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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the Split Rock State Park north of Two Harbors, MN. Its a great destination any time of year to enjoy Lake Superior and some wonderful views.Time
This was taken on December 31st, 2013 at 9:30 am in the morning. A friend and I had got to this location for sunrise on what was an extremely cold morning (-20F) to try and capture the "sea smoke" on Lake Superior.Lighting
For outdoor landscape work the only thing I can say on lighting is get out there early and take advantage of the sweet morning light right after sunrise.Equipment
This was shot on a Nikon D800, 70-200/F2.8 lens at 200mm, on a Gitzo tripod. The ISO was 50, aperture was F/11 and the exposure time was 15 seconds.Inspiration
I was out on this cold December morning with a friend, we had the goal of capturing the "sea smoke" coming off the relatively warm water of Lake Superior as compared to the cold air temperature of -20F. Lots of people had been all around Duluth taking photos so we went up the shore to Split Rock State Park for a different view at sunrise. This was one of the last photos I shot after the sun had come up as I liked the way the sun light had lit the light house, brightened the ice and added a glow to the mist over the lake.Editing
I do most of my work in Lightroom. The photos from this morning were imported and then I ranked those I was going to work on. For this particular photo I adjusted the white balance, brought up the exposure, contrast, shadows, and white while decreasing the blacks. Clarity was applied along with a small touch of vibrance. From there I used the graduated filter to bring back the exposure in the sky. I finished off by applying a crop to remove what I felt was a bit too much negative space.In my camera bag
What's in my bag depends on if I'm headed out to shoot during the day or a night. During the day I'll have my D800 and a D810A as my camera bodies. I'll bring along my Nikon 16-35, 24-70, 105 macro and my 70-200 for lens. I usually have one or two flashes (SB-800/900). From there are filters: polarizing, neutral density, split neutral density. I always have shutter release cables/remotes and lots of memory cards. For a tripod I'll have my Gitzo tripod with my ball head from Really Right Stuff.Feedback
First of all dress warm! Along Lake Superior it takes an extremely cold morning for this display to occur. Secondly, get out early, you want to take advantage of the amazing light just after sunrise that give the mist a glowing ethereal affect. After that find a composition you love, its one of those times you just have to get out and experiment as the mist can be different depending on what direction you look and how its being lit.