water plants
SAMSUNG WB5500 / VLUU WB5500 / SAMSUNG HZ50W
Aperture f/5 ISO 200, 200 Focal Length 119600000/100000 
Apr, 2016Views
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Awards
2020 Choice Award
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was made in Raquette Lake, NY. I lived lived there while I was cooking for a State University of New York (SUNY) outdoor education center.Time
My work day generally started well before most of the other people living or staying at the lake were up and about, this was probably shot before 6 am.Lighting
The sky was overcast and it was a dull grey and rainy sort of day.Equipment
This was made with a Samsung HZ50W camera. Not one of my "serious" cameras but what I had with me that morning.Inspiration
I made this photograph because, on that dull grey morning, the subtle green of the plants and the reflection on the very still water combined to stand out. When I took this one I was just starting to work on simplifying my photos to eliminate distractions in the frame.Editing
I cropped the photo to better isolate these three plants and I probably made slight adjustments to levels to heighten the contrast a bit.In my camera bag
I've been using 35mm film and rangefinder cameras as my primary gear for a long tie, so usually I don't actually have a bag. I will have a camera, either a Bessa R2a or a Zorki 3m, and most often a 50mm lens. If I have a specific idea or subject in mind, I will sometimes have that normal 50 on the camera and one other lens in a pocket. Film in the camera and one or two rolls in a different pocket. Kodak Ektar for color and HP5+ for BW work. Since making this photo I have replaced the Samsung with a Fuji X20 camera so my digital "kit" is even simpler: just that camera and sometimes a basic tripod.Feedback
When something catches your eye, take the photo. This image *might* have been better if I'd made it with a better camera and lens but if I had tried to go home and get that better camera, the light would have changed and the lake would not have been as still. This photo is also an example of the power in paying attention to the world around you no matter if it's your front yard or some exotic destination. The particular bit of lakeshore where I made this photo was part of my daily walk to work and I don't know how many times I must have passed by that spot. But on the morning I took this, the combination of the light, the glassy stillness of the water, and the bit of green against the monochrome of the lake all worked together to make these three plants stand out. I shot several frames before finding the one spot I could stand to take this and not disturb the water.
