shutterchemistry
FollowSometimes the Worst Weather Makes The best Shot.
If you like my work, you can follow me on Instagram @shutterchemistry
Recipe Behind t...
Read more
Sometimes the Worst Weather Makes The best Shot.
If you like my work, you can follow me on Instagram @shutterchemistry
Recipe Behind the Shot:
Three hours of wait for downpour to stop.
No telephoto lens to compress distance.
(Shot with Canon 100 mm Macro)
4 degree outside temperature.
Constant Spray of ice cold water.
A patient wife, agreeing to wait while I kept perfecting the composition.
Benefit of Worst Weather:
Less or almost no crowd, at one of the most popular place in Iceland.
Moody Atmosphere.
Lesson Learnt by Me:
No weather is bad weather.
Learn to Adapt and move on. :)
Read less
If you like my work, you can follow me on Instagram @shutterchemistry
Recipe Behind the Shot:
Three hours of wait for downpour to stop.
No telephoto lens to compress distance.
(Shot with Canon 100 mm Macro)
4 degree outside temperature.
Constant Spray of ice cold water.
A patient wife, agreeing to wait while I kept perfecting the composition.
Benefit of Worst Weather:
Less or almost no crowd, at one of the most popular place in Iceland.
Moody Atmosphere.
Lesson Learnt by Me:
No weather is bad weather.
Learn to Adapt and move on. :)
Read less
Views
31912
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Legendary Award
2020 Choice Award
Contest Finalist in An Unforgettable Adventure Photo Contest
Top Shot Award
Contest Finalist in Shutter Speed Experiments Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in People And Waterfalls Photo Contest
Runner Up in Anything Water Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Beautiful Waterfalls Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in My Best Shot Photo Contest Vol 2
Contest Finalist in Falling Water Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Image of the Year Photo Contest 2016
Contest Finalist in Clash Of The Lites Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Composing with Colors Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Patterns And People Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Right Down The Middle Photo Contest
Featured
Runner Up in World Expeditions Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Earth Day 2016 Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in World Expeditions Photo Contest
Spring Selection Award
Contest Finalist in Show Movement Photo Contest
People's Choice in Resource Travel Inspiration Photo Contest vol2
Winner in Alone in a famous place Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Force Of Nature Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Resource Travel Inspiration Photo Contest vol2
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Love it
Genius
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Categories
WildSeascapes
December 16, 2015
Totally agree photography can really come alive when the weather turns for the worse! Rain jackets at the ready.
vsidles
January 19, 2016
Good Lord, Man! This may be THE most spectacular "landscape" scene I've ever laid eyes on!!! The others in this contest are great, but this is sheer GENIUS! Congratulations on the finalist award and good luck with the win! This leaves me breathless!!
Hopia79
January 20, 2016
I like ingredient "a patient wife, agreeing to wait while I kept perfecting the composition"! :-) This is one of the most profound shots I have seen in a long time. Congratulations!
BrianaK
January 28, 2016
Absolutely stunning. I love the raw emotion and cascades. Also, the effect of shutter speed you used is fantastic. Definitely want to see more of your work.
shutterchemistry
February 03, 2016
Apology for the late reply due to some personal reasons. Thanks a lot for the wonderful inputs and appreciation!
JamesChisholmPhotography
February 08, 2016
Absolutely stunning shot! The texture of the falling water is spectacular! Well done
Aerodaisy
February 12, 2016
Amazing shot! Your wife also deserves and award for wearing red, it really makes it that much more stunning.
BOULENGER
February 13, 2016
viewbug.com/challenge/alone-in-a-famous-place-photo-challenge-by-boulenger
I would be happy if you could join my first challenge, "Alone in a famous place". Thank you in advance :)
I would be happy if you could join my first challenge, "Alone in a famous place". Thank you in advance :)
AlainaAbplanalp
February 13, 2016
I love the contrast between the red sweatshirt and the water. This photograph truly captures how small we are in comparison to the magnificence of nature. It also reminds me of older paintings of sublime landscapes. Incredible composition, color palette, and dedication!
shutterchemistry
March 03, 2016
Thank you all for all the love and appreciation! I am really touched.
CameronCorner
March 21, 2016
I think this is one of my favourite photographs on the web. Well done. I love the recipe of how you came to take this photo. It's fabulous.
