Star Trek TNG Identity Crisis, a photo from Kentucky, South

Photographer's Note

In the episode Identity Crisis of Star Trek TNG, Geordi LaForge meets an old friend with whom he had served aboard the Victory. She tells La Forge that several of their crewmates from an Away team to Tarchannen III have disappeared. Shortly after, she starts to transform into an alien being. Geordi also becomes infected, but before he is transformed into an alien, it is discovered that shadow aliens on the planet have implanted a parasite into the away team members that turns them into the aliens. This is how they procreate. La Forge is rescued and given an antidote that stops the transformation.
This scene reminded me of that episode of Star Trek when I saw it. However, we were not on Tarchanen III. We were not even on Earth! We were deep in the earth, in Mammoth Cave. The cave was illuminated from the sides at this point and a tour group had stopped to listen to their tour guide. They were very still and the lateral illumination cast these eerie shadows on the cave wall.
I found out that my DSLR was useless in the cave. It could not focus. I had my point-and-shoot set for "Night Landscape" mode and used a monopod in this section.
Tomorrow, we head back home. I have taken enough photos to last a lifetime of uploading at the rate of one per day, but I will not bore you with every one of them. I will come back to this trip from time to time to upload other photos.
(Since the GPS of my camera did not work underground, map coordinates are for the Visitors' Center)

thebest, kato, ikeharel, krzychu30, ayferaldanmaz, ourania, Kugart, pajaran has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

thebest (4276) 2013-08-10 19:40

Hi Murat,

Well spotted - the cave & the ghostly silhouettes - spooky stuff... you have a WONDERFUL imagination.

Kindest regards,
Dawn.

psamaddar (1089) 2013-08-10 20:00

Interesting shot. Liked the way its taken with the texture and noise effect..Good POV and well taken.

Ragards
Prasenjit

kato (11630) 2013-08-10 23:06

Hello Murat,

You're capturing well this scane by a good angle and excellent tone/clarity, so it's interesting and impressive to see the Ghost effect with silhouette in the cave. It's good at contrast with yellow cave. So, we are in mystery zone with the alien now.

Kind regards,
mikio

ikeharel (113453) 2013-08-11 0:30

Good morning Murat,
Caves photography is not an easy task, the low light condition often bring some "noise" on pictures, unless setting a very low ISO number, and with a tripod.
But, I am glad you did not give-up and presented this scene, silhouettes of "ghosts"... people walking underground.
Also, I tried to filter the noise on my PC, but to no avail.
Best reagrds,
Ike

krzychu30 (15512) 2013-08-11 3:26

Hello Murat,
awesome image not only for Star Trek fans!Evocative and working on our imagination.Of course itґs not an easy tast to take picture under such difficult light condition,but I have to say in this case the "grainy look" of the scene only helps you to create and to enhance the spooky feeling of the scene.

Have a nice sunday
Krzysztof

marabu61 (11587) 2013-08-11 3:39

Hello Murat
There is an eerie and otherworldly mood to this composition indeed. A well spotted scene and a good reaction of your part to take it.
Caves are a nightmare for serious photographers as there is limited space and time to lug around a heavy tripod.
I was never a big fan of Star Trek, but I remember a similar story out of the Perry Rhodan stories I used to read as a teenager in the 70ties about a alien life form as shadows on cave walls.
have a great sunday
Daniel

ayferaldanmaz (1085) 2013-08-11 7:28

merhaba Murat,
enteresan bir зalışma olmuş, not da зok hoş :)
makinanın focuslayamaması iyi bile olmuş :) mağara duvarlarının dokusu ve ьzerine yansıyan gцlgeler grenli doku iзinde daha gizemli gцrьnьyorlar.. bu kareyi sevdim, tfs.
selamlar,
ayfer

ourania (51103) 2013-08-11 8:14

Hello Murat,
this certainly looks eerie and captivating, everything in the picture helps evoke these feelings. The exclusion of any other reflerence, the texture of the wall and the array of mysterious shadows, where the viewer's attention is fixed for the mystery and for the impression that they're moving in the dim and ominous light. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a lovely day,
Ourania

jemaflor (147248) 2013-08-11 9:40

Hi Murat,
Original view and photo, interesting idea and result well managed and presented, good title also.

alpi1500 (1520) 2013-08-11 10:19

Merhaba
Gцlgeler зok sanatsal oolmuş.Elinize sağlık
Selamlar

Kugart (1778) 2013-08-11 13:36

Hi Murat,
Nice capture of the ghostly figures in the cave. The result is very good considering the lighting problems you must have incurred underground . Well done.
Regards
Arthur.

chrisvek (7003) 2013-08-11 13:53

Hello Murat

Nice and so unique composition with splendid lightning usage and game with the shadows.Very good job.

TFS
All the best
Chris

pajaran (116011) 2013-08-12 22:33

Pozdrav.
Vrlo interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Dobar trenutak snimka, lepa igra svetla i senke.
Sve najbolje.
Paja.

Greetings.
Very interesting and good text ...
A good time recording, beautiful play of light and shadow.
All the best.
Paja.

KristinsCamera (2384) 2013-08-17 12:53

i like this one, murat ~
it could be sophisticated cave drawings, where they've progress from stick figures to three dimensional shadow likenesses :)

it could also be coal miners off to work deep in the earth with only a headlamp to illuminate the tunnel.

whatever, it is erie & atmospheric ~ and a nice capture.

warm regards,
kristin