Lake Monster

[woof]

Lake Champlain, Porter's Point, Colchester, Vermont.

Taken at f/22 with 30 Second exposure at dawn.

[Matt K.]

Nice composition ... I like it a lot

[Bambi]

Nice composition ... I like it a lot

me too!! nice shot.

[Iguanasan]

That makes three of us. I really like this one too. What an interesting subject and it's a well executed shot.

[QuietOne]

Another vote. I like driftwood and remains of trees to begin with.

[woof]

All:

Thank you very much - I appreciate the positive comments here.

I summer in this spot each year, and for the past three years have photographed this subject and tried to capture something a little different each time. The root bundle on this thing is about eight feet in diameter, and I calculated at one point that the tree was probably about 250 years old when it met it's end. I doubt it was cut down. It looks like it fell over, and then the root was "helped" out of the ground with human assistance... note that it is not cleanly cut, but that the roots are in places. In any event, this thing was probably a sapling at the timne of the French and Indian Wars. That was an important time period in the history of this lake... overall I find it fascinating.

Here are the first two years...

2008:



2009:



Here is a test shot from this year setting up the angle for the long exposure:



So here's the thing. Year 2008 won a third place in a photo contest at a local agricultural fair. 2009 won a second place in it's color form.

Should I enter either of the 2010 versions? I do very much like the long exposure version and previsualized that shot for almost a year. I wish the clouds were a little more dramatic, there is little detail there to grab onto in post... Anything you might suggest to punch this up? Thanks in advance...

Seaain

[casil403]

Nice ones woof...Glad you made it here! I like the 4th one with the wicked leading lines in the sky that work with the leading lines of the log and I really dig the first one with the contrasting softness of the water verses the detail of the log...Very cool. I guess if it were me to improve this (which I think it rocks as it is btw) I might mucK around with the contrast a bit more to see what happens and perhaps fiddle with the structure a bit as well to see what other detail you might be able to bring up. Also I would wait for a day with excellent cloud detail and do a combination of the two best features of both shots. If that is not possible, I think i would go with #4 because the clouds so work for me moreso than the water.

[woof]

Nice ones woof...Glad you made it here! Also I would wait for a day with excellent cloud detail and do a combination of the two best features of both shots. If that is not possible, I think i would go with #4 because the clouds so work for me moreso than the water.

Thanks. Nice to be here. I appreciate your comments on this. Funny you say that about #4. That one works best for me also. Heh. Actually, that day there were a bunch of big puffy clouds all day. At the very end of the day, I saw this cloud coming over and I grabbed the camera and went down to the spot to wait for this shot. It did not just "happen" ... It was very much influenced by the clouds from the previous year and knowing that it would likely provide a leading line. It came out better and more complimentary than I'd hoped for.

I like the idea of combining the best of both. That will not be easy because the loong exposure almost certainly will blunt the clouds somewhat. I do have a strong ND filter, but the water will not be as "calm" as using the "poor man's ND" as I did by shooting early dawn. Another challenge for next year.

Thanks again!

woof!