The Bend
++check it out on black++
This is a reprocess of one of my favorite images from my trip to the Enchantments two years ago. I never published the st...
Read more
++check it out on black++
This is a reprocess of one of my favorite images from my trip to the Enchantments two years ago. I never published the story that goes with this one, so now is as good a time as any to share it. The journey to this photo started at Isolation Lake in the Upper Enchantments Core. We decided to take a jaunt up to the summit of Little Annapurna, break down camp and head down to the Perfection Lake area to set up camp. The weather had been really nice all morning through the early afternoon but as we entered the Enchantments Core the clouds started to roll in and the weather was starting to turn. Believe it or not I actually pretty stoked about it as the sun had been out in full force without a cloud in sight for two days; not the best photographic conditions for sunrise and sunset photos. After navigating some pretty ridiculous terrain we set up camp just above Perfection Lake. Our campsite was set up on a series of flat granite slabs, very exposed to the elements and to the massive amount of goats in the area.
I scouted out this prime location for what I had hoped to be an awesome sunset. I ended up waiting for a long time, a very long time for the conditions to break up enough for some nice light. I was camped out on a pretty small rock, surrounded by angry goats in the middle of this waterfall that dumps into the lake below. Okay so maybe they weren't exactly angry but there were a couple big guys that frankly freaked me out a bit. Lucky enough for us they pretty much did their own thing. Toward the end of the sunset we finally got some really nice light which made all of the standing around, freezing our butts off well worth the wait. That night I was in my bivvy camped out on the exposed slabs when one of the most intense thunderstorms I've ever experienced rolled through.
Let me preface this by saying I've been through some pretty damn intense storms but this one genuinely freaked me out a bit. The thunder and lightning were pretty much right on top of each other and our awesome choice to set up camp was right in the middle of it. Awesome. I seriously contemplated getting out to snag some shots, but quickly realized what a horrible idea that was being that we were so exposed so I decided to hunker down. My next fear was that the stream I was next to was going to overflow and wipe me out; thankfully that didn't happen but the amount of rain that was coming down sure as hell made me think otherwise. It was pretty epic to say the least and to this day I still don't know how we managed to get out of it unscathed. Never a dull moment in the Enchantments.
Perfection Lake, Enchantments Core, WA
Read less
This is a reprocess of one of my favorite images from my trip to the Enchantments two years ago. I never published the story that goes with this one, so now is as good a time as any to share it. The journey to this photo started at Isolation Lake in the Upper Enchantments Core. We decided to take a jaunt up to the summit of Little Annapurna, break down camp and head down to the Perfection Lake area to set up camp. The weather had been really nice all morning through the early afternoon but as we entered the Enchantments Core the clouds started to roll in and the weather was starting to turn. Believe it or not I actually pretty stoked about it as the sun had been out in full force without a cloud in sight for two days; not the best photographic conditions for sunrise and sunset photos. After navigating some pretty ridiculous terrain we set up camp just above Perfection Lake. Our campsite was set up on a series of flat granite slabs, very exposed to the elements and to the massive amount of goats in the area.
I scouted out this prime location for what I had hoped to be an awesome sunset. I ended up waiting for a long time, a very long time for the conditions to break up enough for some nice light. I was camped out on a pretty small rock, surrounded by angry goats in the middle of this waterfall that dumps into the lake below. Okay so maybe they weren't exactly angry but there were a couple big guys that frankly freaked me out a bit. Lucky enough for us they pretty much did their own thing. Toward the end of the sunset we finally got some really nice light which made all of the standing around, freezing our butts off well worth the wait. That night I was in my bivvy camped out on the exposed slabs when one of the most intense thunderstorms I've ever experienced rolled through.
Let me preface this by saying I've been through some pretty damn intense storms but this one genuinely freaked me out a bit. The thunder and lightning were pretty much right on top of each other and our awesome choice to set up camp was right in the middle of it. Awesome. I seriously contemplated getting out to snag some shots, but quickly realized what a horrible idea that was being that we were so exposed so I decided to hunker down. My next fear was that the stream I was next to was going to overflow and wipe me out; thankfully that didn't happen but the amount of rain that was coming down sure as hell made me think otherwise. It was pretty epic to say the least and to this day I still don't know how we managed to get out of it unscathed. Never a dull moment in the Enchantments.
