The Lake and its Magic Flower Fields
The Russell lupins around New Zealand’s Lake Pukaki gave the summer scene a slightly surreal feel. The alpine lake water reminiscent of some distant Caribbean...
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The Russell lupins around New Zealand’s Lake Pukaki gave the summer scene a slightly surreal feel. The alpine lake water reminiscent of some distant Caribbean coast, is a magnet for visitors and an unforgettable sight within its display of colours and textures. The half-hearted summer drizzle could not put a dent on this amazing experience.
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SONY NEX-5R
Aperture f/9 ISO 100 Shutter 1/160 Focal Length 280/10 
Lake Pukaki, Canterbury, NZ
Feb, 2020Views
107
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Awards
2020 Choice Award
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this image by Lake Pukaki, one of three big Mackenzie Country glacial lakes on the South Island of New Zealand. The lake is a popular tourist destination, and I usually try to reach it from a less used road, a gravel one in this case, for a more novel angle. In the summer it is common to enjoy spectacular bursts of colour around these lakes due to massive flowering fields of Russell Lupins. Thanks to ‘glacial flour’, finely ground rock particles from the glaciers, lakes are gifted with a distinctive blue colour.Time
I usually like to take photos earlier in the morning or just before sunset, but thanks to the weather being overcast I got extra opportunities throughout the day. This image was taken on a summer afternoon, with the light subdued by some drizzle loaded clouds.Lighting
The light in these situations is beyond important, it is everything. The cloud cover defused the usually harsh sunlight at this time of day, reducing contrast and helping the overall tonality. This helps avoid having to deal with blown out highlights, the most common lighting problem on a sunny day.Equipment
I took this image using Sony NEX-5R with Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, without filters, handheld. This lens and body make a very versatile combination, being small, light, easy to carry while still optically competent.Inspiration
The scene had a sense of grandeur and radiated the celebration of nature, something we city slickers don’t have an opportunity to see every day.Editing
Not a lot. Dogging and burning, in some bright areas of the sky and lifting shadows a little bit. But tonality was quite even and subdued, giving the image a sense of serenity.In my camera bag
I usually carry my Nikon D7100 with Nikkor 18-200mm walk-around lens. I also have Tokina 11-16mm and Tokina 100mm Macro lens. Also I carry several filters, a polarizer and few NDs on the side. Sometimes I take my Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 to some of my trips, although I wouldn’t describe myself as a committed tripod photographer.Feedback
If you see something interesting take a shot straight away, in a case the scene changes. After that you can work your way into it. Come close to the subject, try different angles and orientation while exploring your way to the final composition.
