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Bagan Fisherman
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Bagan Fisherman



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A sunrise view of a fisherman on Inle Lake, Myanmar, through his fishing net. Inle Lake fisherman are known for a paddling technique that is nothing short of ac...
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A sunrise view of a fisherman on Inle Lake, Myanmar, through his fishing net. Inle Lake fisherman are known for a paddling technique that is nothing short of acrobatic. Using one leg, they maneuver their boat by applying pressure to a long paddle while a hands typically rests on a fishing net which they can drop into the water at a moment's notice.
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cameraCanon EOS 5D Mark II

settings Aperture f/5.6 ISO 100 Shutter 1/125 Focal Length 33/1 

upload_dateMar, 2016

Views

3095

Likes

Awards

Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Creative Compositions Photo Contest Vol3
Featured
Member Selection Award
Runner Up in Covers Photo Contest Vol 33
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 33
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Peer Award
TonyGuzmanG davidjprosser Ulysees Vorster gman176 jorgealbertopealozapealoza arcrem +253
Superb Composition
sciep arlynmp CharlyPenelope lademat Natashiap simrantirkey VannieKaap +141
Outstanding Creativity
richardeaton_9707 genanatolevichnaryshkin kendrareams sharlarobbins gianlucapuccio johnmirsonryap lisaallen_8230 +101
Top Choice
tommcpherson kyleharris Lamangotango alvaronavarronavarro Kinga120 mthurnher queenie_1589 +48
Absolute Masterpiece
jessiewhitney aarongao Megandennington georgialeighhewitt arhossain2017 TanktheElder Confalonieri +39
Magnificent Capture
LastingMoments shawnmurphy_7890 michelepatrick RiViCo LeslieMCrawley KimFree dmmacdonald +9
Superior Skill
ALBESA DreamCapturedImages Paulacook144 jlappen LostOnWalk Rehnuma KellyGregory +3
All Star
mlaff0842 Eaboz tinashults Darleen BatizStudio kouzounakano DadiGylfason +1
Genius
stoicaemilian RockPhoto frankburden ericcriswell GILLEMOIREPHOTOGRAPHY harryspereira

Top Ranks

Looking At Faces Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Looking At Faces Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
All About Water Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
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Anything People Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Anything People Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank week 2
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 3Top 10 rank week 1
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Creative Compositions Photo Contest Vol3Top 10 rank
Creative Compositions Photo Contest Vol3Top 10 rank week 1
Image of the Year Photo Contest 2016Top 10 rank
Image of the Year Photo Contest 2016Top 10 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 1Top 10 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 1Top 10 rank week 2
Covers Photo Contest Vol 33Top 10 rank
Covers Photo Contest Vol 33Top 10 rank week 2
Covers Photo Contest Vol 33Top 10 rank week 1
Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 8Top 30 rank week 1

Categories

7 Comments |
DJMoran
 
DJMoran November 21, 2016
Very nice technique. Frame within a frame. I like that effect.
ericcriswell Ultimate
 
ericcriswell November 22, 2016
This is a fantastic shot! Very well composed and such an interesting subject matter. I would have given you the win! Congrats on being a finalist and congrats on a fantastic image!
FredericMONIN Platinum
 
FredericMONIN February 04, 2017
Magnifique composition et couleurs !!!
EdithNero
 
EdithNero February 09, 2017
Excellent capture and work
lizamaridupreez
 
lizamaridupreez February 09, 2017
Stunning capture
MKPhotographysa PRO
 
MKPhotographysa May 04, 2017
Love the composition in this one. Brilliant. You should enter it again.
DreamCapturedImages
 
DreamCapturedImages August 15, 2017
Very unique framing!

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#Inle Lake #myanmar #burma #fisherman #travel
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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken on Inle Lake in Myanmar (Burma.)

Time

I got up at 3:30am to charter a canoe out to Inle Lake before the sunrise. The early morning hours have considerably less boating traffic which results in more serene water. The few fisherman that were out on the lake were just setting up for a day of fishing. The effort to get out on the lake pre-sunrise was certainly worth it. The tranquil experience captured here eventually gave way to a bustling lake full of fisherman and boats.

Lighting

Before the sun even rose above the horizon, Inle Lake was blanketed in a stunning orange glow. Shooting toward this light source produced a silhouette effect. There was some ambient and reflective light to illuminate parts of the main fisherman, but not enough to draw detail from his face. This lighting perfectly exemplified the mysterious and tranquil nature of the scene.

Equipment

My gear for this shot was a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 24-70 F/2.8 II L.

Inspiration

My original goal was to capture a sunrise photo with a fisherman as the primary subject. Before the sun even rose, I spent 30-minutes studying the movement of the fisherman. Their technique for propelling themselves involved standing on their wooden skiff with one leg, while wrapping their other leg around a paddle for propulsion. The effect was nothing short of a mesmerizing dance across the water. As my skiff floated closer to the fisherman and it was evident that I was photographing him, I asked for his permission by gesturing to my camera. He gave the thumbs up and came closer. With his skiff perpendicular to mine and his fishing net mounted at the front of his boat, I propped half of my body onto his skiff and placed my camera through the front of his net. Half-balancing one knee on his boat with most of my body hanging over water and my foot latched onto my own boat, I began photographing him from one of the most precarious positions I've ever found myself in while shooting. As I adjusted my camera quickly for changing light conditions, another fisherman entered the frame from the right. I waited for the moment when both fisherman were in full push with their outboard legs extended to capture this shot.

Editing

I knew I would love this shot right off the camera. The timing, lighting, and scene were wonderful to behold in person. After viewing the shot on screen, I opted to dodge some of the interior of the fisherman's skiff to give a little more context to the foreground. That was the only edit for this photo. I considered removing the thread dangling from the left side of the fishing net near the mountain skyline, but decided against it.

In my camera bag

This varies depending on what I'm shooting. In general (besides my Canon 5D Mark II body), I'll have my 50mm 1.8 which is such a light and versatile prime lens. For this particular shot, I relied on my 24-70mm II L-series given that I wanted a little flexibility with focal length. I also had a Canon L-Series 70-300mm telephoto on hand. Under different circumstances, you'll typically find a MeFoto RoadTrip Aluminum travel tripod in my kit.

Feedback

It's fine to setup with the intention to capture something specific. That was my goal and it's what motivated me to get up super early so that I could be out on the lake before sunrise. Listen to and quietly observe the environment you're in. Take note of the mood and all of the elements around you. Observe how the light interacts with the scene and how it may be changing rapidly (especially during early morning or later afternoon hours.) Most importantly, learn to quickly adapt to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves - instead of rigidly focusing on only trying to capture the shot you originally set out to take. By opening yourself up to the environment and the actions that are naturally taking place around you, you're more likely to capture an image that truly conveys the beauty of that moment.

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