Konigsee
The Cows of Konigsee taking in their Kingly view nestled in the German-Austrian Alps
The Cows of Konigsee taking in their Kingly view nestled in the German-Austrian Alps
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Apr, 2016Views
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Awards
Action Award
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Top Shot Award 22
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Winner in Naturel Nature & Landscape (non HDR) Photo Challenge
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Magnificent Capture
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Obersee, a small lake near Konigsee in southern Germany. Getting out into nature is one of the things I enjoy most and getting to have moments like this make it that much more incredible.Time
This photo was taken at 3:29 pm, August 9, 2015. It was a beautiful day, some clouds in the sky and nothing but nature surrounding us and we had just arrived a short wile before. Enough time for us to take out some food and drinks before the cows decided to get a drink themselves.Lighting
I used only the natural light for this image. It was well lit as it was the middle of the day, some small clouds blocking the sun now and then, and the tall mountains around the lake starting to drawing shadows on the edge of the lake. It was just a matter of patience and a bit of luck while waiting for the right conditions as we sat and enjoyed the lake.Equipment
I captured this image with a Canon T2i and a Canon 15-85mm set to 24mm and f/6.3 and nothing else.Inspiration
I woke up around 6 am to meet up with a friend and after a few hours on a train and a short bus ride we arrived at Konigsee. We hopped on one of the boats traveling around the lake and jumped off on the far end to hike up to another lake my friend had previously been to. The lake is nestled in the mountains away from the busy city life so after a swim we were sitting on the grass enjoying the view and some food when 2 cows came out of the forest behind us and wandered past us as if we weren't there. I try to always carry my camera and had just finished taking some photos of the view when the cows came out and started drinking. After a minute or so they stopped drinking and just stood there soaking in the view. It was the connection between animals and nature that inspired me to try and capture the moment.Editing
Shooting landscapes usually requires a bit of touching up the shadows or highlights to get the right mix to see the detail in both areas. This photo was not much different. The sun was bright and left the mountains in the back faded while the face to the right was bright and on the left was a dark shadow. I had to bring up the shadows a bit to get good detail on the left and bring the highlights down just a touch to correct on the right. Then a small bump to contrast to bring out a bit more detail in the far mountains and I was happy with the result.In my camera bag
For years I was shooting with the my first DSLR, a Canon T2i, that I got as a gift years ago. It had been through countless trips and countries with me and never once let me down or gave me any issues. For glass, I always carry around my Canon 10-22mm and my Canon 15-85mm. The 15-85mm was the perfect walk around lens for me, good reach on both the wide angle and semi telephoto ends. I have since replaced the 15-85mm with a Canon 24-105L f/4 which I find a bit better on the long end and for the wide angle pairs perfect with my 10-22mm.Feedback
Enjoy what you are doing and shoot what you love. I grew up surrounded by mountains and ocean and could spend days at a location I really enjoy which is important when shooting landscapes. There are so many variables and while you can do your research to find the most ideal time and place to capture something, there are so many unpredictable and uncontrollable factors so patience is important and its much easier to be patient when you are somewhere or doing something you truly enjoy. Also, keep an eye out for the unexpected. Some of my favourite photos, this one included, have happened while I was relaxing or trying to capture something completely different.
