No Sail Day
A bit of fun with Trout Lake ON empty pier
A bit of fun with Trout Lake ON empty pier
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Jun, 2019Views
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Awards
Fall Award 2020
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
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Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo one overcast w/light showers day at Trout Lake, in North Bay ON CA. My friend and I were actually going home from shooting a specific tree I had spotted days before that I just had to capture. It was an unplanned stop to shot this. CLUNK went the vehicle, and we soon had to pull off the road into the restaurant lot that this pier floats at. The job to fix our ride turned out be a job for a more mechanically inclined friend of ours, so a call was made and while waiting for him, well, no time like the present to make the most of this stop I thought.Time
The raw of this was taken in Oct - 2014. Please excuse me on time, A photographer I am yes, but the bulk my work is being a pro videographer and video editor/ and freelance media production producer, So since this was taken originally, I have acquired a good 100 terabytes or more worth EXT hard drives, those files and projects being so big in size that finding the original of this file could cause me an injury ha ha. I do remember due to our friends mechanic help that day, he had missed his supper for us, that it was between 5 and 6 pm In order to date the shot here as I did today, I referenced my original online post of this image. Same image though I previously edited differently. The edit seen here was done several years later, in 2019, when rediscovering the image while going through and older drive.Lighting
Mother Natures beautifully gloomy light , no flashEquipment
This was on a 5D mark ii, the lens was a Canon 24mm 1.4 Shot hand heldInspiration
Most definitely the lines and the symmetry of the empty pier was what drew me to it first As i got closer I loved that at a certain angle and height the wetness of wooden dock were picking the highlights in a shimmering way. The contrasty clouds had some drama going on, that I knew in post I could bump up even more later. There seemed to be and ominous feeling this day. While we were in the city, traffic was real light, parking lot was empty, its seemed odd nobody out at this (pre-covid) particular time.Editing
This shot looked well enough in my initial edit from 2014. the lines and symmetry alone were pleasing against the backdrop of water and horizon of the community. I did get the drama in sky but kept that first edit more subtle with more a backlight look by making higher altitude clouds almost white against a varied in darkness lower altitude cloud formations. I knew when taking it it would be BW This re edit in 2019, when coming across the photo again, I instantly saw this photo differently. I am not a heavy composite editor at all, the goal first is to always get it camera as my mentor has taught. Since taking the initial shot however, I am finding the learning and creative aspects of compositing challenging and fun. I rarely do tutorials, so when I am able to achieve a look I'm going for on my own.. that achievement is always worth the frustration of getting there. Shot you see now has complete new sky, more darks, the whites are more tumultuous and ominous than my first edit. Of course the lightning was an add too. There was no lighting that day. So..its a kinda mans safe symmetry meets natures offset furious beauty? Sure why not I am happy people enjoyed it, whichever way they perceived it.In my camera bag
My main kit, is a 5D for life testament. Its packs 2 mark ii's, and a 5D mark iv, Overkill for photo only I know, but its packed like that for video, it also has Canon 70 to 200 2.8, Sigma Art 24-35 2.0 (Just loving this lens!) and a 50mm 1.2. 50 mm1.4 Its got audio recording devices, small tolls etc. A think tank camera roller bag. If going where thats impractical, I'll bring smaller bag and choose weapons once there.Feedback
Well..if you've ever said "I prefer the look of natural shots, not composited, myself" ...you can like I did, avoid doing composites like did for a long time. But...ill get back to that. For a shot like this.. you'd need only know when the dock is free of boats, know when to expect rain, and go. If schedule isn't hampering you..the go ahead one step farther and if you hear thunder.. get going.. and good luck. Be prepared to cover the cam!! Light drizzle is a great time to go shooting for BW's Not just this scenes..maybe a wet side of a barn with wet horse going by in wide shot.. (OK i must. do that!!) paved cross walks in the city while framing your scene , long wet roads if paved right can hold the sheen may want YUM Look to compose for angles that wet surfaces reflect light off careful not to blow them out so as not to lose definition. If your a person who likes higher numbered f stops, just be-careful on a gloomy dark day not to Introduce too much artificial light (iso) into the shot while trying to meter your shot evenly. Be aware of what your camera can do before ruined by noise, and/or what you are cable of removing in post Wear something you can lie on your stomach on. Piers are great low angles Finally..getting back to if you ever said " personally, I'm not a fan of composited imagery," like I used to, I'll be honest here. This thought did serve me well at first, forcing me to try to get the best image I could in camera. That's always the goal. If you keep to that idea too long, (for me a reason to procrastinate learning more editing) I think you may wish later as I did that you started trying photoshop or other advanced editing suites powerful tools sooner. I'll admit, I am impressed at the artistic nature of of photos that are composites not trying hide as natural, I am no where near level of the creations that baffle me. Still I do like to create try and them as art and you can surprise yourself at what you do. That said, I dare say you most likely have seen many images that you did not know were composites, subtle in nature, taking your IN camera shot to next levels while the viewer can't detect the alterations. Im preaching to the choir to any advanced editors reading this I know, but for those I know who feel what I'm saying I'll end with this, advice as was passed onto me: Save for the rules that are basic foundations, there are no rules except one: Don't complicate it, If it looks good, it is good. Best advice I ever got. Cheers, happy shooting
