Mirror 1
Rock Creek Lake, Ca.
Rock Creek Lake, Ca.
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Jun, 2013Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken below Bridgeport, California off Highway 395 at Rock Creek Lake at the end of trout season, the main reason I was there. Elected not to fish this morning and to try out my new Bogen portable tripod. Every lake I ventured to this morning was calm, glassy and best of all, deserted. As a new practicing self taught photographer, was still not comfortable practicing/learning in crowds.Time
Had left my hotel room at the crack of dawn with the intension of fishing. The sky was lighting up the high mountain peaks sprinkled with the first termination dust of the fall. It was unusually calm and still outside. The pre-winter clouds where hanging over the peaks of the High Sierras. Everyone had gone back to work this late in the trout season and the roads and campgrounds were empty. Started exploring the vistas of serval lakes nestled just below high peaks. The reflections off the still lakes was amazing in the morning light.Lighting
The semi-cloud cover was my friend this morning. Usually by 9 am the sun was high enough to clear the mountain and wash out the morning colors. Between the semi-cloud coved sky and the complete stillness, I was able to shoot several lakes on my drive south. With the lack of people, prolonged morning light and zero wind, I was able to focus on the amazing reflections of the mountains and sky mirrored on the lakes.Equipment
Was using my first camera, a Nikon D7000 paired with a Nikon 16-85mm lens with Nikon CPL filter, Nikon remote shutter release and an aluminum Bogen travel tripod. After studying the two major camera companies, Nikon and Cannon for around year prior to my first purchase, I elected Nikon due to their high quality lenses.Inspiration
My non-resident temporary fishing license expired this day so it was last call for trout fishing for the year for me. Driving along Bridgeport Lake in route to the river below the dam, I noticed the reflections on the perfectly still lake. After several days of wind, I had yet to try Landscape photography and had focused on fishing. But, this day held something magical and my camera was calling to me. Turned the car around and drove South on Highway 395 to the numerous lakes I knew that were tucked away in deep valleys just off the main highway. I really wanted to use my new tripod. The conditions couldn't have been better.Editing
Photoshop was on my computer but I had yet to play around with it. My focus was on learning my camera functions. So, my goal was to use the entire frame for the photo crop. I would take several shots of the subject with slightly different positions using my viewing window to act as an photo crop. It was remarkable how just a slight adjustment in angle, or adjusting the zoom would alter the outcome. It was about a year later when I learned to use Photoshop.In my camera bag
As time went on in my photographer progression, my equipment in the camera bag became less, but way more expensive. Starting off with a Nikon 16-85mm and Nikon 70-300mm, both excellent lenses, to a Nikon 24-70mm 2.8 ED and Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 ED. My lens filters are very important to my bag. One of the many reasons this pair of lenses is so great is that they both use 77mm lens filters. A must filter for Landscape around water is a good CPL filter (Circular Polarized Filter). Notice the gravel in the foreground water in the, "Mirror" shot. ND, (Neutral Density) filters are a must for moving water photos and many others conditions including video. 3, 6 and 10 Stop filters are a good choice. My most challenging photo shoot was in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. There was a dull greyish hue to everything the entire trip and had to play with my ND filters. My camera body is still my old Nikon D 7000 as I have yet to splurge on my dream Nikon D800e.Feedback
Of course morning and evening lighting is the best for colors but be ready for those magical moments when all the elements come together and take advantage of them. Had the wind been blowing my photo would never have been possible. Take many photos and keep checking the quality as subtle changes in the weather and lighting can dramatically change the results- Most of the time while outdoors, nothing stays the same so keep checking the quality of your shots and adjust accordingly.
