close iframe icon
approved icon bryanlwilliams avatar
bryanlwilliams
Calm
Banner

Calm



behind the lens badge

A small boat in the morning sun, floating on water like a sheet of glass.

A small boat in the morning sun, floating on water like a sheet of glass.
Read less
cameraCanon EOS 5D Mark III

settings Aperture 8/1 ISO 200 Shutter 1/400 Focal Length 200/1 

upload_dateJun, 2016

Views

6246

Likes

Awards

Action Award
Chatter Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in The Shades Of Blue Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Perfect Reflections Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in The Minimalist Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Water Photo Contest 2017
Contest Finalist in Isolating The Subject Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
  View more
Peer Award
JoaoLavadinho davidjprosser TonyGuzmanG afonsochabyrosa Vorster Lilakate Shootbug +371
Superb Composition
janetwww coltpelagio mstuckey7 trungtruong jamesnelms DanieTerblanche 5thGatePhotography +135
Absolute Masterpiece
josantonionuezdiaz Jhewitt1954 Fredfoto azur65 DayB domenika amanciocouto_0073 +84
Top Choice
richardeaton_9707 tygjnjn Giulia89 valentin79 meghanjewett davidhynes thatunicorngal +66
Outstanding Creativity
Samvanzandt3 expresslawyers megankittel smile143 bu6alal Hood acdalton09 +39
Magnificent Capture
cindiwalters_7260 h2odean NayNyoChan EsmaralduS Free-Spirit FrancoisHorne shellymaan +17
All Star
MIsabel NoDem peterburu PeterEvans23 Anomaly1 roblawrence robryck +12
Genius
fredflintstoneh ChrisBPhotography debhall daydreamsbymary0710 Shyon PopescuSergiuValentin embas +2
Superior Skill
Jonvandaal thomasdanyluk DuffyDoherty vladimirvasilyev Mganon chrispisuk
Virtuoso
WAWArtfulPhotography Confalonieri

Emotions

Impressed
mariaclaramernesruffinelli DaniloRosiniImages nicken jennymmiller EsmaralduS antluv78 AMViley_Photography +19
Happy
DuffyDoherty
Relaxed
tommarantette larssaar

Top Ranks

The Photo Art ProjectTop 10 rank
The Photo Art ProjectTop 10 rank week 1
Creative Boundaries Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
Inspired By The World Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Inspired By The World Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
View more
The Swag Image ProjectTop 10 rank
Reflections On Lakes Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Reflections On Lakes Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Picturing Negative Space Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Picturing Negative Space Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
The Shades Of Blue Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Shades Of Blue Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
artFix Exhibition ProjectTop 10 rank
artFix Exhibition ProjectTop 10 rank week 1
The Minimalist Marketplace ProjectTop 10 rank
Perfect Reflections Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Perfect Reflections Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank
The Minimalist Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Minimalist Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 6Top 10 rank week 1
The Colors Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Colors Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Stillness Photo ContestTop 10 rank
World Photography Day Photo Contest 2018Top 10 rank
World Photography Day Photo Contest 2018Top 10 rank week 2
World Photography Day Photo Contest 2018Top 10 rank week 1
Anything Water Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Anything Water Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Everything Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Everything Nature Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
The Talent AwardsTop 10 rank
Zen Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Zen Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Once Upon A Time Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Once Upon A Time Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
World Photography Day Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Water Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank
Water Photo Contest 2017Top 10 rank week 1
The Beauty Of Lakes And Rivers Photo ContestTop 10 rank
The Beauty Of Lakes And Rivers Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
The Beauty Of Lakes And Rivers Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1
Isolating The Subject Photo ContestTop 10 rank
Our Natural World Photo ContestTop 30 rank
My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 1Top 30 rank
Clash Of The Lites Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Clash Of The Lites Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 2
Clash Of The Lites Photo ContestTop 10 rank week 1

Categories

27 Comments |
mariajoocastro
 
mariajoocastro October 22, 2016
Wonderful!
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams November 04, 2016
Thank you Maria!
HarrieMuis
 
HarrieMuis February 22, 2017
lovely indeed-perfect serenity
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams February 22, 2017
Thank you!
Franz
 
Franz February 22, 2017
minimalism in perfection
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams February 22, 2017
Thank you Franz!
teewhyell
 
teewhyell February 22, 2017
Absolutely brilliant!
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams February 22, 2017
Thank you!
rindygeorge
 
rindygeorge February 25, 2017
I just adore the perfect simplicity of this photo! Beautiful shot!
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams March 19, 2017
Thank you!
Witmar
 
Witmar March 22, 2017
excellent picture
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams March 23, 2017
Thank you Witmar
CarpeDeeM
 
CarpeDeeM April 11, 2017
What a shot! To capture such vivid colours yet simultaneously contain the mood to one of serenity is masterful. Congratulations on your finalist placing and best of luck in the judging.
FlatFeet56
 
FlatFeet56 April 11, 2017
Just gorgeous color & light, well done.
debbiemilner PRO+
 
debbiemilner April 11, 2017
Water like glass
KaelSaxen
 
KaelSaxen April 11, 2017
It's so peaceful. I love it!
jvillainc Platinum
 
jvillainc April 11, 2017
So pure and simple - I love it - congratulations on your finalist award!
Fused_Elements Ultimate
 
