Higgins Point, Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Jan, 2014Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Idaho on Lake Coeur d'Alene in January 2014. My husband and I had bundled up and ventured down to the lake one chilly afternoon in the hopes of spotting some of the migrating eagles in the area. It was fairly crowded with others doing the same thing, so when I looked up and out towards the water, I was amazed to see a dock completely empty! I was captivated. The way the light was falling across the water was beautiful and there's a certain coldness about a winter sky that always draws me in. All of that combined with the fact that the way the old wooden post at the end of the dock looks like a cross, made for a potentially great photographic moment.Time
I remember specifically that this photo was taken in the afternoon because we had hoped to get out earlier in the day to see the eagles, but it was bitterly cold! I love the kind of winter day where the world is frosty and cozy in the morning, and then the sun breaks out and warms the earth a bit. It becomes a 'hot chocolate' kind of day - bundled up in sweaters and hats, warming hands with a hot drink...Lighting
I had no special lighting set up, but I had great natural light. I love the way the sun hits the dock and highlights the sides of the poles.Equipment
Funny enough, I have a Nikon, but that day I had actually used a Pentax Optio WG-2, with no tripod, no flash, using just the natural light of the day.Inspiration
The blue of the lake really grabbed me, but then what had me completely enthralled was the post at the end of the dock that looks like a cross (it's actually a sign nailed to the post on the opposite side). It seemed to me to be a cross welcoming people back to shore who had been on the water that day. But, maybe I overthink lol...anyway, I thought it was a beautiful setting - the blue water, the cold sky, the cross, and the highlights from a wavering sun on a wintry January day.Editing
I used PaintShop Pro and I adjusted shadowing and lighting to make it a little more dramatic.I also blurred parts of it a bit.In my camera bag
Typically, it's just me and my Nikon, but this day I happened to have a different camera. I'm definitely still trying to build my camera equipment store, but at this point, it's nothing fancy!Feedback
A good photographer will know in an instant what makes for a good photo - trust your instinct, it's probably right!! I try to pay attention to things like the way light hits objects, the time of day taken. For me, I've found it's best to avoid the harshest light of day (but sometimes that works well, too!). Let go of the rules, shoot what you want, and do what captures your heart! If you find something captivating about a scene, it will likely make others feel the same way.
