Long Exposure on Loch Assynt

[Donald]

I have written on here before how I'm not a fan of fluffy water, caused by long exposures of running water; i.e. waterfalls. I don't knock those who like such images, just that I'm not so keen on them. But I do like trying the ND filters on open water. In my view, Michael Kenna is the absolute master in this area of photography.

In the same way as when in Yosemite, I didn't want to make Ansel Adams pictures, when I put on the ND filters near water I don't want to make Michael Kenna pictures. I want to make Donald MacKenzie images. But being influenced by/learning from, etc., is pretty good if you can do it.

And based on the feedback to the 'not square - not B & W' pics (see here) I've posted here and on social media, I better get something up that's more 'me' .

Your constructive, critical analysis is always helpful, I hope to you and others as well as to me.

[billtils]

Welcome back Donald. That's superb.

I do have a question though - I'm not sure about where the top of the trees runs along the sky-land interface?

[Donald]

I do have a question though - I'm not sure about where the top of the trees runs along the sky-land interface?

There's a practical aspect in that to get the top of the trees below horizon level, I'd have needed more height. I was aware of the issue, but was happy with the composition as I saw it at the time. To have done that, if I could, would have then shifted the balance in terms of the far shoreline(s) and the island, affecting the amount of water being seen.

The other aspect of the composition is that just on the left there us another grouping of 4 or 5 trees, all dead. I wanted to keep them out of this image. I did try to capture a photograph of them as a group, but couldn't get it to work to my satisfaction.

[billtils]

Thanks for the explanation Donald - That's pretty well as expected.

[JBW]

This is the Donald that blows me away. How about you move one step at a time Square color?

[Mike Buckley]

It's good to see that my computer is working properly again; it had gone awry recently by displaying your images in color and in a non-square format.

I like the slight texture you left in the water and the tonal values displayed throughout the image. Would it have been practical to capture a perspective that places all of the treetops above the land behind them?

[Donald]

Would it have been practical to capture a perspective that places all of the treetops above the land behind them?

Probably. I would need to have been right down at the water's edge so as to have been 'looking up' at the trees. That would then have left me without the height that allowed me to 'look over' the island and see so much water beyond.

I don't know what the shot would have looked like. I never went down and tried it.

[Donald]

I like the slight texture you left in the water .....

Sorry, I should have addressed this in my previous reply.

Thank you, Mike. I'm glad that's been picked up. It's very rarely that I'd want an exposure to be so long that it completely smoothed out the water, although I will not dismiss doing so if I think it will help make the image.

How long an exposure to go for is something you get to through trial an error and by experience; i.e. learning. I knew whilst I was setting up and based on how strong the wind was and how choppy the water was that I'd want something like a 4 or 6 second exposure. So I metered the scene and then set my Singh Ray Vari ND accordingly. I shot a frame at 4 seconds and at 8 seconds, but this one at 6 seconds gave me the water surface that I wanted in the final image.

[Shadowman]

The fluffy water has its place in some compositions, anything with a fantasy element could utilize some fluffy water. Equally so, your calm waters has its place in most compositions and also serves as symbolism. Nicely captured and composed.

[Rita]

Donald, I do really like your image. For improvement I would have commented on the tree line but that has been covered. What I would like to comment on is part of your opening statement. You said "In the same way as when in Yosemite, I didn't want to make Ansel Adams pictures, when I put on the ND filters near water I don't want to make Michael Kenna pictures. I want to make Donald MacKenzie images. But being influenced by/learning from, etc., is pretty good if you can do it." I so very much agree with this. It is important that we learn from others but it is just as important to do what we do. Sadly, there are those that feel they have to do what someone else does rather than following a vision of their own.

[Manfred M]

This is a very nice image, Donald.

I started playing with slower exposures in the water again, when I was in Northern India, back in January. Part of my driver is that a lot of the scenes just did not look quite the way I wanted them, with the water distracting from the scenery. I don't want silky textureless water, but likewise I want something a bit more serene, but textured look than what I can capture with "normal" shutter speeds.

The other issue that I am examining is the impact on clouds when shooting at slower shutter speeds. I tend to dislike the stretched out / pulled look associated with shooting a very low shutter speeds, so I am planning to start playing with a time blend of a normal shutter speed and slow shutter speed.

Right now, I am waiting for the high water from the spring runoff to subside to get some better shots. Standing in ice cold water that is half-way up one's legs is a bit more than I care to do for an image. The downside is that we have a very short window until the biting black flies show up in another few weeks, which are followed by the stinging mosquitoes.

[mugge]

Donald. like you I'm not a fan of fluffy water. I think had there been strong winds, the contrast between clouds and water would have been spoiled. Sensible use of ND filter to my mind.
Cheers Ole

[mknittle]

I like this image a lot Donald. I can't imagine the tree tops being better from lower or higher without losing the perspective.

[Donald]

Thank you for those comments added since my last post.

Yes, Manfred, standing in cold water or kneeling in mud tends to lose its appeal the older one gets, I find!!