Lara in the mist
Lara in the mist
Lara in the mist
Read less
Read less
May, 2016Views
1125
Likes
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 20 rank
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 2
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken along one of our frequent walking routes, not far from where I live in Shropshire, England. It is one of the few images that I have taken, that is responsible for the sudden growth in my passion for photography.Time
It was captured fairly early, one gloriously misty morning. Winter was beginning to lose its hold as spring was already laying claim to the earth, with daffodils, crocus and snowdrops all in various stages of development, peeking through the remains of a decaying, grey, leafy counterpane covering the grass verges. The actual time would have been between 08.35 and 08.50, so quite a respectable time, all things considered.Lighting
This appears to be a good time to admit that I am a complete novice, when it comes to photography. Up to this point, I was a self-confessed 'Happy Snapper' and most of my images, before this one, I put down to just plain luck. However, on the day this was taken, I had actually started to consider the more technical side of taking a photograph, including lighting. The light was all natural, but the sun had not yet risen high enough to start burning off the mist that still hung on this side of the hill.Equipment
Ah! This was taken with nothing more technical than my current LG smart phone. I possessed no other photography equipment at the time.Inspiration
I was simply captivated by the way the mist surrounded and tried to swallow the child up ahead. In my opinion, it gave the image a slightly 'Spooky' and almost 'Sinister' feel, yet at the same time, I couldn't help but feel drawn to the beauty held within.Editing
As with photography, I am also a complete and utter novice where photo editing software is concerned.I've had a version of Gimp on my laptop for quite a while, but every time I opened it up and tried to use it ... well, let's just say, I always ended up feeling like a right 'Numpty' with no right to be in there. I'm happy to report that I am starting to get to grips with GIMP 2.8.8, as I hope some of my more recent offerings will show, but for this shot, I think I only ventured to use the software included in the 'Photo viewer' on my laptop. That said, I'm pretty certain that the only post-processing involved with this shot would have been 'Crop' and 'De-saturate.'In my camera bag
Up until a few short weeks ago,the only bag I could list would be my handbag, the only equipment was 'My Smartphone.' However, I can now add to that miserly list. My smartphone is always with me, that's a given, but I now possess a proper camera rucksack, complete with a Sony a7mkii, a Zeiss 24-70mm lens, a Samyang 2.8-14mm, svelt cloth, spare battery, mini tripod, either a large tripod or monopod, a small Canon Power Shot and if I'm honest, the book of words for the Sony, just in case!Feedback
When this image was captured, it was purely a case of being in the 'right place at the right time.' No planning, no weather reports, no equipment, no setting the scene; just me, my smartphone and an open eye. And there in lies the key. You can have all the equipment you want, but if you can't frame/compose a shot, it's not worth squat. This is probably the first lesson that I learned using my smartphone, followed by use of natural light. I am self-taught, so the process is on going, but now I have a firm hold on these two aspects, I am constantly looking for objects, people and places that would look good in a frame, every time I venture out of the house. It has become second nature.
