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driftwood

tree stump washed up on shore

tree stump washed up on shore
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Sep, 2015

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took my mother up to the upper Kananaskis Lake in Alberta (K Country) a few years before she passed away. It was good seeing her in awe of the scenic mountain-scapes and the amazing colour of the water. It was about 30 degrees Celsius and there was still a lot of ice on the lake, it was warm enough to walk barefoot on the ice and snow. There was driftwood everywhere and this stump drew my attention. I took a few shots i didn't like and finally got this one. I was drawn to all the curves and lines and twists.

Time

It was around 2 PM on May 5, 2013. I remember it being a really hot day and cooling off with my bare feet on the lakes snow covered ice. More than half the lakes emerald green waters were visibly clear. My children were running on the ice, which was still several feet thick and trowing rocks into the lake. We were the only ones there.

Lighting

It was a cloudless day of full sun. I was experimenting with my camera trying different things out. Then, and even now, I still struggle with learning about my camera and even more with how I can work it.

Equipment

This was a simple shot with my Canon T3I and kit lens. Nothing fancy for this cat. I'm a novice, tempted to splurge on on the new gear but trying to outgrow with what I have now before moving up to something better. I have since gone to a Sony a6000 for a smaller profile and portability. It has it's own pro's and con's but allows me to turn the canon over to my daughter. I hope she will pick it up as a hobby or even a passion.

Inspiration

I actually came out to take photos of the mountains around me and the lake. The ice and snow was nice but didn't seem to make for an appealing shot for me, although it was great to walk barefoot on. This stump was pretty much laying on it's own on the shore, large compared to all the smaller driftwood. I was drawn to all the lines and twists of the stump and took the shot. I can't put my finger on it but just like the way it seemed to flow even though it obviously wasn't.

Editing

I bought lightroom a few years ago and was just starting to use it to organize my photos. (I really should delete a ton of them). I did minimal manipulations on this. Originally colour, I turned it to black and white - bumped up the contrast and blacks. I really didn't know too much about the program (and still don't). I was experimenting with black and white pictures then. I seem to be drawn to black and white (and long exposures). I like haunting images.

In my camera bag

I bought a canon T3i with two kit lenses, 18-55 and 55-250 as a bundle. I had an old gorilla tripod and eventually bought a wireless control for long exposures. I now carry a Sony A6000 also with kit lenses, 16-50 and 55-210. I bought a 12mm Samyang, f2 for some astro photography and a smaller tabletop tripod and wired remote. I toss it all into a peak design bag for transport. I picked up a heavier Vanguard tripod to get me up and off the ground but haven't done too much with it due to portability.

Feedback

I'm new and learning. I have a lot to learn and I try and expand my knowledge every day. Working my camera comes with use, it's a skill that needs to be polished, use it or lose it. The harder thing I find is trying to capture on the camera the draw to the subject in the first place, if that makes any sense. I will see something, be drawn to it and try to capture the appeal (well, what I found appealing anyway) in a photo. That to me is the hard part. The more you do it, the easier it gets. There are so many things to shoot, so many themes or styles, I think if your new, like me, just pick something you like and shoot it. I find as I gain experience, I take less photos and delete more on camera. I used to hoard them all and now all I have for that is what feels like a million garbage pictures that I never look at and never want to show anyone. I work at deleting them, which I think helps me find what I like as well. If you look at it twice, you should probably shoot it. You never know when you will get the one. I don't feel this is my best photograph, but it was the best driftwood photo of the day for me. I try and keep at it. Thats the hardest part for my hobby. I have to make a commitment and effort to get out and shoot. Looking back, my photos are better now than they were a year ago. Next year will see even more improvement.

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DFord

driftwood

tree stump washed up on shore

Behind The Lens

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