Man Among Storms
Aug, 2015Views
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candicemacmillan
October 02, 2015
I love how the 3 elements (moon, boat, lightning) are all interesting on their own but also compliment each other perfectly. Wonderfully balanced and interesting photo.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on Lake Michigan in Chesterton, Indiana. I noticed one little lonely boat out there, and that became the "foundation" of the story this photo tells. I was sitting on the beach at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, as I often do throughout the year. This photo was taken in the summer.Time
The photo was taken in the late afternoon, just as the water starts dancing with different hues of light from the sun as it moves more towards the horizon. I go to the lake often to draw inspiration, get a different view of the world, and to "reset and re-center", and the afternoon is a great time for that.Lighting
I'm actually a writer by trade, so I played with the lighting to tell a story, much in the same way as I do with writing. I wanted the viewer to notice the boat first, noting that although there were dark clouds around it and lightning nearby, it was still "safe in the light". Although the boat is sailing toward darker waters, it remains surrounded by light so it has nothing to fear.Equipment
I used a Samsung NX300 on a 50-200mm NX mount lens. That's all!Inspiration
Everywhere I go with my camera, I look for stories. Every photo can tell a story, and seeing the tiny sailboat all alone on this big, huge lake made me wonder, "If the boat were alive, would it be afraid?" There are many sunken ships (very, very large ships) at the bottom of Lake Michigan, but this little boat sails on. I liked the thought of that.Editing
This photo was actually my very first attempt at combining photos using Photoshop - three photos, specifically. The moon and sky actually belong to two other photos. I layered those, enhanced the color of the clouds, darkened the water's exposure while lightening the exposure of the boat sails and the water near it. The result is a story captured in a beautiful photograph that is rather surreal.In my camera bag
I had carried my Samsung NX300 as my main camera for a few years, until about a month ago when it stopped working properly. Unfortunately when I went to purchase a replacement, I learned that Samsung no longer manufactures cameras. I was upset! However, I've just purchased an Olympus OM-D E-M1, an M. Zuiko 14-42mm lens, an M. Zuiko 40-150mm lens, and an M. Zuiko 75-300mm zoom lens. So far I am very happy with everything!Feedback
Taking photos at the beach can be much like taking photos of a sunset: The photos are a dime a dozen, but with a little patience, creativity, and know-how, you can take something as ordinary as a boat on a flat, calm lake and turn it into a wondrous tale. There's often extraordinary opportunities hidden in even the most mundane-looking photos - all it takes is someone to look at it a bit differently to have it be discovered and shared with others. My advice is to not discount a place, subject, or idea because "there are a million photos of that already". You never know what you can bring to life!
