When I was a child, my parents had a painting that hung over our couch. I used to lie on the couch staring at that painting for hours as I imagined myself part of the scene. I no longer remember what the painting was about, but I still remember the peacefulness of becoming lost in that painted canvas and how much I enjoyed looking at it.
I took this image at Two Rivers Park a couple of weeks ago. I had arrived at the park before sunrise to get some pre-dawn shots of the bridge that connects the park to the parking area. After getting some shots of the bridge, I walked across it to the park and observed that the sky was beginning to lighten as sunrise approached. As the sky brightened, I began to note the presence of the clouds that had not been noticeable in the early morning darkness and quickly recognized the photographic possibilities.
I began taking pictures of the clouds with the water in the foreground. However, I kept thinking something was missing, and I began searching for something that would provide some foreground interest. As I walked around the area, I spied this bench and thought it would fit nicely in the photograph. With the light growing brighter with every passing minute, I quickly set up my tripod and camera.
I took a couple of test shots that revealed there was far more contrast between the foreground and background than the camera sensor could capture. To resolve this issue, I took a series of thirteen pictures in which I adjusted the exposure in 1/3-stop increments. Because I needed to maintain complete depth of field, I had to make these exposure adjustments by changing the shutter speed rather than the aperture. I then used the HDR technique to merge these thirteen photos into one image in which the both the foreground and background were properly exposed.
I began to carefully review the final image. After a few minutes, I realized I wasn’t so much reviewing the image as I was imagining myself sitting on that bench watching the changing colors of the breaking dawn with the same sense of peace that I had when I looked at that old painting over my childhood couch.
Settings: Canon 5D Mk II, 14mm, f/22
Well, I’m impressed! I knew something about the photo looked a little surreal to me. The HDR technique is a new concept to me (but I don’t know much about photography). No wonder other people’s photos look so much better than mine! ha ha This photo definitely makes me feel like sitting on that bench and enjoying that beautiful moment. Well-written post–you should teach photography. 🙂