Title:
Geometric Reflections, Raquette River
Exposure Data:
Four exposures: each 0.6 seconds, f/16, ISO 100
Nikon D610, Nikkor 80-200mm lens set at 86mm.
Early winter provides wonderful opportunities to photograph the snowy landscape reflected in waters not yet frozen over. A two-inch snow coated the branches of different tree species along the Raquette River near Tupper Lake, creating a chaotic scene of repeating geometric shapes. It’s almost too much to take in; however, gaps in the woods are reflected in the water, allowing larger patterns to emerge and giving the image structure, with places for the eye to rest.
I shot four images, from left to right, overlapping each by about a quarter, to create the panorama, which was stitched together in Photoshop CC. Colors in the scene were quite muted, so I decided to convert the image to black and white, using Google’s Silver Efex Pro software. This popped the contrast and emphasized the forms and textures of this fantastical winter wonderland.
Mark Bowie is a frequent contributor to Adirondack Life magazine and a much sought-after public speaker, offering presentations to camera clubs, environmental groups and others. He is a staff instructor for the Adirondack Photography Institute (API). API’s 2016 schedule of photo workshops, including Mark’s annual winter workshop, will soon be posted at www.adkpi.org. For more on Mark’s work, visit www.markbowie.com.
