Technical Details: Canon 5d MkII, Canon 24-70mm lens, f/16, ISO100, 50 second shutter, 3 stops ND, 2 stops Reverse ND
Hi Gang,
Welcome to today’s post. This is again Ellingson Island, but shot on Christmas morning almost exactly one week after the image of it in my previous post. My how much things can change in a week.
This is a more technical post, so stop reading now and just enjoy the image if you’re not into the technical blah blah blah. The image below is the RAW file. The color in this file is the result of shooting it cool (relative to conditions), about 6300 degrees K, and the color shift over the sky which comes from stacking Singh Ray filters. I did not mind the color shift and was not concerned about color cast of the image. I knew at that time I was going to work in Black and White and could work the sky and water on separate layers. I could already see where this image was headed while I was shooting it in the field.
The reverse 2 Stop ND held back the sky while allowing me to open up the water a bit. This, along with good color management in Black and White, gives the incredible look in the water while allowing me to hold drama and contrast in the sky. This is a typical look and approach in my black and white work. The water turns to glass and is getting fairly bright, and the clouds are creating an interesting and quiet pattern in the sky. All of this allows the island to come forward as the main subject.
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7 Comments
Cool picture, thanks for sharing the details / process!
You’re welcome Andy. Thanks for stopping by and for the kind words. Happy New Year!
Hi Alec,
Funny, when I saw your previous post I immediately thought that shot would look really good in B&W. Of the 3 pics, however, I think the one with the blue tones is my favorite. Of course, they are all really pretty!
I can’t help liking the blue tone version the best too! It says Christmas morning to me in a beautiful way.
But then again, I often prefer sketches to ‘finished’ works of art.
HA! I figured someone would like the color better. Regardless, thank you for being here, enjoying the images and your willingness to provide feedback.
Happy New Year!
Alec
I’m always torn between colour and black and white in my own photography and tend to end up with colour. But while I love both of these versions for different reasons, my favourite part of the image is the reflection of the island in the glossy water. Wonderful!
Hi Sylvia,
Thank you for visiting the blog and posting your comment. If I did not have the reflection to work with I probably would have shot something else that morning. Its the “hero” of the image, in my opinion. So, that makes two us!
Cheers and please stop by again.
Sincerely,
Alec Johnson