Photographer: Nichola Shaw
Title: Solitude
Camera: Canon EOS 400D
Comment: Are
you trying to make my job tough, Nicola? Here I am telling everyone to
make pin-sharp images and you go and send this in. What can I say? I
love it!
You say your intent was to, “focus on the overall
surreal and almost ethereal essence of the moment, rather than a
specific subject of interest that might distract attention from the mood
of the photo”. We reckon the idea worked well for you.
You also
mention that the image was shot from a canoe with an exposure of several
seconds. You could have made a dash for dry land in order to set up the
camera on a steady platform, or cranked up the ISO to 1600, but by
opting for a slow shutter speed with a lower ISO you have created an
impressionistic photograph.
Was there anything else you could
have tried? One of your colleagues paddling through the mid foreground
might be nice. They would not need to be sharp, just create an
impression of a person interacting with the landscape.
You
cranked up the White Balance to get the bluer effect in the picture, and
it looks good, however you could have added just the slightest hint of
warmth along the top of the horizon line. Next time shoot a frame in RAW
mode so you can play with the tonalities in post-production. Aside from
these observations, it is a great image and I hope you continue to
pursue this style.
