Perfection
An a calm day with a mirror smooth reflection, it was easy to see how Perfection Lake gets its name.
An a calm day with a mirror smooth reflection, it was easy to see how Perfection Lake gets its name.
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Oct, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I captured this image on the shore of Perfection Lake in the Enchantment Lakes, a popular backpacking destination in Washington state's Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The mountain reflected in the water is Little Annapurna.Time
This was shortly before sunset. The day was calm, so the water in the lake was mirror smooth, and the sun was behind Little Annapurna.Lighting
The sun was mostly hidden behind the mountain, shining through the valley onto the golden larches along the shore. I'd already noticed that they glowed like they were on fire when backlit, so I'd been looking for a spot where I'd find them both backlit and reflected in calm water, so this lake caught my eye instantly. Little Annapurna always looks magnificent, but when its reflection is this sharp, it looks extra magical.Equipment
I shot this with a Sony a7r and a Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 lens, placed on my Three Legged Thing tripod. I used a short timer release to let the camera movement from my tripping the shutter to settle out before the capture.Inspiration
I love images of alpine lakes, especially during magic hour. My previous visit to the Enchantments had been in summer when the larches were green, so this opportunity to capture the same lake when the larches were golden was amazing.Editing
My post processing on this was pretty straightforward. I added some contrast and clarity, a bit of saturation to the color, and a little clarity for Little Annapurna. Mostly though I left the hazy backlighting alone, to let the eye linger on the larches along the shore and the reflection in the peaceful lake.In my camera bag
I almost invariably carry my a7r with a variety of lenses, including my Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 and 135mm f/1.8. I also if possible bring along a Rokinon 500mm mirror lens, a Minolta 100mm macro lens with its adapter, and a Minolta 25mm f/2.8. I carry a 77mm polarizer and a tripod on my trips whenever I can also. On some more technical ventures I trim back my lens kit and leave the tripod at home or in base camp.Feedback
The secret to capturing imagery like this is to have a strong eye for composition as well as good timing. These lighting conditions often don't last long, so you do have to be quite decisive; I only had enough time to get a few shots of this before the mountains started blocking the sun and hence the beautiful backlighting on the larches.
