Misty swan
A wander in Southport proved to be a fortunate decision as a sea mist rolled in and enveloped the marina. A solitary swan floated in the misty waters and bobbed...
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A wander in Southport proved to be a fortunate decision as a sea mist rolled in and enveloped the marina. A solitary swan floated in the misty waters and bobbed for food under the water creating concentric circles when it surfaced. The ethereal sun bathed the whole sun in a heavenly glow. Just perfect.
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Feb, 2017Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken off the Southport Pier onto the lake below during a strange sea mist that had floated in. It stayed for about an hour and disappeared.Time
This was nearing the end of the afternoon in winter which can be seen with how low the sun is in the frame. Other shots that I took afterwards were less misty and were bright orange as the sun set.Lighting
Simply keep your eye on weather conditions and your camera close by. This was a chance encounter as you can't predict when a sea mist is going to float in. If you do see this weather floating in then you can rest assured that the lighting is going to be very strongly diffused and unique looking.Equipment
It may look like there are filters and other paraphernalia at play but this was shot straight through a canon S120 pocket camera with no tripod. One of those moments where the saying 'The best camera is the one that's with you' is strongly proven to be correct.Inspiration
The weather conditions were inspiration enough to make this shot worthwhile. If you walk about with a camera in your pocket enough times then eventually you'll be lucky and get a stunning shot like this. That's not to say that I don't travel to places with the strict intention of taking particular shots with a pre thought out set of kit but you have to set your net wide so that you have more chances of catching those golden moments.Editing
There was some tinkering in Lightroom. Cooler tones were achieved with the temperature edging into the blues. Contrast was increased to bring out the ripples slightly and vibrance given a tweak as well to get those colours richer. Finally a quite strong vignette was added to focus the eye on that beautiful swan.In my camera bag
These days it's my trusty Fuji X-Pro 2 and I do favour my 16mm prime lens for it's mind boggling sharpness but that depends on the subject matter. For street photography the 23mm prime is a small, discreet and powerful companion for those candid images. Travel has my 18-55mm which is light and portable but still punches above its weight and has given me a good amount of wonderful images on my wanderings. Obligatory lens cloths, a lens pen, a set of Lee Seven 5 filters plus filter holder kit, remote shutter release (although the iPhone can be used), and fifty pence for undoing the shutter plate and extra batteries is a normal packing.Feedback
Just get out instead of wondering what to do. Many times I have sat and pondered which shots I'd like and where to go to get them but I've more than likely missed some great photographs due to this dithering. It's also true though that I've been out and captured nothing at all with a hopeful mindset beforehand but those are the cards that are dealt with outdoor photography. You've got to go there to come back!
