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elljaysan_2015

Lake Pukaki

SONY DSLR-A200

settings

Aperture 10/1 ISO 100 Shutter 1/125 Focal Length 45/1

upload_date

Aug, 2017

Views

222

Likes

+17

Awards

Zenith Award

Elite

Top Choice

+11

Absolute Masterpiece

Outstanding Creativity

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank week 1

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Outstanding photo!

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Thank you so much

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Creative Boundaries

Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo just before sunrise, at Lake Pukaki in New Zealand. We had a motorhome and camped right here overnight, so waking to this was amazing. I am a self taught photographer, absolutely love having a camera in my hands, and I see an opportunity in everything I see.

Time

I woke at 6am and it was still dark, but I knew the light would soon appear, so forced myself to get out of bed even though it was so cold and I am not a natural early riser. But as the light appeared, I knew it was worth the effort.

Lighting

This was all natural lighting, and I didn't use a tripod. I shot off a hundred or so photos as the light changed.

Equipment

Ive always been a Sony user, and this one was shot with my old A200 DSLR and a Tamron lens 18mm -270mm which is a great lens for travelling. I know I will never get quite the sharp images with a zoom lens such as this, but having to keep changing lenses frequently isn't always possible for me while travelling, so this is my compromise.

Inspiration

I get inspiration from everything I see. I constantly see things that a non-photographer doesn't see, and I am primarily a landscape photographer, love water be it the ocean, rivers or lakes.

Editing

I do use Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as Luminar, Aurora, Affinity, Akvis and Topaz for my post processing, but this one required very little processing. Nature did the work for me.

In my camera bag

I carry 3 cameras, my Sony A200 DSLR, an RX10 Mklll and my new one is an A7lll Full- frame mirrorless. I have lots of lenses and filters, but with these 3 cameras, I rarely need to change lenses or use filters. I do always carry a tripod, an monopod and a Gorilla pod but I am lazy. I will shoot hand held whenever possible.

Feedback

I love early mornings and late afternoons. I have been to this same lake many times on a glorious sunny day with a clear blue sky and I do not get photos as good as early or late in the day. This is usually when water is so calm, almost like glass, and this is what I love about water. Composition is everything, and straight horizons. It surprises me how many photographers don't attend to verticals and sloping horizons. And noise. You must get rid of noise. Apart from that, just enjoy, and think that your next shot is going to be the best one you ever take.

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elljaysan_2015

elljaysan_2015

Lake Pukaki

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow elljaysan_2015

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