Fused_Elements April 12, 2017
Stunning!
kjfishman
 
kjfishman April 14, 2017
Proof less is more!
evergreen1116 PRO+
 
evergreen1116 April 15, 2017
Simple,,, yet complex. Superb image captured so beautifully!
lindathomasBAhons
 
lindathomasBAhons April 16, 2017
Sometimes a photo just stands out and you have to stop in wonderment - this was my moment with your photograph
gazza60
 
gazza60 April 19, 2017
that is one amazing photo
NatureLoverJJWal
 
NatureLoverJJWal May 31, 2017
Spectacular. Congratulations on your award!
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams June 01, 2017
Thank you Gigi!
Lobsterandskittles
 
Lobsterandskittles June 07, 2017
I love this so much!!! Probably one of my favorite photos I've ever seen
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams June 07, 2017
Thanks! It's one of my favorites too!
kathyk_abq
 
kathyk_abq June 13, 2017
Minimalism at its best!
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams June 14, 2017
Thank you Kathy!
MaryAnne306 PRO+
 
MaryAnne306 June 15, 2017
Beautifully done minimalist photo! Congratulations on your awards.
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams June 19, 2017
Thank you very much MaryAnne!
acglock Platinum
 
acglock July 09, 2017
Love the Behind the Lens background for this magnificent image. Hope the rest of your day was just as beautiful!
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams July 09, 2017
Thank you! The rest of my day was good, but I must admit that this was most definitely the highlight of the day.1
Alwolfe Platinum
 
Alwolfe October 16, 2017
Absolutely stunning!
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams November 14, 2017
Thank you!
RachieBachie
 
RachieBachie December 01, 2017
LOVE this!
MaryAnne306 PRO+
 
MaryAnne306 August 05, 2019
A lovely simplicity, beautifully done. Congratulations on being a finalist!
wayneobald
 
wayneobald August 05, 2019
Great composition
peterdayton
 
peterdayton November 18, 2019
Beautiful
davidhynes
 
davidhynes August 29, 2020
Stunning!
bryanlwilliams
bryanlwilliams August 29, 2020
Thank you!

Submitted to Photo Contests

Tags

#boat #water #lake #golden #golden hour #blue #calm #serene
See all

Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at a small lake in North Central Florida, within walking distance from my office.

Time

It was in the morning in early June, just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. There was absolutely no wind and the sky was a gorgeous clear blue. Just a few minutes later, the sunlight was becoming harsh and the magic was gone.

Lighting

The sun was just above the horizon, casting a beautiful golden glow. It truly was the "golden hour".

Equipment

This shot was taken with a Canon 5D Mark III, and a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 lens. Handheld, no tripod. I was travelling light.

Inspiration

I like to take a walk by the lake before I head into the office, to get the day off to a positive start. I find that it calms my mind, body, and spirit and truly makes a difference in my day. On this particular morning, the sky was blue, the water like glass, and the sunlight golden. I was totally at peace in that moment and this picture completely captures that mood.

Editing

I post-processed the photo in Lightroom CC. The image was cropped slightly to improve the composition. I added contrast, dropped the highlights and raised the shadows just a bit. I bumped up the vibrance and added a little clarity (but not too much). I finished by running a sharpening brush over the boat to separate it a bit more from the background.

In my camera bag

I always carry my trusty Canon 5D III and two or three lenses, depending on what I'm shooting. I primarily shoot landscape and until very recently always packed a Canon 24-105 f4L. It's a good all-around lens. I now have a Canon 16-35 f2.8L, which works much better for landscapes and night photography as well. I also never leave home without my Sigma 70-200 f2.8 EX DG OS telephoto zoom, the lens I used for this shot. I love the contrasty look and the bokeh of the Sigma. I like to do long exposure and HDR, so I carry my MeFoto Roadtrip tripod. It's a very light, portable, yet sturdy tripod. Add 10 stop ND filters and a remote shutter release for the long exposures. I also have a TriggerTrap Mobile that allows me to control the shutter with my phone or iPad. It's great for HDR, long exposure and timelapse.

Feedback

I have taken several photos of this same boat over the years. Most of them were good, but just didn't have that "special something" that really grabs your attention. I was either there at the wrong time of day or simply too impatient to wait for better light.If you take a shot and it looks bland or boring or the light isn't quite right, do yourself a favor and don't give up on the shot. Wait for a while and watch the light. It WILL change. If you don't have time, go back and try again on another day. You can get some fantastic shots during "golden hour", but remember the light can change quickly. It might be called the golden "hour", but many times, that "awesome" light (you know, where you can practically hear the angels sing) only lasts minutes or even seconds. Arrive early, plan your shot and wait for the light. The one thing I'm still learning is that patience and persistence pay off. Don't just snap a shot and move on.

See more amazing photos, follow bryanlwilliams

User photo
It’s your time to shine! ☀️

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Already a member? Log In

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, and acknowledge you've read our Privacy Policy Notice.