Lake Hayes Sunset
A beautiful sunset taken whilst driving to Queenstown for my sisters wedding. Stunning weather!
A beautiful sunset taken whilst driving to Queenstown for my sisters wedding. Stunning weather!
Read less
Read less
Apr, 2013Views
969
Likes
Awards
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Peer Award
Exceptional Contrast
Outstanding Creativity
Jaw Dropping
All Star
Categories
mountainman70
May 23, 2013
what a gr8 composition - the rolling hills, the sky and the water all combine to make this a distinguished capture - serene didn't get it but distinguished did - at least for me
aprilrena
August 25, 2013
Breathtaking view! What a beautiful day for a wedding. I love the color of the sky and clouds with the mountains and sunset in the background...
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at Lake Hayes near Queenstown, New Zealand facing west. Latitude 44°59'23.13"S, Longitude 168°48'33.39"E.Time
The time was about 7:30pm and the sun had just set.Lighting
The lighting at the time was staggeringly colorful. The suns fiery glow radiating from behind the distant mountains made for a candy land like scene, everything but the blue sky was draped in a vermilion blanket of warmth. The further in the distance you looked the more vibrant the colors become.Equipment
I shot this photo with my Canon EOS 550D with 18-135mm IS zoom Lens, no tripod or filters were used.Inspiration
I've passed this scene and stopped to take photos here many times but never had I seen colors like this, they were simply breath taking and were the sole reason I stopped to take the photo. Never mind that my fiance and 2 guests were waiting on me in the car and a group of people were waiting on us at a Queenstown restaurant to celebrate our wedding the following day :-S. I don't think i'll ever live that one down.Editing
Yes I took 3 bracketed shots of this scene each 2 stops apart to ensure I didn't miss that golden exposure. I later used Nik Tools HDR Efex Pro to merge the 3 exposures into a High Dynamic Range composite. After achieving the desired result in HDR Efex Pro I then merged the best parts of the HDR image with the best parts of the original image using transparency masks in Photoshop. This gave the photo a balanced exposure from bright areas through to dark. One downside was that my PC monitor wasn't calibrated correctly at the time of post processing so the HDR looked accurate in my eye at the time but after later seeing it on my Mac screen I realized the colors were just a bit over cooked. This is a rookie mistake and unfortunately the price we photographers pay if we don't calibrate our monitors, I learnt my lesson.In my camera bag
I normally pack my bag according to my needs on the day but when I take everything my bag will contain my Canon EOS 550D and 18-135mm IS zoom lens, a bounce flash for those dimly lit areas, a remote shutter trigger for when I need the steadiest of shots, my very handy B-Grip belt, my tripod when/if I need it, a variable ND Grad filter and UV filter, lens cleaning kit, two spare batteries and a spare SD Card.Feedback
Calibrate your monitor before you do any post processing! Take it from me who learnt the hard way it will make your photos look a lot better! A non-calibrated or poorly calibrated monitor is practically a photographers worst nightmare, it's lying to you plain and simple and your eyes are believing everything they see. It only needs to be done once and takes little time and effort to do yet it can have such a large impact on the quality of your photos. Don't risk editing any more photos until you've calibrated because it will save you from a lot of disappointment.
