uglyduckling

Photo

SONY ILCE-7M3

settings

Aperture f/22 ISO 200 Shutter 1/25 Focal Length 190/10

upload_date

Jun, 2019

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920

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+166

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+16

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PRO+

wow.Lovely shot!

Nice mountain scene, love the reflection.

See all

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Behind The Lens

Location

On the remote Arctic island of Senja, off the west coast of Norway, the jagged peaks of this dramatic rock formation were irresistible. Senja is sparsely populated but it is absolutely crowded with landscapes to die for! I called this shot "Wild Arctic" to reflect the remoteness of the location.

Time

Accessible only from a treacherous stretch of frozen shoreline, we needed spikes on our boots to stop us from sliding down the rocks into the icy waves. The last rays of the setting sun provided the ideal light to highlight the undulating shapes of the jaggy outcrop.

Lighting

A really low viewpoint was essential to capture the reflection of the mountains in the tidal pool that had conveniently been left behind by the receding tide. The live view monitor on my camera proved vital when composing the shot with the camera positioned a few inches above the frozen edge of the pool. Careful positioning of the camera was also essential to ensure the edges of the pool were contained within the frame, and provided gentle curves leading into the picture from both sides.

Equipment

This was shot with a Sony A7iii with Canon 16- 35mm set to 19mm. 1/25th sec @ f22 with ISO 200. A Metabones adaptor proved satisfactory in couplling the Canon glass to the Sony although it does take a Sony lense to deliver the full range of features available from the Sony camera. The rocks were extremely slippery with access to water level restricted by nearby rocks and making the use of a tripod very difficult. I honestly cannot remember whether I managed to use a tripod for this particular shot or not. I certainly remember trying!

Inspiration

We visited Senja with the sole purpose of capturing exciting shots of landscapes that were well off the beaten track and little photographed before. The weather was fortunately kind to us with lots of snowstorms capping the mountains and showing off the various features of the island's diverse scenery. Intermittent gently falling snow, driving blizzards and some excellent light seem to be the norm inside the Arctic Circle.

Editing

The foreground was a little dark in the original and bringing up the tonal range and exposure to lighten the edges of the rock pool helped greatly to add interest to this area of the picture. The mountain range however was always going to be the centre of attraction so I made sure it remained the brightest part and the star of the show.

In my camera bag

This was my first outing with the Sony mirrorless A7iii and it proved an excellent choice for landscape photos of this type. The Canon zooms I had with me on this trip have now mainly been replaced with Sony versions of similar lense types.

Feedback

Its really not a very sensible idea to try out your first Sony mirrorless camera in the testing conditions of the Arctic. Navigating the plethora of Sony menu options in a snowstorm can be difficult at the best of times but will likely prove impossible for a new user. Attempting to shoot the Aurora Borealis in Arctic darkness for the first time with a new camera is also likely to prove very frustrating. My advice would be to get yourself outside in the dark before you set out on your trip and practice lots to familiarise yourself with the camera's settings. Oh, and by the way, dont forget to wear gloves when you are practising!

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Behind The Lens

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