BOULENGER
March 24, 2016
Your are the winner of my challenge "alone in a famous place". It is really an outstanding shot ! Congrats !!!
kevinschr
April 08, 2016
Absolutely amazing! I love the Humor, the energy and the colours, for me one of the best pictures here.
stanislavkhatsevich
April 08, 2016
Fantastic shot. Totally agree with others that this is really something special and unforgettable. Congrats!
kathyk_abq
April 09, 2016
Fantastic shot - so full of power. I love Skogafoss - most beautiful waterfall I've ever seen! I think the weather is usually bad there!
rubenelias14
April 11, 2016
I'm so amazed by this picture! I totally want to go there and see that wonder of God's creation! amazing picture!!
shutterchemistry
April 13, 2016
Thanks everyone once again for the overwhelming response.
Special thanks to everyone who voted for me to win!!!!
Special thanks to everyone who voted for me to win!!!!
sunils
May 20, 2016
This is the best photo i've seen of this place. There are numerous taken by far with milky water but this one is so different and such amazing creativity!! Great job!!
shutterchemistry
May 22, 2016
I am glad you find my composition unique. Its music to my ears. Thanks!
cashd13
May 21, 2016
I truly love the splash of pink that was added in to this mostly blue photo. The sharp texture of the rock it really compliments the blurry water. This is a stunning photo all around good job.
helencurtis
June 15, 2016
This is just...amazing! Definitely worth the wait! So well done...to you, AND the wife! :-)
nlhammondphotography
June 28, 2016
Fantastic shot!! I can see why it's won many awards! The color of her jacket..not sure if that was on purpose or not but it really helps make this shot stand out!
shutterchemistry
July 02, 2016
The Red Hoodie was part of the plan :). But to be honest, i had not thought, the hint of red would make such a big statement.
shutterchemistry
July 02, 2016
Thank you for the apprciation! I am so happy you took out the time to read the story.
staceestracnerseverino
July 23, 2016
Well worth the wait wouldn't you say? Amazing shot! Amazing capture! Thank you so much for sharing it.
InnateArtist
August 12, 2016
Yes, this is indeed a fabulous shot! I would never have thought to use my Canon 100mm Macro L Series Lens to achieve this kind of shot! Amazing! Have you used a 100mm before for a landscape of this sort?
It certainly achieved a different perspective that I have seen before.
Great capture!
It certainly achieved a different perspective that I have seen before.
Great capture!
shutterchemistry
August 17, 2016
I have used the macro lens for few occasions. Actually I also love the results I get with my Macro Lens. Another one of such example is the panorama on my Profile.
Yacoub
October 14, 2016
I love the composition and the contrast between the character standing centre and the background. What were you thinking when you took this shot? Is this guy trying to hold conversation with the other him(Soul /Spirit) or just overwhelmed with the wonders of nature. What's your story? Effective use of centre as against the rule of third. Great work
KatieMcKinneyPhotography
November 10, 2016
This is incredible! LOVE your composition, well done!!! Congrats on all your awards! ~Katie
mscaletta92
February 22, 2017
Amazing story, and yes looking at this beautiful photograph.. Shows how marvelously small we are in comparison to nature.. You nailed it!!! Awesome work (:
jleighkelley
June 11, 2018
This is just amazing! Nice work....really gives a sense of perspective about nature v. humans. This may be one of the best waterfall images I have seen. Spectacular!!
mikebailey
June 26, 2018
Join the conversation. Add a comment or even better, a critique. Let's get better together!
joediduca
February 05, 2019
This is a f-ing MASTER photograph and a true example of why I got into the discipline in the first place! Wonderful, thank you for sharing!!
