Pudsey Lake
The sun setting over Pudsey, Leeds. The wait for clearer skies finally paid off!
The sun setting over Pudsey, Leeds. The wait for clearer skies finally paid off!
Read less
Read less
Apr, 2016Views
274
Likes
Awards
Spring Selection Award
Superb Composition
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank
Top 30 rank
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this image at a lake close by where I live. I had a lot of assignments on that week so was unable to travel further afield than I'd usually like to for a landscape image.Time
After a couple of weeks of almost solid cloudy weather, I noticed that as the sun was setting on this Friday afternoon, the cloud began to part. I noticed the warm glow of the sun and the colourful sky. Having spent all week itching to get out and take a new sunset image, I grabbed my bag and almost ran to the location.Lighting
The sun had just dipped below the horizon when I took this image so this image was lit purely by soft, diffused light.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 6D with the 17-40 f/4 lens and a 10 stop ND filter. The whole setup was on a fairly small MeFoto RoadTrip tripod and I used a wired shutter release. The 10 stop filter allowed me to expose for about 5 minutes which helped me created a very soft, dreamy look.Inspiration
As an architectural photographer by trade, it had been a while since I had gone out to shoot purely the landscape and nature. I'd tried to shoot this location previously but been unsuccessful due to the weather. It's a small natures paradise within a built up suburban area. I love the fact it is surrounded by trees and makes you feel as if you are somewhere you're not. After a spell of bad weather, the urge to go out and get an image had built up inside of me. When the weather showed signs of clearing, I took the opportunity to go out and and try capture it.Editing
The 10 stop filter I used usually creates a sight colour cast which most of the time I get rid of. However, I found in this instance it added to the colours already present in the sky from the setting sun and helped create the dreamy look I was going for so I decided to roll with it on this occasion. This was a single exposure and a fairly small edit compared to some of my other work. I made some small tweaks to the levels, colours and contrast along with some dodging on the foreground elements to bring them out.In my camera bag
For landscape work I always take my 6D, a 17-40, and an 85mm along with a 10 stop filter and a polariser. I always have a wired remote in there and depending on what I'm going to shoot I may take one of my tilt shift lenses along with me too. I usually keep my travel tripod close by for moments like this one. I like to try and keep it light and simple when working with landscapes so I can spend less time messing with gear and more time enjoying the landscape. If I'm shooting architecture, I'll take a 5D Mark III along with a 17 and 24mm tilt shift along with a teleconverter to make a roughly 35mm tilt shift, plus a 50mm, 85mm and a bunch of speedlights, triggers and batteries.Feedback
Perseverance is key to getting a beautiful landscape image. Understand that you are at the mercy of mother nature and it may take more than one visit to a location to get the image you are looking for. The more you go out and shoot, the more chance you will have of getting the image. The weather in some locations can be totally unpredictable at some times of the year so keep your eye on the weather outside as well as on the forecast and be prepared if the weather changes in your favour. It helps to have some idea of the composition or knowledge of the location before you head out so try and scout the location beforehand so that you can work more efficiently when it comes to getting the shot. The light can change so quickly if you are shooting during golden hour so it pays to know what you're going to do before you get there.
