Mark Metternich


ReMarkable Landscape Photography

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"The Presence" Limited Edition of 300
"The Presence" Limited Edition of 500 Artistic Liberty: Lab color separation was used to overcome RGB limitations in color variation. Story: We had lost our most beloved dog a few weeks earlier in a catastrophic accident coming out of Yosemite. I was destroyed, disillusioned, grieving and depressed at best, but because of the awesome new responsibility and opportunity of a 5 month photography trip to launch our new corporation and gallery, I had to move on, and get back to work. It was an intensely overcast day at the coast (Boardman State Park, Oregon) and so my wife and I went into town to do some grocery shopping. After thumbing through a photography magazine I felt a small boost of inspiration to head to the fogged out coastline to experiment with my camera. Mostly I wanted to get away and be by myself. As I got to the beach, I found it to be much too foggy for photographs but I just waited. I felt a painful sense of loneliness due to not being able to talk with anyone about my terrible grief. I had not wanted to depress my wife more by talking to her about it, so I stuffed some of my feelings. On the beach I engrossed myself in futile photographic experimentation's with fog and water. As I was shooting near the water, suddenly a stranger came from behind me, a wise looking older bearded man, who enquired about my photography. I found it strange that in such dreary weather conditions anyone but myself would be on the beach. The man asked me many key questions, and after some time I began to open up, share my grief and pour out my heart. It was strange to me that a total stranger would care. After pouring out my heart for some length of time, the man said "I’m going to do something." He then proceeded to put his hand on my shoulder, and pray for me, my grief, my faith, and the success of my current work. His prayer was beautiful, and for some strange reason I felt complete peace about this action of a stranger. Tears welled up and I sincerely thanked him. As I was doing so, I caught sight of his walking stick and saw that it was beautifully hand carved, wrapped with words and images about the beauty of God's creation. The words were a song; a hymn: "When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees, When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur, And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze, Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!" I said to the man "wow, cool walking stick." He simply replied "thanks." The man said goodbye and as quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared in the dense fog. A very strong sense of peace came over me. I had gratitude for someone who cared enough to listen when I was in a totally broken state. I became re-encouraged to do this work. Next, I looked at my gloomy landscape scene and decided that I was finished trying to experiment with the ultimately futile dense fog and no light. I packed up my gear and began to try to make my way back to my truck. I remember murmuring under my breath to God, "Help me to see what I DON'T see." Within a few seconds, suddenly I noticed some strange diffused lighting starting to gather above a hillside cliff along the ocean shore. I could not believe my eyes! I quickly pulled out my camera equipment and ran in that direction and started to photograph. The light led me back to the ocean shore, and when I got there an amazing display of diffused light began to "dance" in the sky! I quickly and carefully took a few images with my camera on a tripod and then as quickly as the light came, it left! This image is a result of that day and these events. I consider the presence, the moment and the photograph to be a sheer gift from above. I hope you too can look into it, and be touched by a beauty much greater than ourselves.
"The Presence"

Limited Edition of 300
"The Presence" Limited Edition of 300
"The Presence"

Limited Edition of 300
See photo in original gallery.
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