Lake Superior squall

Gallery: LandscapePosted February 26, 2011174 views9 comments

This is an image I captured back in September 2008 of a late afternoon squall over Lake Superior. The warm colors of the sand and the sky are what caught my eye. I'm not thrilled with the position of the horizon but I haven't settled on a different composition that I like better. Feedback appreciated as always. Large image posted.

D200, Nikon 18-200 VR @ 20mm, 1/8 sec @ f/11, ISO 100, probably a CPL.

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on February 26, 2011 at 12:37 PM

I do like the warm colors of both. I'm wishing the water was a little brighter, but that's probably not a valid expectation with the dark clouds. Oops, I just looked at the larger version and the light on the water is perfect for the conditions. Some nice raw power shown here. Really nice work.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Stough on February 26, 2011 at 1:18 PM

A very dynamic scene with some spectacular storm light. I think the 50/50 split is fine for this shot and overall processing looks pretty good for such a wide DR. Might try lightening the mid-tones a bit as the contrast seems a little too hard but this is quite a nice shot just as it is.

Registered on November 20, 2010, 26 Posts, 273 Comments

Comment posted by Jason Kim on February 26, 2011 at 5:07 PM

Some very nice stormy light, I think this works pretty well as a dark and dramatic scene.

Registered on July 1, 2006, 60 Posts, 1233 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on February 26, 2011 at 6:22 PM

A very moody piece. The golden light is perfect. Contrast in the clouds is a little strong, as Robert said, the I think the piece is powerful enough to absorb that. Great image

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on February 26, 2011 at 6:48 PM

Wow, You really captured some dramatic condition here, Matthew. I'm a big Lake Superior fan and really enjoyed looking at the large version of this.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on February 26, 2011 at 9:12 PM

Very dramatic light, Matthew. Never even really noticed the centered horizon until you mentioned it.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Haxby on February 26, 2011 at 11:18 PM

The sky is what makes this image for me. Maybe crop some from the bottom to give emphasis to the sky. I spend a lot of time near Lake Superior in the UP of Michigan and well appreciate the good fortune to capture these conditions. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on July 6, 2006, 126 Posts, 647 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on February 27, 2011 at 9:09 AM

Matthew, you could also call it "Breaking the Rules", as you prove that a centered horizon may offer a tremendous composition! I would suggest to lighten up the shadowsa bit at least in the the lower half.

An outstanding capture of the atmosphere!

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by Rodrigo Sandoval on February 28, 2011 at 4:39 PM

Matthew,
Outstanding scene, very dramatic and you were able to capture the mood perfectly. I also agreed that the 50/50 horizontal composition works perfectly here, and just IMHO I think the shot could benefit from a bit more brighter tone. Anyway, fantastic capture!

Registered on April 4, 2009, 13 Posts, 254 Comments