Story Behind Image

Reflections in the Wetlands /  by Todd Henson

Reflections in the Wetlands. Click on the image for a larger view.

When I visit wetlands parks I am most often looking for wildlife to photograph. But these sorts of locations can provide much more subject matter than wildlife alone.

The photograph above does, in fact, contain wildlife. If you look closely there is a Great Blue Heron near the center of the far shore. And a number of ducks are hidden in various locations. But I don’t consider the wildlife the subject of the photograph. For me, the photograph is all about the reflections and the patterns they create.

I was photographing several species of duck far closer to my location, using my 200-400mm lens. As I looked around the wetlands I noticed the beautiful pattern in the reflections along the far shore. This was mid-March in Virginia and all the trees were bare, a little too early to begin growing leaves. So the reflections formed fascinating lines and patterns, lighter where the sun shone on a tree trunk, darker on the shaded side and between the trees. There was a small amount of movement to the water that added a slight shimmer further from shore.

I turned my camera towards the far shore and looked for a focal length that would capture what I was seeing. This particular photograph ended up at 280mm. I framed the image to focus mostly on the reflections but also capture some of the trees being reflected. I did intentionally include the Great Blue Heron. I figured it was a nice addition, though it is standing behind a pole in the water.

I thought about creating a symmetrical composition, including the same amount of each island on either side of the image. But instead I opted for a bit less symmetry, showing the entirely of the island on the right and giving the heron more room since it was facing in that direction.

This image was created at a fast shutter speed (1/1250 sec) because that’s what I’d been using with the ducks. I would have been curious to create versions of this image with slower shutter speeds, perhaps several seconds or more, to smooth out the water and possibly create more clear reflections. I don’t know if I would have preferred that version, but would like to have seen them both. However, slower shutter speeds are not as easy with the longer lens. If I’d had a 70-200mm with me I could have used that along with a neutral density filter, if needed, to slow the shutter speed down. Perhaps next time.

Next time you find yourself in a wetlands park take a look at the wetlands, itself. Are there any interesting compositions, any reflections, patterns, or colors that could make a nice image? Let me know what you find in the comments below.

 

Noontime Fog Over Jordan Pond /  by Todd Henson

Noontime Fog over Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine

We were visiting Acadia National Park in Maine. We’d read about all the beautiful sights, the grand vistas from atop the mountains, the crystal clear ponds in the valleys, the beautiful greenery of trees and other plant life.

But sometimes what you find isn’t what you were expecting. In this case we found an overpowering white fog engulfing the entire landscape, from the highest peak to the lowest valley. This meant, at least on this day, there would be no photo of the ocean below taken from atop the mountains. There would be no photo of the twin hills at the end of the beautifully clear pond.

Though that might sound like a disappointing day, it turned out far from it. It simply meant looking elsewhere for a photograph. Looking at the scenery with a different eye. Looking more closely, to where the fog intersects with the scenery, where a little detail begins to emerge. And making the fog a part of the photograph instead of trying to avoid it.

And so I created the photograph above of noontime fog over Jordan Pond. I liked the shape and texture of the rocks jutting into the water. And I liked the trees just emerging from the fog along the far shoreline, almost forming a triangle as the fog lifted toward the right. I found a tree reaching slightly over the water I could use to help frame the image, providing a border on the far right. The water and rocks helped frame in the lower right. The left side is then left open to the water and the fog.

I chose to process the image in black and white. Really, the only color in the scene was the green of the trees. The rest was very monochromatic, so I didn’t feel the color added anything to the look or feel of the image. Black and white seemed appropriate. And I find myself increasingly drawn to monochromatic images.

The processing itself was very simple, mostly adjusting the colors within the image to create pleasing tones of grey, something that is done with any black and white or monochromatic image. Even though the final image is black and white the original raw image file from the camera contains all the color information in the scene. You can then tweak this color balance in software (I used Adobe Lightroom), even while the image is converted to black and white. You can make greens lighter or darker shades of gray. You can make a blue sky black. You have a lot of control to help you express your interpretation of the scene.

The moral of today’s story is to not give up if the scene you see isn’t what you had expected. There will still be photographic opportunities out there. You might just need to look a little closer and think a little differently. Imagine yourself putting on a new pair of glasses, a special pair that lets you see the world in a different light. And then open your eyes and explore this beautiful new world!

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Over the Bridge Through the Woods /  by Todd Henson

Over the Bridge Through the Woods. Click on the image for a larger view.

Today’s photograph is of Jordan Pond Bridge in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island in Maine. The bridge crosses Jordan Stream, which flows into nearby Jordan Pond. This bridge, and many others in the park, are part of a network of carriage roads built between 1913 and 1940 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Jordan Pond Bridge, as seen on the side of the bridge, was completed in 1920.

I highly recommend visiting Acadia National Park if you ever have the opportunity. It is a beautiful park, full of amazing sights. But it can get very crowded during the busy season, so plan accordingly.

I took some artistic license with this image, converting it to black and white and dodging and burning very liberally. I softened much of the background, trying to give the impression of a light layer of fog, or a slight sense of unreality. I wanted to embrace the mystery within the image. Let me know whether or not I was successful. Would you have done anything differently?

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I appreciate your support!