Windscape (click for larger view)

It looks warm, but it there was a freezing easterly wind that scattered the clouds and

gave the desired effect for the long exposure experiment. Your thoughts and

comments are always welcome. Thank You.

Cold or not, the soft colors impart a warm atmosphere and the long exposure smooths the water perfectly.  Well done... Mike

Hi Alf,

  Beautiful scene with wonderful colors, composition & lighting.  Take care, Patsy

Dear Alf,

like I said to you before, I could not decide which part, I like better, if the surface of the lake or the sky.

The view is overwhelming!

Watch the sky is as if it was falling mist, curtains of drizzle, or condensation ... is magnificent in all aspects: brightness, colour, LE, depth of field, composition etc.

A mirrow-lake (!), marvellous reflections; it was worth to be a bit cold, if you got such a wonderful image.

Congrats and kindest regards, Laura

Hi Alf,  There are a number of nice things in this beautiful landscape that jump out at the viewer. The foreground rocks are a good base to start with and the mirrored water with its gentle sky reflection and number of different colors really fills the frame well. The mountainous backdrop a perfect ending to a well composed and presented image. Of course that is what we've come to expect from you, and you don't disappoint. Great work Alf.

Best Always,  Holger

Wonderful colors and great composition.  Congratulations, Phil

Beautiful colours and great lighting. Congrats.

the long exposure has worked really well here, great cloud movement and wonderful reflected colour. A cracker all round.

Jed

A most successful experiment, Alf . . .  The rocks have the appearance of floating on the water.  And the movement of the clouds, thanks to your long exposure, doesn't disturb the peacefulness this setting offers.  The subdued colors assist in creating that mood.

My best always,

michael

As you rightly say, looks can be deceiving which is quite fortunate in this case : - )  

Sincere Thanks

Alf 

PATSY 

Thank you for your interest and kind words, much appreciated! 

Best Regards

Alf 

LAURA 

I know just what you mean about the sky, it looks for all the world like bands of mist descending, but was in fact just cloud movement albeit of 89 seconds. 

There was a certain amount of fumbling about with cold hands, changing apertures and timing before I finally got it right.

Many Thanks for your most encouraging feedback.

Warm Regards 

Alf 

HOLGER 

I find it slightly unnerving that I have to pre- compose the image before I put the filter on then have to wait for what seems  like hours, until the camera does it's noise reduction thing before I get to see the small preview in the camera screen.  The first three were too dark, but the last three worked out fine.  I still need more practice though : - ) 

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards 

Alf 

PHIL 

Many Thanks for your interest and positive feedback, much appreciated! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

RAY 

Dawn was quite colourful on this particular morning I was fortunate to be there! 

Many Thanks & Kind Regards 

Alf 

JED 

I take that as a great compliment as I know just how good your LE' s are! 

Many Thanks

Alf 

MICHAEL 

The first three were dismal failures, too dark! But once I got the timing right, they worked out well. It is a bit tricky when the light is constantly changing, but it wouldn't be half as much fun if it was easy. The impression of calm brought about by the long exposure is a wonderful effect that belies the reality of the cold strong wind and rippled waters.

Sincere Thanks for your most encouraging feedback Michael.

Best Regards 

Alf 

This is very pretty.  Your "experiment" is very pleasing!  I love the pastels, especially the golden, which works really well and jumps out against the blues when I view from farther away from the screen. 

Just wondering if you tried f/5.6 at 30 seconds, and if you did, were the clouds & lake reflection much different than this one?  Perhaps others could benefit by learning why you chose this specific aperture and speed.

Regards, Jeff

A striking landscape image. Amazingly done, Alf!

Many Thanks for your interest and thoughtful feedback. 

In this case I was just intent of trying to get as long an exposure as possible, for two reasons. 1 The wind was quite strong (and cold) and I wanted a smooth looking water and 2 I just thought the cloud movement would look better.  From previous experience 30 seconds just isn't long enough when the wind is causing a major ripple on the water. Though in hindsight I am curious to see how it would have turned out myself. 

Cheers Jeff

Alf 

JAMIE 

The changing sky was a delight. It was a "good to be alive" morning, but also a "good to be back home" morning too : - ) 

Sincere Thanks 

Alf 

ANABELA 

Many Thanks for your most encouraging words!

Best Regards

Alf 

DIMITRIS 

Ahhh you know very well that no photograph is perfect in the eyes of the photographer that took it and that is why you are smiling!.  For when we reach perfection...........what is next? 

