Paradise Beach
Feb, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I love the Great Lakes. Each one has a specific mood. Lake Michigan has always struck me as a warm and inviting. This was taken along the northern shore of Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. US 2 hugs the coast and there are miles of dunes and sandy beaches.Time
This was taken in the late evening as the sun was getting low on the horizon. The beach is an amazing place to be during the golden hour! It casts such a natural warm hue to the sand and adds a beautiful golden glow to the dune grass.Lighting
Lighting will absolutely make or break a shot. As all landscape photographers can attest to, it is your best friend or worst enemy. In the outdoors you have absolutely no control over the light. That is what I love about landscape photography. You are chasing that intermittent reward with no guarantees. You can use filters and play with exposure but you cannot create good light in landscape photography. When it arrives, be prepared because it rarely lasts.Equipment
My only camera is a Rebel t3i. I keep talking about upgrading, but for now I am sticking with old faithful. I don't want to throw money at a new camera in hopes of getting better shots. The problem rarely lies with the camera. The lens for this shot was a Tamron 17-50 with a Promaster polarizer. I am hooked on Manfrotto tripods. They are indestructible!!Inspiration
I wanted to capture the natural beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula beaches. There is a wild and remote serenity to the northern shores that you have to see to appreciate. Each of the Great Lakes have their own personality. Lake Michigan has always struck me as warm and inviting and this is the feeling I wanted the shot to invoke.Editing
I used to waste a lot of time on editing a shot. I would try HDR, Photomatix and every slider Lightroom had available. I have come to realize I hate editing! Now, I will spend five minutes tops to post-process a shot. The shot is either good or garbage. This realization gave me a lot more time to spend in the field. I use Lightroom almost exclusively. My workflow usually involves adjust white balance, dodge, burn, and adjust color. I have custom presets I created and that saves a lot of time. I use a polarizer, and I don't stack filters in the field. So, I occasionally find LR's graduated filter helpful.In my camera bag
Not much, one lens, one filter and lots of snacks:) Good light is fleeting and I don't want to waste time hesitating or agonizing over which equipment to use. For better or worse, I decide what I am going to shoot with with and stick to it. My current fave lens is my wide angle 10-22. My current go to filter is my Singh Ray LB warming polarizer.Feedback
1) Chase the light. Arrive early. Visualize about five different angles/scenes. If it is a frequently photographed spot, I really try to find that different approach that will hopefully make my shot stand out. 2) Learn from the equipment you have. I have often contemplated throwing my camera in the lake and smashing my lens against the tree. It is sub par compared to the "real" pros. But, I know my cameras strengths and weakness and we are slowly starting to compete. 3) It's all about the lens. Do your research and invest in decent glass. The kit lens for my particular camera was pretty bad. No matter what, I felt I could not overcome the poor quality. I upgraded the lens twice. First time, I just threw money at the problem and paid way too much for a lens that didn't really suit my needs. Second time, I researched, browsed forums, asked questions and knew exactly which lens I wanted and why. I paid half the money and love it twice as much. 4) Relax and embrace the moment. We have all seen that hysterical photographer. Running a zig zag pattern, furiously changing their lens, screaming at people to get out of the shot. Don't be that person. Take the time to really appreciate the beauty of the scene and it will show in your work. 5) Don't be rude. Be nice and answer questions when people approach you. Everybody was once a beginner. I remember seeing a young lady with her tablet taking pictures. She approached a photographer with lots of impressive gear and he did not even deem her question worthy of an answer. As she walked by, I struck up a conversation with her. She had very insightful and intelligent questions and had a true interest in photography. As the perfect light approached, the "pro" photographer spewed a string of obscenities and stormed away. He apparently had a serious malfunction with his equipment. Karma is real.
