This is a sunset I shot on Lake Superior. The location was Union Bay in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Area on the western edge of Upper MI. It was such a beautiful evening and I had a great time photographing this location. At one point as it got a bit darker I just sat down on a rock and enjoyed the mood until well after dark.
Any thoughts and suggestions welcome.
Canon 24-105L @24mm, ISO 200, f/16, 1/4 sec and 2-3 stop grad, not sure which I used.
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Hi Nick,
Great scene! This looks like a fabulous sunset. You have a nice sense of depth in this image and there is some symmetry between the clouds and the lake shore. A slight crop from the bottom might enhance the symmetry.
I personally would increase the dark darks a bit to allow for more detail to show through and I would have shot this with a polarising filter to tame some of the refections coming off the wet rocks.
Hi Nick. A beautiful sunset for sure! As I swelter away down here in Florida (yes, even at night), I can’t help but wonder what the temp and humidity was on this evening? It looks nice and cool, even if it wasn’t.
I think Nathan’s advice was pretty much right on the mark, especially about opening up the shadows a bit. I’m a little torn about the bright spot on the rock. Yes, it was, I’m sure, that bright and it should be bright, but it does also attract undue attention. The trick would be knocking down the brightness enough but not TOO much. I typically don’t do very well in that department myself. Good luck with that. This image has great mood and ambiance, and that’s what makes a special image!
Forget art for a second. I find myself, as a photographer who shoots waves a lot, wondering how much shots did you take to catch that wave hitting the rock perfectly and, at the same time, catching the incoming waves cresting at the same time? If you say this was your only shot, I think I may shoot myself! I find myself often shooting 50-100 shots trying to time the waves just so and still being unhappy when I get home and pull them up.
Nathan and Bill, Thanks guys for your thoughts on this. I agree now that a polarising filter would have worked quite nice if dialed in just the right amount. Next time!
Bill, A few exposures during this short period and just getting lucky getting the waves that I thought looked nice together. Maybe around 10 total I guess. Glad you enjoy this guys!
There’s a wonderful ambience here. Even though the fg rock is dark it doesn’t feel overly so. It fits the mood, and there are enough reflections to make it attractive. The biggest issue for me is that sun spot. It’s not that a rule has been broken. It’s just how we see bright areas like that. Somehow the eye compensates for all that light and sees texture in there.
Nick, this a great shot, and my only comment is to congratulate you on putting the camera down and and taking time to enjoy the scene. This is something I didn’t do when I was younger (less photographically mature one might say), and I regret it. Now I may sacrifice a few shots, but the time is used to simply sit back, even for a few minutes, and enjoy nature’s incredible beauty. After all, isn’t that why we chose this photographic genre?
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Nick, the composition is great, I think. And you have captured the water really well. I think it works so well with the cloud that you have there. In terms of processing, I agree with the others that think I would like to see a little bit of the shadow opened up a little bit more, especially along the shoreline. I am not too bothered by the bright highlight although seeing a tad more texture could be nice.
Thanks to all of you for giving me your thoughts on this. All things to think about next time and I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.
Nick,
This is quite beautiful as presented; there’s a great and contemplative mood here which no doubt enticed you in to sitting on the rock and just absorbing the moment. Doesn’t get any better than that.
I think the darkness is appropriate given the conditions, time of day, etc. However, the darkness in the trees in the UL are a minor thing for me. More than anything, because the dark area occupies a good amount of space - or weight in the image. I don’t see a pretty way in which to mitigate that unless you’re willing to consider a severe crop like below. I’m not sure if this is better. I also selectively darkened the top of the flat rock on the left.
Thanks Lon! That does work I think. I had thought about that at the time I posted it but then decided not to do it, but now seeing yours I like it ok. I guess my thinking was that I didn’t especially want to crop off the curved shoreline with all the smaller rocks but it looks better than I thought it would.
Yes, it was a beautiful evening and it felt so nice to put the camera away and just sit back and enjoy it. The waves were just right to make such a pleasing sound on the shoreline. Those are moments we remember and live for…my feeling away. Thanks and I appreciate the help. Nick
I’m kind of late to comment on this, but this is a beautiful image, Nick! The light and color are beautiful. This image feels so peaceful and looks like a great spot to linger.
Brian, Thanks so much. Really glad you like it and yes, it was great just to sit back and enjoy after making a few shots! The sounds were wonderful. Nick
This is wonderfully peaceful, but has a sense of drama that creates a nice balance in mood. I think you did a good job managing the dynamic range. I do think a slight tweak of the brightness on that rock would be nice, but don’t overdo it.
Well done, Nick.
-P
Hey Preston, Thank you! I appreciate getting your thoughts on this. I do agree about the brightness on the rock but not overdoing it. It really was a wonderful evening on the big lake!
