In the Field

Tranquility. Burnaby Island, Gwaii Haanas National Park and Marine Reserve, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), BC, Canada. July 7, 2011.

I captured this image during a trip to Gwaii Haanas National Park and Marine Reserve in July of 2011. When I first viewed this scene, with its myriad shades of green and brown and with the tiny waterfall trickling tannin-stained water over the old fallen log, I felt a strong sense of tranquility and peacefulness. Adding to this sense was the absolute calmness of the air - this is an 8 second exposure and if you look closely at the larger version of the image you'll notice that even the finest and lightest foliage is completely sharp (i.e., they didn't BUDGE over the 8 seconds that the image sensor was being exposed to light).

If you read almost any book on landscape photography one of the first things you'll learn is how critical the foreground is. A friend of mine (who shoots more landscapes than I do) often says "...the landscape image is all about what's in the first 3 feet of the shot". I agree.

The second thing you'll learn about landscape photography is that it's largely about conveying depth using sequential layers (or planes). Many of the most visually appealing scenes (often called "deep-perspective scenes") are characterized by having up to 5 or even 6 distinct layers (or planes). And, as my friend states, the foreground plane is often critical in making the image "work". In this image the water and log near the bottom of the frame constitute what I think of as the foreground plane. The eye of MOST viewers will likely travel here first. The first pool of water - containing the luxuriant reflected greens - is the mid-plane and it leads the viewer's eye to the "feature plane" of this image - which is the second mossy log over which the small waterfall is trickling. And, in this image you have up to 3 more distinct planes (the far pool, the bank with the large moss-covered base of the massive tree trunk, and the more distant tree trunks in the darkening distance) that constitute the background. If one has patience and takes the time to explore this image they'll find there's an awful lot to look at here! My hope is that if someone IS willing to take a few seconds to rest their eye on this image and fully explore it they'll almost FEEL the tranquility of the scene.

I'll close with a question I often receive during seminars/workshops: "Do you REALLY think about all this technical and creative stuff when you're out in the field shooting or do you just "react" to the scene?" I can't speak for others, but my initial reaction to a scene is always on the intuitive, gut-feeling level. But once I raise my camera, a whole lot of here-and-now thinking - about both technical and creative issues - goes on!

Behind the Camera

Tranquility. Burnaby Island, Gwaii Haanas National Park and Marine Reserve, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), BC, Canada. July 7, 2011.

Digital Capture; RAW 14-bit format; ISO 100.

Nikon D3s with Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VRII lens at 92mm with B&W circular polarizing filter. Supported on carbon fibre Gitzo GT2541EX tripod and AcraTech Ultimate ballhead. Cable release and mirror-up release mode used.

8.0 second exposure @ f16; -0.67 stop compensation from matrix-metered exposure setting.

At the Computer

Tranquility. Burnaby Island, Gwaii Haanas National Park and Marine Reserve, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), BC, Canada. July 7, 2011.

RAW Conversion to 16-bit TIFF, including first-pass/capture sharpening using Phase One's Capture One Pro 6. Three raw conversions varying in exposure settings over a 1.25 stop range.

Further digital corrections on 16-bit TIFF file using Adobe's Photoshop CS5. Adjustments including blending of 3 exposure versions, selective tone curve adjustment, selective colour saturation and desaturation, and final sharpening for web output.

Conservation

Tranquility. Burnaby Island, Gwaii Haanas National Park and Marine Reserve, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), BC, Canada. July 7, 2011.

Not Applicable. Happily, Gwaii Haanas National Park and National Marine Reserve is one of the few island groups in the world that receives protection from ocean bottom to mountain peak! Hurrah!