Cedar Creek is a location I have gone to many times. Flowing water is always an attraction for me. However, once I’ve visited a location often, I find myself looking deeper for more interest than the overall views I’ve shot before.
The Stick in the Creek
OBJECTIVE:
The stick on the rock bed in the creek appealed to me so I wanted to make that the central focus of my shot but also liked the overall scene before me..
COMPOSITION:
I took one in portrait mode as well which well and truly made the stick the main subject but lacked the environment factor I thought was important also, so I went with the landscape orientation above. I wanted to include some of the foliage to further show the secluded nature of the stream.
SETUP & SETTINGS:
2 sec – f14 – ISO 100. 21mm focal length. No filters on the lens. Tripod. No flash.
POST PROCESSING:
A little sharpening and curves to both brighten the light areas but also darken the dark areas.
END RESULT:
With the landscape orientation, I was able to include where the creek had come from, which added some ‘flow’ to the photo, something for the eyes to follow. By placing the stick low and roughly in a rule of thirds position, it’s obvious that the stick is indeed a main feature here.
