Mitchell Lake
Mitchell Lake at Brainard Lake Recreation Area in Colorado
Mitchell Lake at Brainard Lake Recreation Area in Colorado
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May, 2017Views
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Awards
Action Award
Top Shot Award 22
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in Game Of Flares Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Tall Trees Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Gorgeous Rivers Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Genius
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Emotions
Impressed
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
Mitchell Lake is a high-altitude lake located in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, accessible from the Mitchell Lake Trailhead within Brainard Lake Recreation Area. Mitchell Lake sits at 10,500 ft in elevation.Time
This is one of my favorite shots even after 3 years. We hiked about a mile to get to this spot in the early evening in late September. We started our afternoon with a leisurely drive along the Peak-to-Peak highway while doing some fall leaf peeping, then ended our day at Brainard Lake Recreation for a hike. After hiking the mile to Mitchell Lake, we stopped and took in the scenery. As we were getting ready to turn back and head down the trail to our car, I noticed that the sun had started peaking out between two trees on the far shore of the lake. I took my camera back out of my bag and got out my wide-angle lens so that I could capture this beautiful scene.Lighting
Since it was getting close to sunset, the sun was casting a beautiful warm glow on the whole landscape. The challenge here was not over-exposing the scene because I was pointing the camera directly toward the sun. I wanted to try to get a sun flare, so I set up my exposure with a narrow aperture and a wide focal length not only to capture as much of the scene as possible but also to help produce the lovely sun flare. I also wanted to keep from underexposing the trees and shadows too much.Equipment
I was hiking pretty light, so I had brought along my Nikon D750, my Tamron 15-30mm, and the kit lens for my camera, the Nikkor 24-120mm.Inspiration
This photo was not planned, I had just brought my camera along to capture what I saw and was just lucky to be at this spot at the right time to catch the sun peaking through the trees and casting a nice warm glow across the landscape.Editing
I did light post-processing to this photo. I brought up the shadows in the darker areas and toned down the highlights in the lighter areas to help bring the photo closer to what I saw with my own eye. I also added a touch of contrast, vibrance and sharpening, then I warmed the white-balance a bit to reflect the warm glow of the sun and the colors of fall.In my camera bag
I keep my trusty Nikon D750 with me practically everywhere I go along with at least two lenses. One wide angle zoom lens and one telephoto zoom lens. This way I have a lot of options when opportunities present themselves. If I have specific goals for the day, I'll bring other gear including a tripod, remote shutter release, a polarizing filter, an ND filter, and I try not to forget the water! Photography can keep me hyper-focused and if I don't have a bottle of water within reach, I'll forget to keep hydrated.Feedback
A lot of photography is about being at the right place at the right time. So getting out there with your camera is key! Take lots of photos and take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. I also recommend carrying a polarizing filter. It comes in handy on bright sunny days to help tone down the brightness of the sky or cut the glare from water and other reflective surfaces. I didn't have one with me on this particular day, but it sure would have helped!
