Taken at sunset overlooking Stanford University's Lake Lagunita
Taken at sunset overlooking Stanford University's Lake Lagunita
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Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Capture Light Colors Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Celebrating Nature Photo Contest Vol 7
Contest Finalist in Low Vantage Points Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Volume5
Contest Finalist in Creative Visions Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in The Minimalist Marketplace Project
Community Choice Award
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Virtuoso
Superior Skill
Genius
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on the banks of Lake Lagunita, at Stanford University. The lake is dry most of the time, but sometimes in winter and spring, during the rainy season, it has some water in it. This was taken in early spring, when the lake was mostly dry but still had some water in the center.Time
I took this photo at sunset. The sun was disappearing behind the hills and the bit of water in the lake was reflecting the beautiful colors in the sky.Lighting
I wanted to show the blades of grass in silhouette to contrast the black of the grass and the far shore with the pinks and purples of the sky and the water in the lake.Equipment
I shot this using a Canon Rebel SL1 with a 35mm prime lens. I didn't have my tripod with me, so I stabilized my camera against a helpful branch on the ground.Inspiration
Initially I had been down by the lake hoping to get some cute shots of a duck family that had been living there. The ducks were not enthusiastic about having their picture taken, but by then the sun was going down and the sky was brilliantly colorful, so I decided I wanted to capture that instead. After several test shots, I landed on this idea of focusing on just a couple blades of grass in the foreground and shooting across the lake towards the colorful sky.Editing
I did minimal post-processing in Lightroom; the raw photo already looked pretty close to how I wanted it, so I just made a few minor tweaks to the color and contrast to emphasize the shades in the sky.In my camera bag
I typically shoot with a Canon Rebel SL1, due to its small size and ease of portability. My favorite lens is a 35mm prime, but I also frequently use a 100mm lens and a 24mm pancake lens. I hike and backpack a lot, so I use KUVRD lens covers since they don't fall off (R.I.P. every lens cap I've lost in the mountains somewhere). I also have a Sirui tripod, a few zoom lenses, and of course extra batteries and memory cards!Feedback
Don't be afraid to lie on the ground! You'll look weird to any passersby and you might get dirt on your clothes, but being that close to the ground unlocks a whole new set of angles that you can't get to by standing or even crouching.