Soft Waters #2
A calm evening by lake Vänern, May 3, 2022. I tested out my new ND32 filter for the first time. Loving how smooth the water becomes after 20 seconds, such a co...
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A calm evening by lake Vänern, May 3, 2022. I tested out my new ND32 filter for the first time. Loving how smooth the water becomes after 20 seconds, such a contrast with the sharp wood of the little pier.
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May, 2022Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken by Lake Vänern (one of the largest in Europe!) in the small city of Lidköping, west Sweden. There's a quite central small beach and pier where you can see the sun rise and set during summer, and during spring the evening skies can be glorious.Time
This was taken sometime around 9 p.m. on a pretty clear Tuesday evening in early May. I was testing out long shutter speeds + an ND filter on my camera for the first time, and wanted to utilize the dusk and its smooth light.Lighting
Here the natural light of the dusk gets to do the work through a long shutter speed - 20 seconds! The sun had already set behind the trees, leaving the lakeside wonderfully smooth with the indirect remaining light of the day before darkness struck. The wood of the pier gets this wonderful kind of glow, which really contrasts well with the smoothness and reflected light of the spring evening sky in the water. Indirect evening light is the best!Equipment
This is the work of my Canon M50 mark II, and I used a (rather unstable) tripod and my smartphone as a remote shutter through the Camera Connect app. I also tested out my new ND filter (Dörr, ND32) for the first time, being able to prolong the shutter time even more to see exactly how smooth the lake water could become. F22, 22", ISO 100, 83mm on a Canon EF-M 55-200mm lens + UV filter.Inspiration
This is one of many "test shots" from my evening out trying to learn more about what my little M50 could do with ND filters and long shutter speeds in semi-darkness. I thought I'd go to the lake and see how my camera would treat the water. I have discovered that I enjoy showing contrasts between materials/surfaces/textures a lot in photos, as well as trying to create something rather like a graphic print - where the lines and angles of the photo create an interesting composition. So this was really the result of me discovering my camera technically, and testing out motifs that I enjoy - something other that the more traditional landscapes that I otherwise enjoy!Editing
Not much done with this. I simply increased the brightness of this photo a tiny wee bit with the help of my smartphone's Gallery app, since I tend to shoot pretty dark photos. My old computer is currently down and I can't access my old copy of Photoshop, so currently what's on my Galaxy Note 9 will have to do!In my camera bag
Apart from the actual camera, I bring along the only two EF-M lenses that I have - the Canon 18-45mm and the Canon 55-200mm. I love closeups and tele shoots, so I usually go for the 55-200. The UV filters are always on for protection, and since I received them last week, my ND32 filter also comes with together with an old polarisation filter from my old camera + my recently acquired steprings so I can use all filters with all lenses. Also - of course - a microfiber cloth to clean the lenses! Dustspecks are a pain.Feedback
Dusk with indirect light is your friend! Be somewhere the sun can't be seen in the evening or stay until after sunset, when the sky still carries light but without the sun. Bring your tripod, find a cool line between water and land, do your composition, and let those seconds go by to smooth out the water. Bring an ND filter if you need to - I LOVE my ND 32 and will probably get more, a lighter and an even darker one. And do lots of testing! Maybe one photo out of a hundred will be one that you are content with, but the other 99 are good practice! (Also, bring snacks and warm clothes if your May evenings can become suddenly chilly, like in Sweden...)