Perfection Lake, Enchantments Core, WA
Read less
Apr, 2015Views
1105
Likes
Awards
Awesome
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
The journey to this photo started at Isolation Lake in the Upper Enchantments Core. We decided to take a jaunt up to the summit of Little Annapurna, break down camp and head down to the Perfection Lake area to set up camp. The weather had been really nice all morning through the early afternoon but as we entered the Enchantments Core the clouds started to roll in and the weather was starting to turn. Believe it or not I actually pretty stoked about it as the sun had been out in full force without a cloud in sight for two days; not the best photographic conditions for sunrise and sunset photos. After navigating some pretty ridiculous terrain we set up camp just above Perfection Lake. Our campsite was set up on a series of flat granite slabs, very exposed to the elements and to the massive amount of goats in the area. I set up shop on a small granite boulder in the middle of a thundering waterfall that dumps directly into Perfection Lake and prayed to the light gods to deliver some amazing conditions.Time
I scouted out this prime location for what I had hoped to be an awesome sunset. I ended up waiting for a long time, a very long time for the conditions to break up enough for some nice light. I was camped out on a pretty small rock, surrounded by angry goats in the middle of this waterfall that dumps into the lake below. Okay so maybe they weren't exactly angry but there were a couple big guys that frankly freaked me out a bit. Lucky enough for us they pretty much did their own thing. Toward the end of the sunset we finally got some really nice light which made all of the standing around, freezing our butts off well worth the wait.Lighting
I really wanted to convey the drama and mood I felt while I was taking this photo through the light presented. Light is a very important aspect of photography and it can really make or break a photo in my opinion. I really wanted to present the viewer with the same memorable experience that I had while taking this image. Utilizing a warm ND filter and a CPL stacked enables you to pick up the rich and vibrant colors of the sunset while utilizing the added benefit of cloud movement and motion via the ND filter. The wind was blowing and the conditions were far from perfect but utilizing these techniques really helped to bring the image to life and allowed me to really capture "light" and "mood".Equipment
The equipment that I used to snag this shot is as follows: Canon 5D Mark II Canon wireless remote Tokina 16-35mm f/2.8 Wonderpana 5 stop warm ND and a Wonderpana CPL stacked Mefoto Roadtripper TripodInspiration
I had scoped out some images of this area prior to leaving for this backpacking trip and didn't come across any of this particular waterfall, so I knew that I wanted to incorporate it in a composition to some degree. When I arrived here I saw how well the bend in this set of falls complimented the contour of the background peak and decided to incorporate the lines you see here into my composition. In hindsight I really think that my good friend Ryan Dyar's images from Glacier National Park had some influence in the inspiration for this shot. His images "Open Spaces" and "Goat Crossing" both feature waterfalls in the foreground and a beautiful sunlit peak in the distance.Editing
This image is comprised of two shots; a 6 second exposure for the waterfall and a 16 second exposure for the sky. I blended the two images by hand in Photoshop CS6 and applied my post processing workflow which consists of Luminosity masks, dodging and burning, selective orton (soft glow) and sharpening layers and varying light play techniques. I really wanted to bring the mood to life in this one. The skies were threatening and ominous; yet very beautiful so my main goal was to maintain a sense of realism while conveying the overall emotion (through the mood and atmosphere) I was experiencing while I was taking the photo.In my camera bag
Currently I'm shooting with a Sony a7r and Canon glass. You can normally find around 4 extra batteries, a handful of extra SD cards, remote, and a fair number of lens cleaning cloths, a lens brush and a squeeze bulb to get rid of dust and water on the lens in my camera bag. Outside of that I typically carry a CPL for each of my different lenses and a few ND filters for those times that I feel this scene can use a bit of LE pop. Of course a tripod is a must as well. My go to landscape lens is my Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L II but I also carry a telephoto lens in addition to a few other mid range prime and zoom lenses. You really never know what focal length you're going to want to shoot with until you're in the moments and feeling through your composition options. Outside of camera gear; lots of Gortex, water and snacks. Staying hydrated and well fed is so critical to having a great time and getting your shots.Feedback
Landscape photography can offer up a mixed bag of conditions and compositions. The most important thing you can do is learn to be patient and leave prepared. Research the area you plan on shooting in. Look at what people have done in the past at a particular location to get a feel for what compositions you might like to try while in the field. Check the weather forecasts if you can. I pretty much always consult the weather maps prior to leaving for a trip. In this case this was just being in the right place at the right time weather wise but being prepared can enable you to act quickly while the light is worth shooting. Once you arrive at your destination don't get stuck one single composition. Venture out and see what you can find. Patience is a virtue. No seriously it is. The conditions may not be perfect while you're getting your composition dialed in, but be patient. Things change constantly in the field; the weather, the tides, the wind, you name it! If you are well prepared you can just sit back and enjoy the view and hop into action when the conditions shift your way. My dad always says luck is when opportunity and preparedness meet; that's extremely true in the field of landscape photography. My last piece of advice is to have fun! Take the experience in and even step back from the camera once in a while to really soak it all up.