catherinesaville
April 21, 2019
Just love this image more, every time I see it! Congratulations on all your recognition, which is very well deserved!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken at Skógafoss, Iceland. Skógafoss is a waterfall situated on the Skógá River in southern Iceland at the cliffs of the former coastline. GPS Location: 63°31'55" N 19°30'43" W Interesting Fact: Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow is normally visible on sunny days.Time
This photo was taken amidst a rainy day.Lighting
Being a rainy day, the lighting was quite flat with a grey and overcast sky. The cloud formation was not impressive enough to be added as a compositional element. So I decided to go for a detailed shot, to give the viewer a mood of the shooting scene. I also added the human element to create a sense of scale, and demonstrate how tiny we are in front of nature. Skogafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland. A huge amount of water gushes down the mountain from a height greater than 200ft. The volume of water creates a constant spray, making shooting difficult. However, on a positive note, the water vapour creates a very misty scene and on a good sunny day, a single or double rainbow is normally visible at this location.Equipment
I did not have a telephoto lens to shoot this frame. So i had to make the best use of what was available. In this case, it was my Canon 100mm F 2.8 macro lens. Camera Info: Canon 60D Canon 100mm F 2.8 Macro USM Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod Shot at: IS0 250, 1/100 Sec , F 9.0Inspiration
In short, the odds that were stacked against me inspired me to take this shot. I have been to Iceland twice and Skogafoss is one of my favorite locations to shoot. On my first trip, I had planned half a day for the location. When I arrived, we were greeted with the famous Icelandic storm. It did not take long to realize, we did not stand a chance against nature. Unfortunately I did not get the shots I had planned for Skogafoss, and I left Iceland with a heavy heart. Though I was not so lucky with the weather, Iceland captivated me as a landscape photographer. 2 years on when I returned to the location, to my bad luck, the situation was not too different. However, these two years had changed my prospective a lot as a photographer. I had invested a lot of time in understanding light, composition and honing my post-processing skills. In other words I was little more ready to challenge my creativity, with what the weather had to offer. Also with a bit more knowledge about the Icelandic weather, I had planned for a full day at this location. Just hoping, even if I loose the sunset, I will still have a sunrise to shoot. I remember reaching there in the afternoon on a dull and rainy day. I tried to take a couple of shots, but the light was really bad. I failed to achieve anything that I had in my mind, and returned to the hotel disappointed. The weather forecast for next day was not too promising, and I was slowly loosing confidence of capturing anything amazing. Though I knew chances were slim, I was still reluctant to accept that I have to leave empty handed second time in a row. Months of planning and preparation were about to be wasted in front my very eyes and that did not let me sleep well that night. I got up early morning for a sunrise shot and as soon as I opened the window, I realized, my worst fears had come true. It felt like the weather was conspiring against me. Somehow the disappointment of loosing both the sunrise and sunset windows, made me all the more resilient. I was not ready to give up anymore and was determined not to leave the location empty handed. I decided to wait till noon, so my wife and I drove to the spot to take the weather head on. It rained continuously for three hours before I got a small window of 15 minutes to capture this shot. However, this three hour confinement in my car, gave me enough time to plan the shot. Apart from the weather, the biggest challenge was to come up with a creative composition for this over popular location. I did not have a telephoto lens, so I used my 100mm Macro lens to compress distance on this occasion. I also decided to add a human element to create a sense of scale. I had purchased two new hoodies for my trip and I thought the red one would compliment the dark and gloomy scene really well. As soon as the rain stopped, me and my wife, both ran out of the car to capture the moment. We were quite confident that next round of downpour was just around the corner. I set up my camera quickly and ran into the frame to pose as a model. With a bit of help from my partner in crime, I managed to centre myself in the frame. My wife was quite happy being upgraded to a photographer from a tour assistant, and with her click of the shutter we finally captured our most successful photograph.Editing
Basic Exposure, contrast adjustments using Lightroom. Then some Dodging and Burning in Photoshop. Finally a bit of colour correction and sharpening.In my camera bag
Though I agree that latest equipment and technology can give an edge, I feel they are not the main ingredients of a killer shot. I have the below in my camera bag: Canon 60D with 18-55mm Kit Lens. Sigma 10-20mm F/4-5.6 EX DC HSM (Wide Angle) Canon 100mm F2.8 Macro USM Canon 50mm F1.8 Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod with 496RC2 BallHead Lee Little Stopper Capture One Pro 2.0 Camera Clip Remote Shutter Release CableFeedback
Lessons learnt by me: Plan for the best and be prepared for the worst. Never give up and be creative with whats on offer. Tips for shooting at Skogafoss: On a sunny day, single or double rainbow is common, which can be used as a compositional element to add drama. On a rainy day, look for reflections of waterfall in small puddles. Shoot from a low angle to include the entire scene. Walk up to the top of the waterfall using the stairs and shoot down to get a different prospective.