!

Will Stoddard 3 years ago

Lars, It seems that I never see all of the amazing images here. This is truly amazing. Great capture. will

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the nice comment Will!

Marcus Borenius 3 years ago

such a beast...

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Marcus! Yes, it looks like a beast. But I'm getting used to it. In the beginning it looked just ugly, now not so.

Balazs Pataki 3 years ago

I hate photos which make me want to change my job, my life, my surroundings. And therefore I hate this one very much :)

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Balazs! You want a job on a ship? Or do you work on a ship??

Balazs Pataki I only wanted - when I was 14 I wanted to go to a maritime school (at that time Hungary still had a little merchant fleet) but was refused because of my eyeglasses. And a few years ago I almost volunteered to work a high-sea trawler but this also wasn't realized. But yes, I wish I could do it one day, to see a sea and experience a life like this. And you see, this is why I like non- or only decently manipulated outdoor shots: images like this awake a desire to be part of that action, knowing that this is the real thing not pixel magic...

Lars Grepstad Thanks again for commenting! I like it out here when the weather is like that, but still, I'm happy to be on a very big vessel. The one in the shot is close to 100m long, and take the seas very well. The one I'm on is 216m long.
To be on our stand-by vessel(my Ranger shots) is not that attractive.. I sometimes wonder what assistance they can provide us in a serious situation.

I'm born on a small island on the west coast of Norway, and can't live far from the ocean!

Balazs Pataki Lucky you! The closest I get to the ocean is when I sail out on my virtual U-boat on the virtual seas in Silent Hunter III...

Lars Grepstad Here you see how far from the sea I live: http://www.photosight.org/ownpage.php?authorid=4451
The profile photo shows my house.

Balazs Pataki My wife was looking over my shoulder as I opened it. She said, "OMG what a romantic place". I agree... seems to be a fascinating life you're having... but you know, where I live, at least when I realise I'm out of cigarettes the shop is just 30 seconds away on foot! :))

Lars Grepstad Oh, my shop is 3km away! Or 300m by boat.. But I stopped smoking many years ago!

Alus Budianto,Alus 3 years ago

Awesome..Superb Shoot Lars..

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Alus!

Laurent Roch 3 years ago

Fantastic shot !

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Laurent!

Guillaume Legraverend 3 years ago

Very impressive shot !
The weather I like for funboard :)

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Guillaume! You must be good at funboard.. Make sure you have a safe pick-up, this is far from shore :)

Zsolt Arkossy 3 years ago

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Zsolt!

Ardy Soejoenoes 3 years ago

Yeah this is a GREAT SHOT!! what a moment there.. good job!!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Ardy!

Geironimo 3 years ago

Hot damn! This is an awesome shot!! Great capture!!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Geironimo!

Chrisrtophe Le Potier 3 years ago

Hello Sir ,

Could we talk about editing one of your Bourbon Mistral photo in a book.

Tel : 00 33 6 11 11 20 05

e-mail : christophe@plisson.com
Web site :www.plisson.com

Regards

Christophe le Potier

Lars Grepstad Absolutely. What kind of book?

Goia 3 years ago

unreal like, wow, no more comments :D

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Goia!

kaap 3 years ago

This is just suprb! luv it!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot kaap!

fmahler 3 years ago

great shot. Congratulations!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot fmahler!

Claudio Solera 3 years ago

Incredible shot! Great! Ciao,Claudio.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Claudio!

Ivar Smith-Nilsen 3 years ago

Excellent work of art. Refreshing contribution to balance our pictorial world as we litterally are swimming in nudes, parks and lakes, but see much less of the drama of our off-shore activity.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Ivar! Yes, it is quite a contrast to other images here. I guess I'm lucky to get a chance on motifs like this. Normally we don't have much other vessels nearby in that kind of weather. They have the brains to stay in port.. But we are stuck on 10 anchors! This time I was lucky, not only some ship, but a completely new design!

Wulff 3 years ago

Very nice this one Lars, and full of power!! But I like the version on PS better, think it is a bit more natural in color and light :-) Well made!!
/Wulff

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Wulff! I too liked the other version more before, it is a bit "getting used to" I think. This is definitely my favorite now. It is actually done little more than adjusting curves on it.

Rasmus Mattsson 3 years ago

Amazing, terrific photo!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Rasmus!

Giorgio Lorcet 3 years ago

amazing! incredible! terrific. i love sail and now i really afraid. thank you :))

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Giorgio! I sail too (sold my yacht 3 years ago, lack of time for it). I have sailed these areas a lot, also racing, but not in that kind of weather.. But have been out there in more than 40 knots of wind on my 33 footer, close hauled, trying to fight it. Waste of time when the seas are steep, and more than 10 meters tall. Just wet and cold!

