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Apr, 2015Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Thetis Lake Regional Park in Victoria, BC, Canada. This is one of my favourite places to walk my dog, Uno on Saturday and Sunday mornings.Time
This was taken on a very still Christmas Eve morning. If I remember correctly it was about mid morning. There had been a heavy fog over the whole area and the sun was just starting to break through and burn off the fogLighting
The sun had broken through the fog in the open areas of the lake and it was likethis tiny island with the tree on it was in a spot light with a curtain of fog in the background.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon PowerShot SX50 HS. No other equipment was used except my steady hand.Inspiration
Thetis Lake is one of my regular places to hike to give my Parson Russell Terrier, Uno a good run. We have passed this sight hundreds of times and always thought there was a picture to be captured. I have quite a few attempts in my files but the tree seemed to blend into the background. I had been watching the fog slowly fade and had noticed the perfectly still water and was hoping something would jump out at me to take a photo of. I was in the right place at the right time and this scene jumped out at me. My biggest problem was trying to find a clear, unobstructed vantage point. It must have been comical to watch me crash around in the bushes. To get my unobstructed vantage point I had to balance on a steep incline with the camera over my head.Editing
The post processing I did on this shot was HDR blending of 3 exposures. This was I was able to bring out the trees that were hidden in the fog and also enhance the sunbeams coming through fog.In my camera bag
My bag is very basic. I always carry my Canon PowerShot SX50 HS where everywhere I go. It is a very versatile camera that I can shoot wide angle landscapes, macro flower shots, or zoom in to capture wildlife off in the distance without changing lenses. It does have limitations with a small range of f-stops but I have been able to learn to work with that. I also carry 2 filters, a polarizing filter to cut glare and a graduated ND filter for scenes with moving water. I occasionally carry a small tripod depending on where I am hiking and what is in the area. A small bean bag is helpful to rest the camera on instead of a tripod to stabilize it on a log or rock.Feedback
Normally, I do not head out with a specific goal in mind for a photograph. I take my camera everywhere while I am hiking with Uno. Some days I can take hundred of good shots and there are days that I have to force myself to find something. I see something that catches my eye and I stop and try to capture what my eye is seeing. Not always easy. My main piece of advice is to get outside, keep your eyes open looking around everywhere. Be aware of the weather and lighting conditions all the time. My favourite photos are of scenes that I walked into without any preconceived plan. I love photography because it forces me to notice the incredibly beautiful world around me.
