20130401-09440
Lonely and Cold
Lonely and Cold
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May, 2013Views
553
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Awards
Action Award
Great Shot
Superb Composition
Jaw Dropping
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
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Behind The Lens
Location
I live in Ottawa, Canada. I pulled the car over to the shoulder on a high speed road right by the field. I had to make sure I press the shutter between the cars passing by.Time
One day, I finally made sure I bring my camera with me so I can photograph the tree on my way home. I pulled over to the shoulder of the street and got out. I took a few shots and within minutes, the weather completely changed and it started hailing. It was setting up the stage for me. I had to go back in the car as the hail was quiet large. It was also quiet cold. I rolled the window down, but since I was in the car, I couldn't fit the tripod. I was changing the settings in the camera quiet frantically as I didn't want to miss the bad weather. Its a great example of how the best shots are sometimes the ones not planned.Lighting
Light is all natural of course. I was completely at the mercy of nature.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 6D. Lens is 24-105 f4 L. f22. No other equipment was usedInspiration
For over a year I passed by this tree on my way home from work. It always intrigued me. It stood there alone in a corn field. I always wondered how it happened to be. Did they clear the land and for some reason leave that tree alone? It was just so lonely. In the summer it looked different with all its leaves, but it always looked lonelier in the fall and winter.Editing
The photo looked much more powerful in black and white. In this case color was only adding distractions. I added a gradient to darken the sky. This emphasized the hail and the bad weather. I added sharpening to the field to show the harvested land. I also increased the contrast on the tree. Otherwise it was too faded in the fog.In my camera bag
I don't own many lenses, so the choice is not very difficult for me. I always have my 24-105 f4 L. This range is perfect to walk around with. I also pack my 17-40 L. I like to shoot really wide scenes and even if I don't shoot at 17, this lens would give better results at 24 than the 24-105. I also pack my 430 EX flash and my tripod. I like taking long exposure, but sometimes its too bright, so I carry a variable ND filter. I've had great success getting long exposures in mid day using that.Feedback
I would have never planned a shot like this. Always keep your camera with you. You just never know. Its great to plan and you absolutely should, but always keep an eye open to whats going around you. Don't be afraid to deviate from what you planned. You have to recognize opportunity. In this photo, the hail lasted maybe 2-3 minutes and luckily I was there. Also don't be afraid of experimenting with post processing. Some will say that's cheating, but a purist will also say using a digital camera is cheating. Its still Art. Photoshop and the camera are both tools that you use to capture your imagination.