Sincere Thanks my friend! 

Alf 

An 89 second exposure? Sure!  Wouldn't want to blow out the highlights with a 90 second exposure.  :-)  A trip to your folder never disappoints.  This landscape is no exception.  A fine composition with a twist.  We are mostly all aware that longer exposures provide some interesting effects but seldom do we see the effect of an exposure this long.  I think we've all learned something here.  Can't wait for an opportunity to try out your technique.  Best, Len.

The reflection of light is so very beautiful Alf. Such a lovely luminosity on the water.  The rocks lead us into the image towards the amazing mountains and sky. Well worth your effort. I like that you didn't decide to centre the furthest middle rock. The textures and mosses on the rocks are such a great contrast to the smooth surface of the water.  I know you like Snowdonia. I am going to look back through your folders to see what this point of view is like compared to any others.  I am very curious.  If I look straight ahead from what I consider the middle big rock, it seems there might be some buildings where the 'foothills' meet. ??

Alf..

 Love the ND filter effect. Photographs like this are very inspiring.

One word! Wow!

Hi Alf, wonderful capture, the light and colours are magnificent! I must brush up on long exposure but the technique you have used here is excellent, considering it was a cold and windy day! This one is for my favourites folder - think I may need to create an Alf Bailey favourites folder now. Very well done. Best wishes. Sarah.

You are accurate even in jest!   I was timing the exposure for 90 seconds on my watch but peaked a bit early with the cable release : - ) 

A 10 stop filter in the middle of the day doesn't yield overly long exposures, but at dawn or dusk with a reduced ISO you can get some nice extended shots.  A bit of wind for cloud movement add interest too. 

I am going to look into a more satisfactory filter system though. My current 77 mm circular screw in filter is great in terms of colour resolution, but fiddling with cold hands trying to get it attached to the lens after composing the shot is a bit of a pain. 

Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback Len.

Best Regards 

Alf 

GAIL 

Sincere Thanks for your interest and most encouraging feedback.

The composition was a bit of a challenge, not that there was anything really difficult about it, just that it has to be done before the shot is taken as you can't see anything through the viewfinder beyond the filter when depressing the able release.  Then you have to pray that you didn't disturb anything whilst attaching the filter : - ) 

This bit of Snowdonia (Llyn Ogwen) is not exactly new to me, but it's the first time I have visited the shores of the lake at this point.  Another reason for being early is that there is a road to the left and vehicles start to park there during the day and I wanted to avoid these. Yes you are quite right there is a building there, it is the outdoor visitor centre and is more towards the far end of the lake and where I would normally park, before I go on foot up the trail towards the mountain lakes. 

Warm Regards 

Alf 

BRENT 

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words.  It was an interesting experiment, and one that I will attempt to repeat in the future.

Best Regards 

Alf 

TONY 

3 words in reply :- My Sincere Thanks

Alf 

SARAH 

It is fascinating how time can have such dramatic effects on an image, even relatively short lengths of time.  For me it is the contrast between the things that move and the things that don't.  Cloud or water movement against rocks and mountains, but I have also seen some amazing very "arty" images when trees, grasses and flowers move during a long exposure.  Maybe something you could try?   Sincere Thanks for choosing this as a favourite I'm honoured! 

Best Regards 

Alf 

Hi Alf, thanks for your idea about trying some things with long exposure to create an arty effect - I too have seen this done by others and it looks amazing - how I would recreate it is another matter, I have to admit unless I have enough time to really think and plan what I am going to photograph then I am still bit of a point and shoot! Hoping to have a few more holidays this year and visit some lovely locations in this country, brush up on the technical side and hopefully end up with something! I have always admired your landscapes for the compositions and technical brilliance, nothing else is needed! Best wishes. Sarah.

Beautiful landscape and amazing tones. Somehow I see it large on a wall in aluminum , or glass, or one of those finishes that enhance water and sky ...

Warmest regards. Tamara

Apologies for my late response I must have missed this one! 

Thank you for your kind support!

Point & Shoot photography has some real benefits too, the spontaneous nature of this type of shooting can result in some stunning images.  I usually have an idea of what I want to capture before I go on  a trip but it's always wise to remain flexible and take advantage of what the day and the light present.

Best Regards

Alf 

TAMARA 

Some interesting visions and  idea's I have never really considered aluminium before, but I will certainly look into it. 

Sincere Thanks & Warm Regards

Alf