Sometimes you wish there was a way to share the story of the shot before people voted. The backstory can add so much to a picture.
Anyway, here's what I put on the comments of my Pure entry "Purity of Zen"
Hiked the two miles up to Punchbowl Falls in a light steady rain to shoot some pictures of the waterfall. I planned on using my dry suit to get past a bottleneck and fallen log (you can just see it in the background) so as to shoot the fall unobstructed. When arriving I saw a single rock stack and smiled at somebody's work. Then 20 feet further I saw two more. I still didn't make much of it. Finally, in a moment where your brain doesn't quite comprehend what it is seeing I realized I was standing in a small area of at least 50 of these stacks. It was a moment out of Blair Witch Project. I was quite alone and it was quite bizarre. It's certainly known that I am a Christian through and through, but if there ever was a moment where I could buy into eastern mysticism and the kami spirits of Japanese Shintoism, this was it. Some stacks were small, but others, like the one you see, were three feet tall. The stackings also show quite a bit of skill in their construction.
Well, I couldn't believe my luck at stumbling across this find. I shot more pictures of the rock stacks than the waterfall. (I couldn't actually get my equipment to the fall as the water was over my head and I had to swim it. I didn't trust myself to actually swim with my equipment. I'm planning on returning with a dry bag.)
What a moment of pure bliss to be at the edge of the creek all by myself shooting this find in the rain. I'll remember it for years to come.
Here are some outtake shots. One involves another great story which is shooting from the creek with the tripod fully extended and only 4 inches above the surface.
The tripod:
Nice location. Glad to see the camera survived the onslaught too. I gave the image an 8 - but I found it visual confusing. Exotic and pretty but confusing. I think it was the f/16 which threw everything into sharp focus that gave that extra busy sensation to the eye. However, I can understand why you would not wish for any part of such a scene to be out of focus.
Thanks for sharing Jason, had a feeling this one was yours. What a great find, would be an odd feeling to stumble on such a great find. The things you do with your camera, amazing.
Were the stacks arranged in any pattern, circular, etc.?
There is a small movement in some areas close to my home where rockstacking is a bit of a pasttime, though not necessarily connected to Eastern religions. The local paper had a story several months ago which indicated that stacking this is a recreational past time being done around the country. (haven't googled it to find out).
Locally, the pictures of stacks I have seen exhibit great skill and creativity in their arrangements. Fascinating stuff.
Were the stacks arranged in any pattern, circular, etc.?
There is a small movement in some areas close to my home where rockstacking is a bit of a pasttime, though not necessarily connected to Eastern religions. The local paper had a story several months ago which indicated that stacking this is a recreational past time being done around the country. (haven't googled it to find out).
Locally, the pictures of stacks I have seen exhibit great skill and creativity in their arrangements. Fascinating stuff.
It must be a bit of a passtime/movement. I've seen quite a few rather beautiful stacks both close to Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. Also by some of the lakes in the Kootenays. Different country, same idea :)
The stacks themselves looked random, but someone had tried to build a large ring around most of them. It was only partially completed though.
The picture was difficult to capture well because the stacks got lost in the other regular rocks. I tried the really low angle to put them in relief against the green, but it only worked so well. I wanted to go back the next day and try again, but didn't have time. I wonder how long they will last before wind/people knock them down.
Punchbowl Falls is off of Eagle Creek in Oregon. Take Exit 40 off the I-84.
Great story Doc. Something similar, although not nearly as freaky happened to me as well. The wife and I went to the Hammonasset State Park in Conn. - found the same thing, stacks of rocks everywhere. They look very cool in bunches.
Great story, and thanks for the link Ray. interesting hobby, they do make very spiritual connections to the earth. Now if you'd just caught on image one of those mystical creatures actually making a stack... :)
I am a HUGE fan of Andy Goldsworthy - the nature sculpture, and although he doesn't do these sorts of rock stacks, I do appreciate such blessings too!
I LOVED this photo and wondered if the photographer had set them up, or were they a part of an exhbition - it's even MORE WONDERFUL to hear that they came to you like that.
I wish to fall upon such an experience - VERY COOL!
I saw the Andy Goldsworthy documentary a year or so ago. It was quite relaxing to watch him work.
For those who left comments that they prefer the shot from the water, I agree. However, I chose the one I did because of the limited 640 pixel canvas. If we could have gone full screen, or better, a 11x14 print, then I would have gone with the river shot. I just felt at 640 pixels the stacks were lost.
