LeaD01
FollowI love long exposures especially when there is the chance of light trails too so couldn't resist the urge to capture the light trails of the vaporetto on Venice...
Read more
I love long exposures especially when there is the chance of light trails too so couldn't resist the urge to capture the light trails of the vaporetto on Venice's Grand Canal.
Read less
Read less
Views
1202
Likes
Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in Getting Dark Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Top Ranks
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I've always loved Italy and in the summer of 2015 I had the opportunity to return to Venice with the sole purpose of photographing its splendour. This particular photo was taken from Ponte dell'Academia, one of the many bridges that stretch across the Grand Canal.Time
Italy has the most terrific golden hours. It reminds me of those hazy summer days and has the power to make you forget about all your worries and just live in the moment. This image was taken just after sunset when the day starts to transition into night and for a brief moment I had Venice all to myself.Lighting
I wanted the image to portray how alive Venice is but at the same time to show the contrast and stillness within the hustle and bustle of this city; I wanted to capture that hazy summer feeling and therefore I chose to do a long exposure shot just after sunset when the city's lights come on but there is still enough daylight to further illuminate the scene.Equipment
This shot was taken with a Canon 700D; I used a Canon EF 16-35mm f4/L lens and mounted the camera on a Manfrotto Befree One Travel Tripod. Because it is a long exposure I also used a Canon remote release to avoid any camera shake from pressing the button manually when starting and stopping the shot.Inspiration
For me Venice as a city is very human-like. Every time I return to the city I feel like it is an old friend I haven't seen in years and like most good old friends, when we meet again, it is like we were never apart to begin with. I wanted to capture an image that would remind me of this every time I looked at it.Editing
To make sure the image was fully illuminated I adjusted the sharpness and temperature of the image to ensure it exuded a similar warmth of the scene at the time of shooting.In my camera bag
My Canon 700D body is always in my bag accompanied with my favourite lens, the Canon EF 16-35mm f4/L. The sharpness and quality of images produced by this lens is phenomenal. Since I love long exposure shots I also pack in a couple of filters ranging from ND to ND grad, polarizer etc. My favourite filter in my bag and one that I use most frequently is the Lee big stopper. Additional battery packs, memory cads, cable release and tripod.Feedback
Have patience, be creative and enjoy the experience especially when traveling to places that are so well-known. For landscape photography always use a tripod, your images will be so much sharper. Try to get out during the golden hours like sunrise or sunset as often your images will stand out more due to the change in conditions as it gets lighter at sunrise or darker at sunset. Know your equipment, its strenghts and limitations and work with this to ensure you achieve your desired results e.g. I know my Canon EF 16-35mm lens has a sweet spot at f16 and therefore I always use this in conjunction with the appropriate shutter speed. Lastly, I always do plenty of research before heading out to a location and as a result I have a vision in mind of what I'd like to achieve. When I get to my location I always take a few test shots experimenting with various compositions until I am happy, then I set up accordingly but this means I am always on location about an hour before sunrise or sunset.