750' Down

rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
edited February 11, 2012 in Other Cool Shots
750' below the surface in SE NM one might find themselves in Carlsbad Caverns.

Here are a few shots from down below. You can't tell from these pics, but it's so dark in there that you will be bumping against the walkway hand rails most way through. As you can imagine, at 750' inside the earth, when they turn the lights out, that's as dark as dark is...

Nikon D3s - ISO 12,800 - f/2.8
Randy

Comments

  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited February 6, 2012
    While on a motorcycle trip across the US I stopped at Carlsbad Caverns and went on 5 different tours (most self guided) in two days. This place is magical. I was lucky to have hit it during the off season and the caverns had few tourists. I was able to stop and listen to water dripping in the silence of the cave.

    Nice photos. Taking cave photos is tricky.

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited February 6, 2012
    Sam wrote: »
    While on a motorcycle trip across the US I stopped at Carlsbad Caverns and went on 5 different tours (most self guided) in two days. This place is magical. I was lucky to have hit it during the off season and the caverns had few tourists. I was able to stop and listen to water dripping in the silence of the cave.

    Nice photos. Taking cave photos is tricky.

    Sam

    Sam,

    I wish that I could have spent some quality time down there. As it was (and usually is for me), I arrived with 7 minutes to spare to go down. Then, we only had enough time to briskly walk through, hence the "snapshots". Did you post-up some pics from Carlsbad? If so, I'd like to see what some images look like that had some thought put into them...

    Thanks for looking and the comments!
    Randy
  • moose135moose135 Registered Users Posts: 1,420 Major grins
    edited February 6, 2012
    These are really well done, Randy!
    The Moose is Loose!
    http://www.moose135photography.com
  • EaracheEarache Registered Users Posts: 3,533 Major grins
    edited February 6, 2012
    Beautiful shots - I don't think they look at all like "snapshots". thumb.gif
    I was there 40+ years ago and have always wanted to go back, so it was nice to see it again - thanks for sharing!
    Eric ~ Smugmug
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2012
    moose135 wrote: »
    These are really well done, Randy!

    Thanks Moose!
    Randy
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited February 7, 2012
    Earache wrote: »
    Beautiful shots - I don't think they look at all like "snapshots". thumb.gif
    I was there 40+ years ago and have always wanted to go back, so it was nice to see it again - thanks for sharing!

    Hey Eric,

    40yrs is about how long it had been since I was there also. Glad I could supply a glimpse for ya'
    Randy
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited February 8, 2012
    Randy,

    At that time I had a 35mm point and shoot. I was informed after the first day I needed to buy ASA 800 film, because the film I was using wouldn't work, and that the camera would know what film it was using and would auto-magically adjust. Who knew??????

    I believe I have several hundred blurry images in a box somewhere. :D

    Getting nice crisp images in a cavern is difficult.

    Here are a few from a cave near San Antonio TX. The temp in this cave was in the 80's with a about 98% humidity. It took about 20 minutes before my glasses would stop fogging up. And yes I was worried about the camera!!! But it seemed to work well after an initial time period where the images were fogged over.

    Sam

    #1
    i-tNVpxjt-L.jpg

    #2
    i-PMmkWRn-L.jpg

    #3
    i-pWDxrNJ-L.jpg
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • Jack'll doJack'll do Registered Users Posts: 2,977 Major grins
    edited February 9, 2012
    Howdy Randy

    These are really awesome. I am presently spending a couple of weeks at my sister's place in western Virginia. As it is not far from the Luray Caverns you may have inspired me to try my hand at underground shots.

    Be well
    Jack
    jrg.smugmug.com

    Jack
    (My real name is John but Jack'll do)
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2012
    Sam wrote: »
    Randy,

    At that time I had a 35mm point and shoot. I was informed after the first day I needed to buy ASA 800 film, because the film I was using wouldn't work, and that the camera would know what film it was using and would auto-magically adjust. Who knew??????

    I believe I have several hundred blurry images in a box somewhere. :D

    Getting nice crisp images in a cavern is difficult.

    Here are a few from a cave near San Antonio TX. The temp in this cave was in the 80's with a about 98% humidity. It took about 20 minutes before my glasses would stop fogging up. And yes I was worried about the camera!!! But it seemed to work well after an initial time period where the images were fogged over.

    Sam

    Great shots Sam,

    You must have used one of those fancy inventions that I've heard about (tripod).
    I can't even make myself pull my tripod out of the car to use, much less 750' into the earth rolleyes1.gif

    Thanks for posting-up your pics for me Sam thumb.gif
    Randy
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2012
    Jack'll do wrote: »
    Howdy Randy

    These are really awesome. I am presently spending a couple of weeks at my sister's place in western Virginia. As it is not far from the Luray Caverns you may have inspired me to try my hand at underground shots.

    Be well
    Jack

    Thanks Jack!

    Sounds like a good plan for ya'. I'll have to admit; If it weren't for my Nikon D3s high ISO abilities, I probably wouldn't have had anything of use since I didn't take a tripod down. (no time to use a tripod on our "almost closing" walk-through anyway). These were ISO 12,800, f/2.8 @ 1/15 sec for most shots, hand-held.
    Randy
  • scotthofferphotographyscotthofferphotography Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2012
    love your pictures.
    check out some of my pics on my smug mug site.
    http://www.scotthofferphotography.com
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2012
    scotthofferphotography wrote: »
    love your pictures.

    Thanks for looking and the kind comment Scott thumb.gif
    Randy
  • toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2012
    Nice shots Randy. Caverns are tough to get in one frame

    You did real good
    Rags
  • rwellsrwells Registered Users Posts: 6,084 Major grins
    edited February 11, 2012
    torags wrote: »
    Nice shots Randy. Caverns are tough to get in one frame

    You did real good

    Thanks Rags,

    That 14mm on full-frame can take a lot of real-estate in thumb.gif
    Randy
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