Is this why we take out insurance?

[John Bennett]

The last few weeks, I have been trying to get some first light shots along the North Shore of Lake O capturing the winter blue skies, fist light, ice formations, and wave action.Sometimes lieing on frozen beaches for low angles, usually venturing onto rocks slick with ice, stepping into near frozen water for better angles and otherwise exposing myself to the elements and some uneccessary risk. There have been some dicey moments.

This was one. Originally deleted it, but have decided to keep it as a reminder.
Luckily the 1D help up to the soaker, better than I did in fact. Then again at -10 or so the water froze before it could do any damage.

Couple other attempts at what I’m looking for.

This one is close to what I’m envisioning but would prefer a better ice formation and heavier wave action.

[Aaron Otto]

I wish I could offer up some advice to you, other than telling you I love the second shot.

[Chad Simcox]

Thats a risk I wouldn’t take!

If you’re looking for a critique, read on.

The 1st and 3rd photo confuse me. What is the focal point of the photo? What are you trying to show? The colors are beautiful, but I don’t see what the photos are about. The 1st one seems a bit soft. Personally I think I would have gone for a long exposure on this scene, but that would make it my photo and not yours! I think the 1st shot would work better as 2 separate images. One of the rocks and waves and the other as the logs and the horizon.
The 2nd photo is nice. I love the colors and that cold feeling. The foreground and trees around the shore are a bit too contrasty for my liking. Also, you have some dust specs that need to be cleaned up. Great shot, I just wish there was more detail and less black in the foreground.

You’re crazier than me for going out in -10 degree weather!

http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.

http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox Instagram

[John Bennett]

No problem and thanks Chad.

I don’t do alot of landscape shootng, in fact very, very little. Just because I can see an image in my mind doesn’t mean I can produce it………yet. 🙂 You don’t get there without experimentation and learning.

Aside from the colours (nothing quite like winter skies and dawns first light) I’m also trying to capture ice formations which, in and of themselves can be interesting but also the way the light plays off them at first light. Im litterly on or in the water and done within 20 minutes of the sun cracking the horizon. Thats creates some probems with WB and colour cast but its not insurmountable. And yeah, the image thats currenty in my mind is done at a slow shutter speed so as to blur the crashing wave.

The first shot was destined for the recycle bin for the reasons you stated. Its soft because I started moving to protect the camera and/or missed focus when I repositioned. I pre focus then drop the body such that its bottom is kissing the water line. The only way to get the low angle I want is to lie down and while Ive been doing that on the beaches, Im not about to do that in a few inches of near freezing water :). Also, if I recall there was steam coming off the log which could very well be playing havoc on iq.

Either way its was to be deleted until I decided to keep it as a reminder. I recall all to well how wet the body and I got, as the wave broke over me, not to mentioned the near miss slipping on the slick rocks trying to avoid worse  🙂 . The water did freeze on the lens barrel and body within moments.

The 3rd shot is indicative what Im trying for. While not exactly what Im after, its “close” to it. All the elements, blue sky, strong directional light with the sun barely over the horizon, etc, except Id prefer more violent wave action, a better ice formation and somewhat better execution.

2nd. Agreed there to. But without using HDR (which im not really crazy about) theres no way to underexpose properly to get the sunrays. Any more exposure to capture more detail in the foreground and the sun becomes a super nova and I also lose the rays. So its clip some blacks or lose the rays and the sun becomes a hot spot, hotter than it is.

HDR for sure but all in good time. Im still trying to learn the basics of landscape 🙂

J

[John Pavoncello]

John,
You don’t need HDR for landscapes, use fill flash! That’s what we did for years before the advent of digital photography.
Your images are nice but the 1st and 3rd photos do need some sort of obvious subject or point of view.

[John Bennett]

See we learn all the time. 🙂
Thanks John, using fill to cast some light on the foreground never crossed my mind. That type of shot (facing into a rising sun) has been problematic to me for awhile.

Re 1st and 3rd.
the 1st I knew was trash right away, if not for the water spay hitting the body and me in bottom right Id have not kept it at all 🙂

The 3rd.
Ive come across some stuff washed up on shore that acts as good anchors for ice to form. Some are stumps, most are logs and fallen trees. Each I find wants for a different perspective. With boulders/stumps ive been walking into the water so as to get more of a face shot but still trying to retain the shoreline. With fallenor washed up

[Chad Simcox]

Don’t forget gradient filters for landscapes as well! You could easily drop the sky down a few stops and still expose the foreground properly.

http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.

http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox Instagram

[John Bennett]

Thanks again Chad.
While trying to process them the thought that a split ND might work crossed my mind but I know even less about using them correctly 🙂

Its funny when John mentioned using some flash a little light went off as Ive long struggled trying to get sun beam shots and exposing the entire image. The classic being while walking through forest. Think about good use of fill for wildlife and people all the time when they are side and back lit. Never entertained the idea that flash could be used for landscape as well
lol.

J

[Chad Simcox]

Just remember, with fill flash you’ll have to accommodate changing light temps as the sun pops up over the horizon. With digital and fill flash, you could process your raw image separately for the foreground and for the background to get matching color temps. But at that point you’re using a work flow similar to HDR, which you said you didn’t want to do.

http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.

http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
http://instagram.com/chad_simcox Instagram

[Rolf Jacobsen]

John I am the LAST person around to critique a photo but #2 imparts “COLD” like nothing I have ever looked at before. Nice & thank you.

Rolf

[John Bennett]

Thanks Rolf.
Im pretty happy with it, despite some technical flaws including a bit of a blue colour cast but its all part of the learning process.

Chad.
With regards to processing the different light values do mean something like wanting to make separate selections and layer adjustments for each of the sky and foreground? If so, I think I’m at a point where I can do that.

With regards to HDR Ive to try it because a) many of the images I see posted look almost surreal/cartoonish b) Ive yet to try my hand at composite/merging and more importantly, given the elements Im in for these I dont know/think its condusive to setting up on a tripod. While the tripod and bracketing would work for the sunrise shot Im not sure about doing at the water line.

Im toying with the idea of donning my waders and studded boots this weekend for another go at it (weather permitting). That should allow me to get a few feet out into the water for better angles and the boots should take care of the slips Ive had. Also thinking about using my monopod as a make shift wading staff and as support for the body once Im set.

[Author]

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