A Breathtaking Reflection at Lake Matheson
Taken from Reflection Island Lookout at Lake Matheson
Taken from Reflection Island Lookout at Lake Matheson
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Apr, 2020Views
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Contender in the Photography Awards
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Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
New Zealand is a photographer's fantasy land. The same location looks so different based on the light in the day, cloud formations in sky and night views. Lake Matheson walk is an amazing 1 hr 30 mins walk around the lake. There are 3 main lookouts around the lake - the Jetty viewpoint, Views of the View and Reflection Island. To see and capture the true mirror like reflection, its best to visit such lakes at dawn or dusk. One also needs mother nature's help - by ensuring there is zero wind and no ripples in the water to see the perfect reflection. This photo was taken from the Reflection Island Lookout at Lake Matheson, Fox Glacier - New Zealand.Time
I was to leave town by 10am in the morning of 31st Aug and our hotel was approximately 45-55 mins away from this lake. After ensuring that I had packed everything and putting kids to bed, I set my clock at 11pm on 30th Aug to wake up at 4.30am on 31st Aug to reach the lake by 6am. With my headlamp and gear loaded on my back, I started my walk around this lake at approximately around 0600 hrs. This photo was taken just after sunrise on 31 August 2018 around 0757hrs.Lighting
I was quite late to the site but it was still dark-ish. I made my way through all the lookouts and in between the lookouts to get that spot on reflection all while ensuring to not make much noise. The ducks were awake and had started swimming through the lake distorting the reflections. At that point of time I was regretful of not waking up early enough to be at the walk by 5am. Finally reached Reflection Island and boy was I surprised. First light had occurred over the snow clad Mt Tasman and Mt Cook in the background and the foreground was beautifully lit giving me the glimpse of the true mirror reflection of the trees. For a few seconds I could not believe my eyes of what I was seeing and I'm sure I skipped a heartbeat because nature gave me a beautifully balanced landscape . The view was just mind blowing and amazing. The view with clean fresh air and a little background noise of the birds almost felt heaven like and so peaceful. I soaked it all in for a few seconds and then slowly got my gear out to capture this perfectly lit landscape before the ducks woke up and started their morning chores.Equipment
Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm lens was used on a Manfrotto Ball Head Tripod. Remote Shutter Release. Shot & Processed in RAW format only.Inspiration
To be honest I knew I wanted to get that perfect mirror reflection image at one of the lakes in New Zealand. I had a good feeling when I had arrived at site. I was tired due to lack of sleep but I was energised by the air in this place. Once I started walking around the lake and how it was laid out, I sort of knew what elements I wanted to capture - the snow clad Mt Tasman and Mt Cook and the mirror finish of the lake. I have many more photos from the other lookouts but they are not as good as this composition. I think the first light made a lot of difference giving me ideas on how I could use that light to show the mountains, the golden trees and that thin crisp edge between true image and reflection. Notice how the golden trees have a descending height from right to left leading to the mountains :)Editing
For landscape I usually take HDR images which are Shot & Processed in RAW format only. Each HDR images is made up of 5 images which are processed in Photomatix to get the right balance from RAW images.. This image is a combination of 3x HDR images to form a panoramic image which would suit this composition and provide the same effect of the depth that I had when I saw it in real life.In my camera bag
I keep my camera bag as simple as possible. Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm lens + Samyang 14mm f/2 along with a Manfrotto Ball Head Tripod. Generic branch wireless remote shutter release Battery Grip and couple of spare batteries Hand warmers and a cloth to wrap them in and then wrap that cloth around the lens - cheapest way to avoid condensation :) Lens Pen Couple of absolutely dry camera tissues Headlamp with Red and White LEDsFeedback
Patience, Persistence and know your gear. Don't be afraid to try different settings. Workout what your gear can do best and what it can't.
