Arch Rock Mackinac Island by Kathleen Scanlan
Arch Rock is a natural formation located on Mackinac Island in upper Michigan. The clear blue waters of Lake Huron make a very picturesque view that many a hik...
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Arch Rock is a natural formation located on Mackinac Island in upper Michigan. The clear blue waters of Lake Huron make a very picturesque view that many a hiker of the island Arch trail get to see for free. A simple bike ride around the 3.8 square mile island will bring the seeker to this Arch where Mother Nature puts on a beautiful show.
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Jan, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken on Mackinaw Island in Upper Michigan, USA. This is a natural formation is located on the far side of the island and a 3.5 bicycle ride will bring you to the entrance of the hiking area to get to the top of the hill for this view. Lake Huron is in the background and I was fortunate to capture this image on a beautiful, clear day when the sky blended quite nicely with the water, blurring the line of where the water ends and the sky begins.Time
Early afternoon. The sun was just off to my right as the shadow on the "bridge" indicates.Lighting
I liked having the sun just off my right side as it gave a bit of depth to the shot. Had I taken it when the sun was overhead, there would have been little shadow and the shot would have been flat.Equipment
I used a Canon Tsi, handheld, no flash, with an ISO of 100, speed of 1/160, and aperture of f8. The lens was set at 18mm.Inspiration
I enjoy taking photos with the natural "window" look. I think it draws the viewer into the shot but also gives it an interesting "frame". Lake Huron is beautiful with its clear blue water and I wanted to show how the sky almost matched the color of the water. So I used the "bridge" to show the distinction of where water ended and the sky began.Editing
In post-processing, I cropped the image a bit to take out some distractions on the sides and bottom. I also upped the contrast just a bit to bring out the blues and greens.In my camera bag
I usually carry spare lenses. They comprise of a 28mm, a 18-135mm, and a 55-250mm. Recently I upgraded to a Canon 70D model have kept my Canon T5i as it has programs that I like which the 70D does not have. Also, I make sure I have cleaning equipment for my lenses, a plastic bag cover for the camera incase of rain or I am on a boat that might have potential wave splash action. Lost a camera once because I was not prepared for water! Extra batteries are a must as well as several extra memory cards. Usually I carry 8G and 16G cards as spares. A battery recharger of course is a necessity for long trips. And I don't leave home without the camera book. With all the new technology in cameras today, it can come in handy when the brain has a freeze and needs a little push to remember how to do something in camera.Feedback
When I first started taking photographs many years ago, I didn't want to take "that shot" that everyone takes. My goal was to find a different angle, different light, perspective, etc. I wanted the viewer to be captivated by the subject matter. So, today, whenever I look at a scene, I think "what would make this better than a snapshot"? Then I look through the viewfinder making sure the four corners have covered everything I want and then move around the scene with the camera up to my eye until I "see" what I want to take. This can include bending down, standing on tiptoe or even tilting the camera. For this shot, I bent down until I had the perspective I wanted. I make sure I had enough edge around the photo incase I need to crop out anything my eye did not catch (the camera tends to see more than the eye). And most important, I make sure the lighting is where I want it. In this case, having it off to the right gave just enough shade to give depth and bring out the detail of the rock formation. Moving around to capture the shot can throw off the balance a bit, especially if there are other people around and you need to take the shot before they step in front of the camera! With all the new programs out there for post processing, I don't worry too much about tilting as long as it isn't way off in the shot. Post processing will take care of that very easily. One thing I would say is very important to capturing that amazing moment is to train your eye to look "around" in the viewfinder instead of immediately focusing on the center. You would be amazed at how it improves your thought process of just what you want in a photo, where you want the subject matter to be and how much better your final shot will turn out.
