In the Field

Findlay's Foggy Forest. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. September 24, 2004.

I'm not known to point my camera at scenery or landscapes very often. This is mainly because I feel that my preferred camera format (digital and film SLR's) is not well-suited to serious landscape work. So...the scene has to be pretty amazing before I shoot it.

This simple scene completely entranced me - there was so much happening at once. I loved the gradual transition from tack sharp detail and rich colours in the foreground to the soft, foggy and almost monochromatic background. And, that lone towering dead snag couldn't have been better placed (along the no-fog to heavy fog continuum) if I had planted it myself. Photeus (that 'ol pagan rascally greek god of digital photography) smiled this day.

Behind the Camera

Findlay's Foggy Forest. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. September 24, 2004.

Digital Capture; Compressed RAW (NEF) format; ISO 200.

Nikon D2H with with Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR lens @ 200 mm (300 mm equivalent with digital conversion factor) supported on a G2220 Explorer tripod with Manfrotto 222 Joystick ballhead. VR turned to "On" and in "Normal" mode.

1/25s @ f6.3; no compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting.

At the Computer

Findlay's Foggy Forest. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. September 24, 2004.

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF, including first-pass sharpening, exposure compensation, and tone curve adjustment, using Phase One's C1 Pro.

All further digital correction on 16-bit TIFF file using Adobe's Photoshop CS, including graduated and selective use of cooling filter, additional tone curve adjustment, selective saturation enhancement, and selective sharpening for web output.

Conservation

Findlay's Foggy Forest. Findlay Creek, BC, Canada. September 24, 2004.

Ten percent of the revenue generated by this image will be donated to Wildsight.

This tranquil scene was shot in the Columbia Valley of the East Kootenays. While the East Kootenays are often thought of as containing expansive areas of wilderness, many ecosystems within the Columbia Valley face development pressure, including pressure from logging operations. Wildsight is an effective conservation organization that protects biodiversity and promotes sustainable communities in Canada's Columbia and Rocky Mountains. Support for Wildsight, through donation or becoming a member, will help ensure that they remain effective in their efforts to conserve threatened or endangered species and ecosystems.