A Scene Seldom Seen

Gallery: LandscapePosted July 12, 2011266 views8 comments

A Scene Seldom Scene...

OK...I'm a wildlife shooter and know less than nothing about landscape shooting (especially compared to the amazing shooters who post in here)...so go easy on me!

For me photography is a very personal thing. Even though I regularly run photo tours (for wildlife shooting - NOT landscapes!!), when it comes to my own shooting I almost always prefer to work alone. This is particularly true when I'm shooting "landscapes" or "scenics" (which I do shoot!!) - I need to get in the right "headspace" and totally focus on the visual environment without any thought of what others are up to (or shooting, or thinking). I also like "finding" scenes that are way off the beaten path and may never have been photographed before. So, when I got a chance to visit some of the more remote nooks and crannies of the already remote Gwaii Haanas National Park off the west coast of British Columbia, I jumped at the chance! And, when our guide agreed to drop me off on an island alone for a few hours I was in seventh heaven! To me, wandering in the woods searching for images is the purest expression of freedom...

My personal preference in landscape shots leans AWAY from shots that employ heavy colour saturation and excessive HDR (high dynamic range) processing. So what gives with me shooting (and showing) this shot? Well...that's the beauty of Gwaii Haanas - the vegetation in the rainforest and the muted lighting provides SPECTACULAR colour. The vast majority of the colour and pop in this image are a function of exposure adjustments made to the single exposure and the use of a circular polarizing filter. I DID bump the saturation of the water surface (both the rocky foreground rapids and the calm pool) by 5% in Photoshop (in an effort to return the scene to what I witnessed in the field), but all other colours are not bumped up and as i recall them from the field.

Subject: Tranquil stream in rainforest
Location: Burnaby Island, Gwaii Haanas National Park and National Marine Reserve, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), BC, Canada
Camera: Nikon D3s
Lens: Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 lens at 27mm with B&W circular polarizing filter. Supported on carbon fibre Gitzo GT2541EX tripod and AcraTech Ultimate ballhead. Cable release and mirror-up release mode used.
Exposure: 3 sec at f16. ISO 200. -0.33 stop compensation from matrix metered exposure.
Crop: Very minor - this is about 90% of full-frame image

If anyone at all is interested, all my image capture and image processing errors are available for public viewing here:

http://www.naturalart.ca/galleries/latest/.

Comments and critiques welcomed - probably best to view the larger version prior to doing so - and don't forget I'm a wildlife guy!

Cheers...thanks for looking...

Brad

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on July 12, 2011 at 3:17 PM

The only thing to be hard on you about is your lack of posting here more frequently here This seems like a very personal comp from someone in touch with the environment their shooting with well-managed light and it looks good. So don't make me get on you again. Post here more often!

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on July 12, 2011 at 3:45 PM

Very nice Brad. You did a wonderful job with this landscape! I really enjoy the pool of still water with the reflected colors. Nice work. I know there is a bear in there somewhere, so I'll keep looking!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

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

Comment posted by Preston Birdwell on July 12, 2011 at 7:34 PM

Brad,

I'm with Tony--Post more often here! This is a nice shot. I like the composition and the lush greens. I do have a couple of suggestions, though. First, there looks to be a bit of a magenta cast in the whites of the water, although this could be due to the color of the stream bed. Second, there is a light gray snag in the background that grabs my eye. You might consider burning it down just a bit.

Overall, this a nice landscape image from a one of those "wildlife" guys!

Keep after it!

--P

Registered on November 1, 2003, 471 Posts, 5188 Comments

Comment posted by Paul Marcellini on July 12, 2011 at 7:37 PM

Has a very quiet peaceful feel to it. Good to see you in here. Looks like a small cast of purple to this.

Registered on November 27, 2007, 250 Posts, 2468 Comments

Comment posted by Kah Kit Yoong on July 12, 2011 at 9:37 PM

More than just a competent landscape, this is a beauty with a lovely contemplative feel.

Registered on September 27, 2006, 636 Posts, 10682 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on July 12, 2011 at 9:38 PM

Beautiful rich colors and great compositional elements. A wonderful image. Thanks for sharing

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

Comment posted by Michael J Greene, on July 12, 2011 at 11:03 PM

Well, it is certainly a professional shot Brad. The composition and processing are excellent. The way you captured the foreground and the sharpness of the trees in the background stand out. Personally, I think 3 seconds is a bit too long for the most aesthetic shutter speed for the water. In many cases, I prefer a half second to a second. Honestly, that's nit picking. The one thing that does jump out at me is the magenta color cast in the whites of the water. I prefer a more neutral grey. I hope this helps and looking forward to seeing more of your images on this forum.

Michael

Registered on June 18, 2009, 86 Posts, 2317 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on July 13, 2011 at 11:55 AM

This kind of serenity is why I can't get enough outdoors time. This is a beautiful image and I'd love to sit by this stream and watch and listen for hours.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments