Eklutna Sunset on Ice
Feb, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Eklutna Lake in Alaska about 45 minutes outside of Anchorage. It's a gorgeous area for hiking, photographing or to just go and have a relaxing day.Time
This was taken at 4:11 pm on January 5, 2016. Since it is Alaska, daylight does not last as long in the Winter, hence the sun setting at around 4 pm.Lighting
Compared to what I love shooting, the light was very flat. However the slight pink hue in the sunset contrasted very beautifully with the blue of the ice as it reflected on the open water. Reflections are exciting anyway when they have that "mirror effect" but I feel like the color just added more to the overall composition.Equipment
The most important equipment I carried with me that day besides my camera equipment was my Kathoola Ice Spikes for my shoes. I had to walk across a very large sheet of ice that was probably 12 inches thick just to get to this spot. For camera equipment, I shot this with a Canon 5D Mark III, a Canon 24-105 L series lens, a Sirui tripod, and a cable shutter release.Inspiration
I am always looking for something unique or out of the ordinary to shoot that can set me apart from other photographers. There is such amazing talent in this state that it can be very difficult finding something unique that someone else hasn't already photographed. As was the case here. I had seen a post from a photographer that took a picture of this ice. I wanted to put my own artistic rendition on it. In January in Alaska, this lake would typically be completely frozen over. Our winters have not been typical lately so this was a very unique occurrence. I had to check it out.Editing
My post-processing on this image was very minimal overall. I started with the RAW image in Lightroom. I adjusted my highlights, and brought out the whites a little more. I also added some clarity and sharpening while slightly enhancing the vibrance. I used the "shade" setting for my white balance. Besides that, I used a lot of spot removal since I had a dusty sensor. No other edits were made beyond this.In my camera bag
It all depends on what I am going out to shoot. If I'm doing strictly night sky photography, I will take my 14mm and 24mm fixed lenses. If I'm shooting landscapes during the day, I will take my 24-105mm lens and my 14mm fixed lens. If I intend to photograph wildlife, I will bring my 150-600mm telephoto lens. I always have my camera in my bag, I try to have at least 3 charged batteries, 2 memory cards, shutter release cable and tripod.Feedback
Get creative! But be careful! To get this shot, I had to walk down on a large sheet of ice and then to get this perspective, I had to walk on top of these broken shards of ice. I was aware of where I was at all times. For example, beneath the big sheet of ice was solid ground (no risk if it were to break) and beneath the shards was also solid ground which extended out into the water, I stayed away from the ice above the water. Try to find something to catch the eye. In this instance the ice leads the viewer right to the reflection of the mountain. Check your sunrise and sunset times and try to arrive early enough to frame the shot how you'd like it. Always double check your gear...make sure you have everything you need...nothing more frustrating to arrive to your location realizing that you don't have everything. A good example is a tripod mount for your camera. It's happened to me before where it's been mounted to my telephoto lens and I forget to place it back on the camera when I'm doing landscape...it can be frustrating. If you're shooting in Alaska like me, dress in layers and invest in hand and foot warmers.
