Location: Bass Lake at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park Milepost 294
A somber early morning at Bass Lake. Flat Top manor can be seen in the distance among the trees and mist. Note the pinkish hue. This was created by the sun just getting ready to crest the treeline behind me.
Camera: Nikon D7100
Lens: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8
Focal Length: 16mm
ISO: 200
Shutter: 0.5 second
Aperture: f/16
Filters: Marumi Super DHG Circular Polarizer 77mm
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: This shot was captured awhile before sunrise. In fact, the pinkish hue of Flat Top Manor was caused by the sun getting ready to crest the treeline behind me. There was not a single cloud in the sky. You need some clouds if you want those radiant, out of this world colors, but I thought the sky was befitting of the overall mood of the scene.
A good landscape usually needs a foreground, middle, and background. Here, I composed my shot to emphasize the flowers in the foreground. An ultra wide angle lens is very beneficial here as it tends to exaggerate distance, making the flowers more prominent in the scene than they really were. For an interesting background, I chose Flat Top Manor. The mist was beginning to rise and the tint from the sun added a little something special. The meat of my composition consisted of the lily pads, reflections, and blaze orange leaves.
While these elements might be able to stand on their own, they really shine when brought together. Be sure to walk around before your take your shot, keeping foreground, middle, and background as you consider composition.
The air was dead still, and being on a tripod, I wasn’t afraid to use a very slow shutter speed. Still, it required me to bump up the ISO to 200 in order to get the aperture to f/16. A small aperture such as f/16 will help keep everything in focus, from foreground to background.
Captured 10/6/13
For More Information
- Additional photographs by The Art of Victor Ellison
- Categories where this photo is found: Fall Color, Flora & Fauna, Lakes & Rivers