The skyline of downtown Detroit Michigan taken from across the Detroit River in Windsor, Canada. The unusual color to the ice flow was created by the street lig...
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The skyline of downtown Detroit Michigan taken from across the Detroit River in Windsor, Canada. The unusual color to the ice flow was created by the street lights behind me.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is a picture of the Detroit skyline taken from across the Detroit River in Windsor, Canada.Time
It was late at night on Dec. 30, 2013. I scouted the location early in the day and there was no ice on the river at that time. By the time I returned to take the night picture, the temperature was very cold with a wind chill below zero and the river was flowing with blocks of ice near the shore.Lighting
Behind me were street lights illuminating the ice flow. I think they may have been halogen and cast an orange glow to the ice. The rest of the light came from the city lights across the river, and their reflections.Equipment
I used a Canon 5D Mark II, an EF 17-40mm f4/L USM lens mounted on a carbon fiber tripod. The settings were: .3 sec. at f/4.5, ISO 800, 21mm. The settings were tricky as I wanted as much depth of field as possible so both the foreground and background would be in focus. The ice flow was moving slowly so I couldn't use a slow shutter speed. That meant I couldn't use a small aperture like f22 as I wanted. I used a wide aperture and a high ISO to get a faster shutter speed. The result was not as sharp as I would like, but the compromise worked fairly well.Inspiration
I had been wanting to get this picture of the Detroit skyline at night for a couple of years. Finally, a friend and I made the 80 mile trip to Windsor Canada for the day. When I saw the ice flow and lighting late at night, I knew it was worth waiting for.Editing
I always shoot in raw. While I like to get the picture as good as possible in camera, there is usually some post-processing necessary. I used Lightroom to make adjustments to exposure, contrast and vibrance. Some sharpening and noise reduction were added.In my camera bag
I have the Canon 5D Mark II, three Canon L-class zoom lenses (17 - 40, 24 - 105, and 100 - 400 mm) that are used most of the time. I have several filters and use a circular polarizer and graduated ND frequently. I have both a remote wireless and wired shutter release that I always carry to minimize camera shake. I have a couple macro lenses, a 50 - 500mm Sigma lens, and a 2x teleconverter. I also have a couple speedlight flashes.Feedback
I recommend shooting in raw to facilitate post-processing. I use a tripod whenever possible, and in a night shot like this one, it is a must.