Lake Wanaka
The beauty of Lake Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand
Aug, 2016Views
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maxmanus
October 27, 2016
What a masterpiece. You have an amazing portfolio. Thank you for sharing.:-)
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
The Photo is taken at one of the most 'photographed' location and one of the most scenic place of the world, a paradise, a place to feel the the nascent beauty, Lake Wanaka, Otago, South Island, New Zealand. The Lake Wanaka region features prominently in both the Lord of the Rings Trilogies and The Hobbit so also a treat to the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movie fans like me. The 'Lonely Tree' standings till over the scenic Lake and the snow clad Buchanan Peaks at the backdrop is perfect ambiance to spent time with the lens.Time
Its never a 'perfect' time to spent at the Lake Wanaka, but the morning hours are the most dramatic and my personal favorite moment. This shot was taken after the dawn twilight hour and this moment was captured just after the sunrise (around 8 AM). i planned for this moment and managed to reach the location well before the sunrise. With a very satisfying shooting session at the low light, i ended my day with this shot. Loved the way it came out eventually.Lighting
I always love to use the morning calm natural light in my landscape shots and so i planned it well in advance. i reached around 5:30 AM and got a fairly amount of morning glow which is ideal colors for dawn shoots. This shot was taken in ambient conditions where the sunlight has gathered fair amount of strength and so i got a fairly exposed shot.Equipment
I used my old Canon 1200 camera and the EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 III lens at a focal length of 32 mm for the shot. I used a tripod for the stability but was not required as the exposure time was 1.6 secs. Lighting conditions were ambient so needed to use a polarization filter (Hoya Circular Polarization) to cut out the light reflection. Aperture was set as F14 to minimize the depth of field.Inspiration
I always have been a fan of nature and landscape photography and was often intrigued to see the majestic locations around the world which are the must to visit and shoot for any landscape photographer. Lake Wanaka is one of the places which hosts thousands of photographers everyday and so i was excited when i got the opportunity to test my skills and capture some memories. This visit was my first ever and i managed to find the very spot thanks to the local information center. I couldn't remember how much time i spent, but i was so absorbed with the beauty, the calmness, the scenic colors, the cold gentle breeze that i lost track of the time. I am glad to capture the colors and the vibe of the place at dusk, dawn and daylight.Editing
Well, it was Spring time and so the colors around were abundant. So in this particular case, i didn't have to work much in post processing, only i corrected the chromatic aberration, did some color corrections (canon 1200 with kit lens is too below par to capture the colors what we see) and increased a bit of contrast. All the edits done in Photoshop CS6.In my camera bag
I have the 'must to carry' gears and some 'nice to have' gears. The must to carry gears list has added over the years and now a days the list stands as, Camera body off-course 6D (and Canon 1200D), EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, Samyang 14mm F2.8 lens, a set of 77mm Polarization, ND8, ND1000 filters, shutter release, extra memory card, extra battery pack and yes a small set of cleaning kit, like the Blower, and some clean wipes. I also carry a led torch and some clean cloth which comes handy at night shoots. I also pack my tripod as a must to carry gear. Nice to have gears include Canon 1.4mm 50mm lens, Tamron 70 - 200 mm F2.8 lens and few more filters.Feedback
I am a landscape photographer and so over these years i have learnt, patience is the key. The golden hour moments are a precious time and the most productive time for a photographer but it is always good to plan couple of hours before the sunrise and sunset to capture the transition colors. One thing i try to do every time i plan for such a shoot is study about the place, get inspired seeing the works of the fellow photographers who has spent eventful and productive time on the same place capturing masterpieces. Observation is the key and i have learnt a lot by understanding the works of photographers. Also, one thing we should keep in mind, often we don't get what we plan for, specially during outdoor landscape sessions we might end up in disappointment special due to adverse weather and conditions, but mark my word, the most unexpected situation give you the best results. That' all i want to express. Good luck guys and happy clicking.
