ericdush

Pirate Life

Reflections of the replica sailing ship, Friends Good Will, in South Haven, Michigan. The sunset was fantastic, we were half a mile from this ship when the ligh...
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Reflections of the replica sailing ship, Friends Good Will, in South Haven, Michigan. The sunset was fantastic, we were half a mile from this ship when the light really hit, so I got my quadcopter in the air and flew over to strafe around them and get this great shot!
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Hero3-Black Edition

settings

Aperture 28/10 ISO 241 Shutter 1/120 Focal Length 277/100

upload_date

Aug, 2016

Views

751

Likes

+90

Awards

People's Choice in Peaceful waters Photo Challenge

Peer Award

+22

Superb Composition

+14

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Magnificent Capture

All Star

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken while out sailing for the day on Lake Michigan near South Haven, Michigan. This sloop is a square top sail ship which was built in the early 2000's as a replica of the 1811 ship of the same name which is "Friends Good Will". It sails daily out of South Haven so there are lots of opportunities to catch a photo of the fantastic profile of this ship while it's out and about on Lake Michigan (it recently sailed around the Great Lakes including Chicago for the tall ship festivals at several ports).

Time

My friends, my wife and I had been sailing all day to a beach with sand dunes to the South of South Haven and were returning back North on an incredibly calm and warm June evening. It was the quintessential summer lake day with good friends, good food, fantastic sailing and adventure! As the sun dropped below the horizon, the big lake became glass like. We spotted this sloop about a mile off starboard and it was just too perfect of an opportunity to pass up! I grabbed my DJI Phantom out and we quickly got it airborne. I flew over to Friends Good Will and made a long slow strafe around them as the sun disappeared underneath the lake.

Lighting

The lighting was provided by nature and it was one of the most beautiful still evenings I've ever experienced while on Lake Michigan. The glass was so still that it was perfectly reflecting the vibrant sunset! There is no technique here, just be in the right place at the right time!

Equipment

Since Friend's Good Will was a mile off starboard, my DSLR wasn't going to capture this moment in time so I relied on the GoPro Hero 3 and my DJI Phantom quadcopter to extend our reach out to where the sloop was enjoying her sunset cruise. There really is nothing that let's you get unique and well placed shots like a UAV system!

Inspiration

This was a perfect moment on Lake Michigan and all the variables came together at the right time to allow for this scene to be captured. I really had no choice, this moment needed documentation!

Editing

I processed this photo in Adobe Lightroom and did the usual minor color correction and a little added contrast since the GoPro Hero 3 is a little weak in the low light that follows sunset. I tried to keep the editing minimal since the scene was already beautiful and didn't need any digital trickery!

In my camera bag

Depending on the project, I have a couple different bag options. For excursions where flight may be possible, I use a PolarPro DroneTrekker backpack which contains my Phantom 4 (Previously a Phantom 1 with GoPro Hero 3), PolarPro Cinema filters plus my Nikon D600, 28-300 VR, 85 1.8, 50 1.8 and occasionally a Nikon 14-24 2.8. If the project calls for more mobility I have a smaller Kata backpack where I usually carry the Nikon D600, 28-300 VR, 14-24 2.8, 50 1.8 and occasionally one or two SB-800's. When I'm doing a portrait shoot like this one, I'll also pack a lighting bag with a couple SB-800's, light stands, two soft boxes and a couple tripods.

Feedback

Be in the right place at the right time and have a camera! Honestly, I wish I could say this photo was lots of careful planning, but sometimes you just have to have your gear nearby and be ready to go when the moment presents itself! Lastly, I have a brief video from the Phantom, please enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5SUCnkNA7k

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ericdush

ericdush

Pirate Life

Reflections of the replica sailing ship, Friends Good Will, in South Haven, Michigan. The sunset was fantastic, we were half a mile from this ship when the ligh... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow ericdush

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Reflections of the replica sailing ship, Friends Good Will, in South Haven, Michigan. The sunset was fantastic, we were half a mile from this ship when the ligh...
Read more

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