Day 17 – Colors Of Bowman Lake
When people told me Polebridge is really beautiful, I didn’t know it’s THIS beautiful. Bowman Lake, as one of the major lakes in Polebridge area, turned out to be the FAVORITE of my favorites since the beginning of this trip.
Campers were mostly stationed at the west end trail head. As we walked deeper into the woods along the lake, all we could hear was bird’s singing, and the gentle tapping of the water to the shore. A few kayaks glide elegantly as we rested our feet into the water. As the evening fell, all the boats and kayaks were pulled onshore and the lake surface gradually settled into a mirror, quietly reflecting the mountains and trees hugging around it. As I photographed the serenity and the delicate color migration in the sky, I felt completely in peace.
Tip of the Day
When it comes to photographing lake, composition is vital. Foreground is almost as important as the lake itself. Try to stand at the edge of a lake, photograph the trees or mountains on the other side as well as their reflection in the lake. The closer you stand next to the lake, the more likely you can get rid of the noise foreground (the lake shore on your side) and make the image clean and crisp.
A perfect reflection in a mirror surfaced lake is my personal favorite, as I like the symmetrical subjects in the real world and in the water. But a calm lake might be hard to come by during the day – any small moves (swimmers, kayaks, boats etc) can cause huge waves. So get there early in the morning or stay till the evening next time. Enjoy the calm lake in the sunrise or sunset hours, you can see wonders. (Click here to see the tips of the “right timing” to photograph sunrise, sunset)
Below are 3 images taken at the same place but different hours.
1st image: 2 hours before sunset, ISO125, 16mm, f/11, 1/160sec
2nd image: 20 minutes before sunset, ISO160, 23mm, f/22, 0.5sec
3rd image: 10 minutes after sunset, ISO160, 16mm, f/22, 5sec
You can see the difference of the colors, and the calmness of the water. For the latter, you can use filters and long exposure to achieve the same “calm water” result, but that’s a different topic.
Last but not least, the final image is processed with some imagination. It’s been one of my personal favorite images that represent simplicity and peace.
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