Giorgio Lorcet Hi Lars. I sail in Adriatic sea (Italy, Croatia and Greece)so I don't have waves about 10 meters (lucky!) but sometimes I have more than 40 knots wind. In the Trieste gulf ( http://maps.google.it/maps?q=trieste&utm_campaign=it&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=it-ha-emea-it-sk-gm&utm_term=trieste ), where I often sail, ther's a wind called "bora" very strong in winter. But, I think to be lucky because never so cold like North sea :)

mapiguerrini 3 years ago

incredible

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot mapiguerrini!

Pouya Nakhaie 3 years ago

Great Capture.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Pouya!

Leon 3 years ago

One word..........Top!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Leon!

Olivier Sarbil 3 years ago

Great shot Lars, very impressive moment! Remind me those marine painting... ;)

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Olivier! You have a point there I think. I'll try to blow it up big on canvas.

Thomas Ljungberg 3 years ago

Congratulations Lars! First rejected, then reworked and published. Now screeners choice!
Well deserved, it's a great photography!
/Thomas

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Thomas! Yes, this one got a hard time for a while, but improved too. I didn't expect it to become screeners choice, a reject..
I'm really happy for that rejection now. This version was a bit too extreme for me in the beginning, but after getting a bit used to it I really like it.

rainman_375 3 years ago

I love this shot! What absolutely fantastic drama!
The composition works wonderfully for me (aside from the technically correct exposure, placement of subject, proportion of foreground to subject distance and then background, etc). You have really managed to capture the feeling of isolation, rough seas - what I perceive what it would feel like to BE there . . . AND it makes me marvel at what you, the photographer, were standing in or waiting on to get this photograph. Stare at it long enough and I just might get sea sick . . .
Brilliant photo!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Rainman! It is nice if I'm able to convey a bit of the feeling of being out there.
I was of course on deck on a ship, but behind some cover. I just wish it was possible to photograph when the weather is really at its worst. But visibility fades in rain, snow and spray. And there are just a few hours of photo light at that time of year, december north of 60 degrees.

Travers Henry 3 years ago

Very awe-inspiring. Love the contrasts. That ship definitely wont dig into any wave, no matter the size. :P

May I ask where you were when you took the photo?

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Travers Henry! No, it will definitely not dig much in, but some says it is not that nice getting the seas into the side.
I was on an FPSO, oil production ship, just over twice the length of that one. We were shaken too..

Travers Henry Well, great photo!
I want a bigger version for my desktop. :P

Schmick 3 years ago

Fantastic shot

You can't really appreciate the size of the sea unless you are there but that sea dose look angry

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment Schmick! Yes, it was angry, and we're in the season for it again!

Rouge 3 years ago

Incredible.... I have never seen the sea like that !

Rouge

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot for the comment! It can be rough here, actually waiting for a storm now.. Hope we get some ships around us the next days.

Giovanni Drogo 3 years ago

Only now I see your photos. Congratulations you are really good.

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Giovanni!

Thomas Sass Pedersen 4 years ago

Another stunning shot in your series from this rough sea. Nice dramatic "pose" of the Bourbon Mistral. Keep clicking ;o) Cheers, Sass

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Thomas! I will keep on. The others on board wants nice weather, I want storms!!!

Alexandre Buisse 4 years ago

That's a great shot! I used to live in Göteborg, but never saw the sea like that...

Lars Grepstad Thanks for commenting Alexandre. no, I'm afraid the sea around Göteborg is a little more protected than this area. This is in the middle of the North Sea, very close to halfway between Norway and Scotland.
Almost looking forward to the winter storms for the photo opportunities. But not for the shaking, noise, and cold weather

AcaciaPiks 4 years ago

incredible

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot AcaciaPics!

Alberto Peroni 4 years ago

Awesome!

Lars Grepstad Thank you Alberto!

storytaylor 4 years ago

impressive

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Storytaylor

Daniel Hasselberg 4 years ago

Powerful shot!!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Daniel!

Angela Bacon-Kidwell 4 years ago

I really love the sharpness in this shot. BTW: My husband loved this one!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Angela, and send my regards to your husband too.
You should have seen that dull raw file. It took months before I cared to convert. I had a look at the jpeg's from the camera, and decided that it was useless..
Then I took them up to test a new raw converter, oops! Took me less than a week to get back the value of camera and lens from the builder and the owner of the ship..

Stephan Sünderkamp 4 years ago

I loved the first natural looking version of it. But the editing is also well made and fits better in here. Congrats!

Lars Grepstad Thank you Stephan. I start liking this version myself now, needed some time..

