Cook's Reflection
A beautiful calm morning on Lake Matheson on the South Island in New Zealand with Mt. Cook reflecting in the lake.
A beautiful calm morning on Lake Matheson on the South Island in New Zealand with Mt. Cook reflecting in the lake.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Unique Sceneries Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Lakes And Reflections Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Pastel Tones In Nature Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Covers Photo Contest Vol 35
Member Selection Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 6
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 5
Contest Finalist in Alluring Landscapes Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Love it
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Virtuoso
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Top 10 rank
Categories
john_arsenault
January 24, 2016
Beautiful!; and you did this in a pastel or watercolor tradition when so many people are saturatiing (often times excessively) the color of their images. this is a masterpiece!
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davidgodwin
February 24, 2016
I really love the processing on this beautiful image. The soft light and amazing colors makes this a fantastic piece. Hang this one on the walls !
Ultimate
whanau70
October 07, 2016
Totally understand about the time factor in NZ, for photography but when you get shots like this it's worth it, this is a awesome shot, love the colours and interesting to read about the process, it is a bit hit and miss here at Lake Matheson with the clouds. I hope you have this on your wall, :)
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gregmetrophotography
November 15, 2016
Thank you! Yes it is definitely worth it and I have this one hanging up in my office, I see it every day and it reminds me of NZ, probably the most beautiful country!
gregkoltz
October 14, 2017
Stunning! This is one of the most breathtaking landscapes I’ve seen in a while!
PRO
margitulstrup
October 05, 2020
Wow awesome, love the smoothly and colour nuance in this beautiful picture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier on the South Island of New ZTime
I took this right before sunrise. Even in spring in New Zealand, the sun rises quite early around 5:45am and I had to wake up at 4:30am to be able to make the 30 minute hike around the lake to this incredible viewpoint. The advantage of photographing at the lake in the morning is that you have a good chance of getting atmospheric mist over the lake and fog over the forest.Lighting
The light before sunrise was quite soft creating nice pastel colors in the sky. I was really lucky to have clouds over Mount Cook but not too many to obscure the view.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 5D Mark III, 16-35mm with 3 stop ND filter. Also a Benro Scorpion.Inspiration
I had seen photos of Lake Matheson and knew I had to include this spot on my tour of the South Island of New Zealand. The incredible beauty of the hike and the lake warranted staying 2 nights at this spot. The reflection of Mount Cook in the lake is just irresistible.Editing
This photo took quite some time to process. I took 2 exposures, 1 for the sky and Mount Cook and 1 for the trees and the lake. I then used luminosity masks to blend the 2 exposures together and did some manual blending to create a natural look. I increased the contrast and detail on Mount Cook to make sure it stood out. I also worked with the white balance as the snow on Mount Cook was looking a bit blue.In my camera bag
I have a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 16-35mm 2.8, 24-105mm 4.0, 70-300mm 4.5-6.3 and a 14mm Fisheye lens. I also have a converted 40D 815nm infrared body.Feedback
Out of 40 countries I have traveled to I enjoyed photographing the South Island in New Zealand the most. The landscapes are so dramatic. Within 1 hour you can get incredible seascapes and high mountain ranges. Researching the locations is really key. Also make sure you are there early. If you go to New Zealand in the spring or summer be ready for very little sleep! The sun rises at 5:45am and sets at 9pm. Factoring in arriving 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after means very little rest! But that is a big part of landscape photography.
