Misty Morning
A misty fall morning along a river.
A misty fall morning along a river.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on a small river about 15 minutes from my house, proving you don't always have to travel far distances for great photo opportunities. I always loved this spot and frequent it often. I have a few nearby locations stacked neatly in a small pile on a messy desk inside my head. I frequent them during different weather conditions and seasons. When I saw it was a foggy morning, I rushed to this one to take this photo because I had a feeling the fog would look amazing on the water. Okay, truth said, I had a hope, two crossed fingers and a prayer for green lights and quick travel not to miss this opportunity.Time
This was early morning in the fall, a great time for fog and mist pictures since the water is still warmer than the morning air. Even if you're a night owl like me and the morning is your sworn enemy, set those alarms, it's worth i! Then put the do not disturb sign on the door and go back to bed to dream of the next great capture.Lighting
I relied on natural lighting for this shot and not just because in my haste I ran out the door without any secondary lighting. I wanted the image to reflect as much as possible the actual lighting at the time and the limited visibility that morning. That and since you don't have to replace any batteries in the sun, it makes it very economical as well.Equipment
I used a Cannon Rebel EOS SL1 and a tripod. Yes, a simple base level kit camera. Why? Because none of you have bought me a more expensive one yet. Awkward pause....Inspiration
Simply, the fog. I saw this location the year before when it was foggy but didn't have a camera with me. As soon as I heard on the news the night before that there was going to be a chance of fog the next morning, I set the alarm. The next morning when the alarm went off, I mumble a few words under my breath, looked out the window, saw the fog and ran to my car. Then I went back inside, put on my clothes and grabbed my camera and keys and repeated the above running to my car.Editing
This was from a time in my life (last year) which I refer to as Pre-Lightroom. I used some basic post-processing in Photoshop Elements 12 but had not yet discovered or tried Lightroom. I teach English as a second language to some Korean students and one of my students I started teaching late last year just happens to work for Adobe and is a demonstrator for Lightroom. My life and photos have now evolved greatly. This picture though I basically kept pure although I do have copies I have processed in Lightroom for new affects since my ascension into modern day editing a few short months ago.In my camera bag
I got tired of not having the right lens for the right moment when I was out walking about aimlessly in the woods so I recently purchased a Sigma 18mm - 300 mm lens. It covers the majority of situations I run across, making it extremely convenient. I got a refurbished one on Amazon for less than $200, which is over $600 under the new asking price. Other goodies in my bag are a lens hood, lens cloth, two battery backups, a Cannon EF-S 60 mm macro lens, my Cannon Rebel EOS SL1 body (because you know, you guys haven't gotten me a better one yet), some insect repellent in a zip lock bag, a back up memory card and a couple filters.Feedback
File a few choice nearby spots firmly in your brain. If you don't have an organized messy desk in your brain like me, keep a log of locations in a small notebook in your bag. Separate them according to the weather conditions you would like to have when you take a picture there. Monitor the weather and make plans accordingly. It's simple but takes a lot of the luck and guesswork out of it. For example, I have some beach shots from Lake Michigan. Since it's over an hour away, I monitored the weather reports and looked for a lower humidity but partly cloudy day. The clouds are great for sunsets and sunrises and the lower humidity makes for crisper shots! Ideally you want around 40% to 70% cloudy goodness. When the conditions looked promising, I hoped in my car and aimed it toward the lake. I was rewarded with many great images and no guesswork. You can see some of them in my profile. Good luck is great, but good planning is better! Good luck...I mean good planning everyone!