Scott Crouse 4 years ago

Impressive. I can't image how those folks work in those conditions.

Lars Grepstad Thank you Scott. I think you're right, they have a hard life in those conditions. And the living quarters forward too..

Giulio.Ercolani 4 years ago

Really awesome!

Lars Grepstad Thanks a lot Giulio

Lars Grepstad 4 years ago

Yes, it is a different crop. This is entire frame minus 1 degree of correction for a little tilted camera. Thanks Nunu, for commenting my image
Got the comment in the wrong place agai... sorry

Elisabeth Gustafson 4 years ago

Drama in windy conditions. The drama is added by the powerful vawes. I like that green ship that really stand out from the wather and the mist. Great shoot!
/
E

Lars Grepstad Thank you very much Elisabeth

King Douglas 4 years ago

Oh, man! I find this very frightening. I have a fear or drowning at sea, and almost did once, in ridiculously serene circumstances--not like this. And what was your purchase in this wild scene?

Lars Grepstad Thank you King. Been close too, deep down, and in much calmer conditions. Except once, not so calm, in a group of divers on a search. For a camera of course, nothing else worth risking the life for.. The area was hit by a typhon when we were down. All survived.
This one is "the view from my office"

King Douglas Please explain, "..view from my office." Do you work on a ship? In what capacity. You live an interesting life.

Lars Grepstad Yes, I work on a ship. An oil production vessel. I'm at the moment an Electrical and Instrumentation supervisor.
And, yes again, I try to make my life as interesting as possible..
I have had a quite clear philosophy on that. If I wanted to do something, and it was technically/economically possible, then do it!
That thinking has sent me into some problems.., but I think quite well paid back by positive happenings.
It has taken me to exotic places, and given me some experience that you just don't get by staying home.
Limited myself a bit a few years ago, getting married, and getting children, so I have cooled down quite a bit. Took my time, married 48years old..

Working offshore in Norway, I still have some advantages if any ideas should pop up. My work schedule is 2 weeks work, 4 weeks off.
Photography has been a hobby for many years, and it has developed to a registered business over the years. No big money, but it pays my camera gear.
Best regards, Lars

King Douglas A fascinating story...I was sure it would be. All the best to you and good luck at sea!

Lars Grepstad Thank you! Going home tomorrow. All the best, Lars

Lars Grepstad 4 years ago

Pushed the wrong button.. Ok, my thought about this image:
I went a touch too far on the editing, for my liking. It ended up very dramatic, but ok, the sea was dramatic at the time. For a viewer that was not there, I guess a little overdramatic might be right.

Sebastien Thuan 4 years ago

Nothing else to say...wow!

Lars Grepstad Thank you Sebastien

Kaveh H. Steppenwolf 4 years ago

It should be wonderful to be on that ship. Is the backpart under water??

Lars Grepstad Thank you Kaveh. No the stern is dry, just deep down in that "valley". I watched them for a quite long while, and I never saw any water on the deck. Not even serious spray.
That is supposed to be one of the advantages of the design, get the cargo there dry, and fast..
88.8m (291feet) long, the ship is not a small vessel..

Johan Stomberg 4 years ago

This is just amazing!! Congrats to a masterpice!

Lars Grepstad Thanks for that Johan

Nuno Milheiro 4 years ago

Very nice moment but the picture is over edited specially on the sea!
Do we have to "ruin" our photos to get published here on OE?

Regards

Lars Grepstad Thank you Nuno. I agree with you it might be over edited. I don't think that is neccessary for getting published here. It depends on motif, I guess.
It seems to be a bit "modern" to push editing to the limits though.

Nuno Milheiro Ive seen your previous version that was rejected and i thought that a bit more contrast could improve even more the impact of the scene.I notice that in this published version the boat is off the center wich balances more the picture that is great and shows well the power of the stormy sea against the boat!Just think that the sea is a bit too much, but i have to agree that in terms of visual impact this version is much better than the previous.

Regards

David Rocaberti 4 years ago

I'm glad it finally made it. Now I can feel fury on that sea

Lars Grepstad Thank you David. I'm happy it made it too

Quinn Reynolds 4 years ago

Intense. Great shot :)

Lars Grepstad Thank you Quinn

Bill Mangold 4 years ago

Congratulations on a marvelous image, Lars. I really wanted to see this one again.
Bill

Lars Grepstad Thank you Bill. This one I really wanted published

Marcus Bjorkman 4 years ago

Very dramatic and powerful shot! It feels good to be on this side of the camera :-)

Lars Grepstad Thank you Marcus. I felt safe, getting used to it. They were quite safe on that one too. That design might look strange, but heading into the waves it works excellent it seems.