Canoes with Morning Reflection

Image 5105     Date:  April, 2016

A couple of years before this, I had begun photographing the canoes at Devil’s Den State Park.  Probably, I had seen similar photographs of canoes elsewhere (I know – who hasn’t?), and was inspired to make my own version.  Each time I revisited these canoes, I would make new photographs, and with each visit, it seemed my photographs improved.

On this day, we were holding our spring macro photography workshop in the park.  I arrived early, and while waiting, I walked to the canoe docks.
From early spring to late fall, the park rents the canoes and paddle boats for use on the Park’s little lake, formed from Lee Creek.  It’s a very small lake.  Besides the lake, the Park has miles of hiking trails, waterfalls, and plenty of the rugged beauty Arkansas is known for.  It is my favorite Arkansas State Park.

Always before, I used a fairly wide angle lens, composing the canoes with the lake for the background, or sometimes, with the distant shore and sky as a backdrop.  This day, however, I broke out the Tamron 70-300.  The water was reflecting the hillside across the lake, which since it was still early spring, was covered with bare trees. In addition, the sun was breaking over the hill behind me, and lighting up those bare trees.  The reflection of the trees made golden by the morning light, contrasted with the red canoes, and the colors became bright and vibrant.

The lens was at 70mm, but that provided enough compression on the Sony Alpha 77 to bring all the elements closer together.  The shutter speed was a half-second; long enough to blur some of the water movement, and the f/22 aperture kept everything in focus.  I know, tech data, but what is more important is why I used each setting. The photograph is actually made by the “why.”

Finally, let no one say that all the photos have been made, and there is nothing new to photograph.  Even if that might be true, follow your passion. Has every photo been made? No – not all yours! And, not all mine, either.

Photography is all about passion. Follow yours.