Veil of white
Dec, 2016Views
6683
Likes
Awards
Chatter Award
Contest Finalist in Foggy Moody Photo Contest
Zenith Award
Winner in Mystic Moments Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Behind You Photo Contest
People's Choice in A Walk In The Mist Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in A Walk In The Mist Photo Contest
Amateur Winner Faceless Photo Contest
Winner in Misty or Dusty Bush Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Faceless Photo Contest
Featured
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
PRO+
MicktheGreek
March 02, 2017
I never thought this photo would ever gain such popularity, but thank you...
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MicktheGreek
April 04, 2017
I must admit it was a spur-of-the-moment inspiration. The mist was inviting, the crowd in the park was dispersing, no one was watching... camera and tripod did the rest.
Platinum
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MicktheGreek
April 30, 2017
Cheers David! I never expected this photo to rank as well as it has, but hey, miracles happen.
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Platinum
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MicktheGreek
November 06, 2017
A very lucky moment, my dear Jacqueline. It all happened within 20 minutes, just as it was getting dark. Glad you like it, thanks a lot!
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Platinum
estherstoney
October 19, 2018
Beautiful shot! I see from your replies to the comments that you feel it was a lucky shot. There is no such thing! You were in the right place at the right time and had the talent to see that it was the right time. It takes talent to take those “lucky shots”. Keep up the good work!
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Platinum
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douglasunger
October 24, 2018
Congratulations, Michael! You certainly deserve it. It's an absolute masterpiece. Way to go!
PRO+
MicktheGreek
October 25, 2018
Thank you Douglas! I never thought this one would do the rounds, but here we are...
Ultimate
JayneBug
May 24, 2019
Other worldly. Reminds me of a transformation from one life to another. Exceptional.
PRO+
MicktheGreek
May 24, 2019
Thanks Jayne! There was a 20-minute span, or thereabouts, that felt as if time had stopped. I could hear voices and noises from afar, mainly pooches and their owners, but could hardly distinguish anything in the drifting wraith.I am amazed and eternally grateful to Fortune that the focus even worked...
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Joviaal
November 10, 2019
Hi Mick, a bit late, but congratulations on your win with your m(i)stical image.
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MicktheGreek
November 13, 2019
Thanks Kristina... this photo has attracted attention from all directions. I am glad it turned out popular.
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Platinum
Platinum
texaaronpueschel
December 05, 2022
You awakened my imagination. What story does this fellow have to tell. Is he a lost would? A wayfaring stranger? I personally give this one my Wall Hanger Award.
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MicktheGreek
December 07, 2022
Tex, there is a story behind this photo if you scroll down. A unique moment that doesn't come by often. Thanks for the kind remarks!
Platinum
texaaronpueschel
December 07, 2022
U read the story and it I came to agreee with so much of it. Thanks for sharing.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Lydiard Park, West Swindon, Wiltshire, South-Western England. A few people have asked me "where on Earth this place was", awaiting fairy-tale accounts with bated breath. They must have been disappointed because the answer was rather dull: it is an ordinary park, conveniently located only a stone's throw from my place. Barring idyllic and colourful sunsets, there is nothing exotic about it. It is just another park hosting plenty of arboreal giants and a lake; a park that all sorts of creatures abound: from peripatetic people to playful pooches, from colourful mallards to honking Canadian geese and from timid swans to intrusive gulls. Yet, when elements conspire, even in most unsuspected environments one can find himself awestruck, grappling with Poe-like mystique and engulfed by settings as that of “Hound of the Baskervilles”. For about half an hour, I saw the pantheon of Christopher Lee, Peter Gushing, Vincent Price & Co parading right in front of me...Time
Around 16:30 PM. A sunny and crispy winter's afternoon was dwindling, temperature was plummeting and moisture was seeping up my body. It was time to go but just as I was approaching the car, I discerned a thick layer of mist at the far end, rolling over the field like a carpet and heading towards me. I walked towards it and stopped when all I could see around me was white. I couldn't resist. Using the tree as foreground, I set up camera and tripod, fixed the focal length to 24mm and focused manually. All I needed was a model to pose for me and this was exactly when the timer function came handy. The rest was business as usual.Lighting
There was a pale red glow from afar, owing to the sun's setting. Other than that, nothing noteworthy. In such weather conditions light is the least of your worries. Shooting RAW with reasonable but tolerable ISO and appropriate shutter speed is of paramount importance. Remember this and don’t worry about anything else, for now. Never shoot in “Auto” mode, because it is a crime. Auto mode kills photography skills and shatters photographers' dreams. If you have read this and still fancy the Auto mode, then you might as well pack it up and take up Bingo. Always shoot in Manual mode if you want to be creative at photography. It is painstaking in the short term but redemptive in the long term. Once you have uploaded your photo on the PC, open Lightroom and let there be light!Equipment
Camera, 24-70mm lens and tripod.Inspiration
The belief that a picture is not merely a depiction but an expression. If you can make a faceless figure send someone agape, then wielding a camera is amongst your strengths.Editing
Lightroom. It is a good turd polisher. Don't laugh because I am serious. If there is one thing Digital Photography has taught us it is that the art of clicking and the need for post-shoot processing are entwined. Learn to use this tool wisely and remember: the more sparingly you use it as you go along, the better photographer you are developing to.In my camera bag
Camera, tripod, UV filters and polariser filters. I haven't bothered with ND filters because I don't have the patience to keep shutters open for 300 seconds, not to mention that I hate motion blur, anyway. Don't take the latter as an advice, it is just me... Regarding lenses: make sure you cover a wide-range of distances and angles. A 16-35mm is a good choice for ultra-wide angles (full-frame sensor) but not quite enough. Wide-angle pictures are great, provided you are quite close to the subject matter and you have a decent foreground. Failing that, everything in the photo will look tiny and unless you have a glorious cotton-fluffy clouded sky to bail you out, your photo will be dull and emotionless. So, as a rule of thumb: 16-35mm plus 24-700mm. or 16-35mm, 50mm prime and 70-200mm (or 70-300mm)Feedback
People often attribute success to talent, claiming you either possess it or you don't. This is utter tosh, I am afraid. If you have engaged long enough in Digital Photography, you should know that it is patience that ultimately paints the picture. Talent will merely put it in a frame, but talent is acquired and not gifted. On arriving at such scene, remember a couple of rule-of-thumb guidelines: - Assess and analyse the scene; determine your subject matter, foreground and background. Have a tripod at hand, because in low light it will save the day. Should you find difficult to focus (low-light conditions), apply trial-and-error: set high aperture (small F number) and high ISO, take a bright photo and analyse it. A focus near infinity (be careful: full-on infinity is not always the answer) might be a good starting point. Once you have nailed it, decrease the ISO (to prevent high digital noise) and the aperture (high F number) and lower the shutter speed. Sometimes, a laser pen pointer might can be handy (for focusing in pitch-black conditions or or really low-light conditions). Look at the photo, then look again. Are you watching closely? Are you thinking laterally? Foreground? Background? Angle? Main object? Negative space? Emotions stirred? Clarity? Vibrance? Monochrome, maybe? If possible, avoid placing the "action" in the middle of the frame, because your photo can become dull (Rule of Thirds they is there for a reason). Go for it and don't be afraid of the fog. If you hear howls and screams in the process, just ignore them and carry on... it is your film-addled imagination.
