Early Morning on Lake McDonald
Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park is suffused in the early morning light.
Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park is suffused in the early morning light.
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Sep, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I photographed, "Early Morning on Lake McDonald", in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.Time
It was early morning one fine summer day.Lighting
As the sun gradually rose above the mountains to the east, the light began to stream through lower elevations and bathe the landscape in golden hues.Equipment
I used a Canon 6D with the Canon 17-40 f/4L, and a simple Dolica Proline tripod.Inspiration
From the moment I first arrived in Glacier National Park, and beheld the national treasure before me, I knew I would be spending as much time as possible here. Apgar Village, just inside the parks west entrance, was the first place I visited and Lake McDonald becomes visible as your drive toward the boat docks. This scene was so incredibly beautiful that it became a priority for me to shoot this is in the best possible light which generally for me is morning.Editing
I took three exposures using the auto-bracketing feature (-3, 0, +3) to capture the full dynamic range of the scene. I blended these exposures in Adobe Lightroom using a plugin called LR/Enfuse. All further processing was minimal. Because I shoot in RAW, I adjusted the white balance using the Temp and Tint feature. I added a little bit of clarity, vibrance and finally some sharpening. Then export a JPEG and upload to wonderful websites like ViewBug.In my camera bag
I am a Canon guy. I normally have my 6D with a backup body. I have the 17-40 f/4L and a second lens with more of a telephoto zoom range. A shutter release cable. An assortment of B&W and Lee Neutral Density filters. A few extra batteries. Some lens cleaning solution and microfiber cloths. And my business cards. Depending on my plans for the day, if I'm planning on a lengthy hike in the back-country, I'll leave the telephoto lens at home since I'm more inclined to shoot wide anyways. I also carry a tripod separately.Feedback
The most important tool you possess is your ability to pre-visualize the photograph you want to take. I had this photograph in mind well before I arrived the morning I captured this scene. When the day comes to take the picture, it's a good idea to arrive early, in this case I arrived about 45 minutes before the official time of sunrise but I had to wait another half hour before the sun began to rise above the towering mountains to the east. I spent this time trying different locations along the shore for the best composition and enjoying the beauty surrounding me. Patience can mean the difference between a good and great photograph. My workflow is simple and consistent. I always compose my shot in live view, zoom in x5 and manually focus to infinity for maximum sharpness. And, of course, I always shoot landscapes on a tripod with a shutter release cable to reduce camera movement.
