ThePlank
©Wendy Hudnall
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Jul, 2014Views
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DebbieKMiller81
September 05, 2014
Nice wide angle shot here. It is very simple but really beautiful.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on the west shore of Lake Tahoe at Sugar Pine Point State Park in California.Time
The time was mid afternoon.Lighting
I'm not one to take mid day photos, preferring the dramatic light of sunrise & sunset. This photo is the exception to that rule. To me there is no other blue like Tahoe Blue and to capture its essence I needed to get this shot in the middle of the day with the sun at the pretty good angle. Mid day photos often have harsh lighting with shadows and if you're shooting water there tends to be an ugly glare. I chose this spot partly because there weren't any elements to cast distracting shadows and the sunlight bouncing off the lake floor made the water appear to be lit from beneath.Equipment
Canon 5D Mk III, Canon 16-35 2.8L II, Lee Big Stopper 10 Stop ND Filter, Hoya Evo Polarizing Filter, Really Right Stuff tripod & head, remote releaseInspiration
This is one of those spots that hold so many memories for my family and me. We’ve been coming here since I was a kid and every time I step out onto this pier a peaceful feeling washes over me like a comforting emotional embrace. Among the many pictures I have from this spot are my kids as toddlers sitting on the edge waving to boats passing by or a favorite of my dad, who recently passed, in younger days with a huge smile of contentment on his face. So when I recently took a photographer friend of mine here for some shots I knew I wanted to capture it in a different way. I was imaging a result with super smooth sky and water contrasted against the texture of the pier and mountains. There was a breeze and chop on the water so I chose to go with the Lee 10 stop ND filter that allowed for a 6.5 minute exposure. I stacked the ND with a polarizer to cut the glare off the water and emphasize the blue water color. I took a separate shot at f16 to keep the pier nice and sharp. The end result was exactly as I had pictured it. I love it when that happens.Editing
Lightroom adjustments for capture sharpening, lens correction, and basic adjustments. Photoshop used to mask the two exposures together, adjust the mid tones & highlights and sharpen for web. I also use luminosity channel selections to dodge and burn highlights and shadows, emphasizing the texture in the pier.In my camera bag
I'm a gadget girl at heart so my bag is always full. It makes me happy except when I'm climbing up that steep hill. Camera, various lenses (I'm a huge believer in renting lenses I don't own to fit whatever situation I will be in), Lee ND & grad filters (can't get enough long expo water shots), remote release, Hoodman loop, multiple flashlights, Pano head and nodal slide for panoramas, extra batteries & memory cards, extra lens cloths (I'm always loosing those) sunscreen & lip balm...small weatherproof speaker (I love music when I'm shooting but not headphones. I don't want that bear sneaking up on me.)Feedback
This one of my most popular images and usually gets the same comments. I think there are three things that make this shot work. The composition that is simple but draws the viewer in to a powerfully peaceful place. The rich, captivating blue that shifts from turquoise to cobalt. The contrast of texture..rough pier vs silky smooth water. If trying for the same effect I would say look for simple yet strong compositions and try to make creative decisions that emphasize that composition.
