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Chasing Shadows

Posted by
Darkelf Photography (Perth, Australia) on 4 October 2022 in Landscape & Rural and Portfolio.

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Another photo from the series of foggy images I took in Frankland River in Western Australia back in May when I was out and about before sunrise, chasing shadows and apparitions in the fog. Having previously posted a black and white image from that morning, I wanted to post a colour photo this time, especially as I was enchanted by the beautiful autumn grasses in the foreground which shined with wonderful rich tones in the otherwise gloomy conditions. The vivid colour came through well even in the dark misty pre-sunrise light.

This was one of the first compositions that caught my attention as I was walking around the fields. I was right amongst the grasses and noticed these trees across a small stream so I made my way towards them. I did not want to jump across the stream at that point in time but I had my standard zoom lens (24-105mm) on so I was able to zoom in a little to compose this image. I liked the way the trees were arranged here with each one standing just a little further back and they kept fading nicely away into the fog. That created lovely separation between the trees to enhance the sense of depth in the scene. The tree on the left, which was closest to me, could easily have been a photographic subject on its own and if I had another day I would return to see what possibilities that could have presented.

The light was very uniform, there was no major transition in brightness and illumination was very even around the field. The fog was probably at its thickest around that time and the sun was not penetrating though it enough to give a discernible source of light. I did notice a very subtle, slightly brighter patch of fog and worked the composition to have the lightest area right between the two largest trees, just to direct attention into that area once the eyes went past the grass in the foreground. Later in post processing I worked with subtle tonal adjustments through dodging and burning to emphasise that effect and to gently build on the separation between the trees. I also added a touch of Orton effect to soften the overall atmosphere.

The foreground did not have any unique elements but I did like the bank of darker grasses in the closest part of the scene which framed the rest nicely for me. It added another layer of depth in my opinion and also reduced the area covered by the colourful reddish grass to ensure that it did not take too much attention away from the trees. Finding a good balance in a composition can be one of the most difficult things to achieve in photography. I do not always get it completely right and every time I am out there photographing, it is a good time to practice that skill regardless of conditions. Even when I know sometimes that the light will not be what I am looking for, I will still be out, honing my vision and experimenting with various compositions.

Canon EOS R5 1/10 second F/8.0 ISO 100 42 mm

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