Have you seen a photo that you liked and wondered how it was created? Well here we go:
Here are a few photos that are absolutely amazing, but, the description tells you how it was taken and the circumstances:
Interesting Photo of the Day: Sunkissed Eurasian Jay in Flight
When we say that lighting is key in photography, we mean it. The way you understand and play with your lighting can give a totally different look and add a unique vibe to your images. And this is true not just for photography genres like landscapes or glamour portraits. The same principle applies to all genres of photography including wildlife and bird photography as well. Take for instance the following image of a Eurasian Jay taken by photographer Mikael Persson. While the bird itself is the main subject, it’s the lighting that has totally transformed the image:
Persson shot the image on a Sony A6000 with the Sony 70-350mm lens at f/10, with an exposure of 1/1000 seconds, and ISO 800. It may surprise you that he had to focus manually for this image – the reason being that the camera’s auto-focus was having some difficulty in the circumstance.
If you simply look at the bird, the image is not so striking – it’s mediocre at best. Looking at the stance of the bird, it looks like it’s ready to perch itself on a branch of a tree. It’s a nice moment, but the way the lighting in the scene is interacting with the bird is what takes the image to the next level. The highlights on its wings and hind limbs create a beautiful separation from the background and also give an ethereal look to the image. The warm glow on the background also does a great job in making the bird appear more majestic.
Hats off to the photographer for this fantastic work. It’s phenomenal how he was able to capture this amazing coupling of light and motion.
Interesting Photo of the Day: Sunset on Antelope Island
One of the best things about traveling is the random and interesting stuff that happens to you that makes for a good story later on. This is why they say that traveling makes you a storyteller. Photographer Hansi did happen to experience something thrilling that was worth sharing. He was hiking alone on Antelope Island (Utah) where he confronted some wildlife – a really scary moment to experience when hiking alone. Despite the nerve-racking moment, he was able to capture the following image which says otherwise:
The image is a super-wide three-picture vertical panorama that Hansi took using a Sony A7RII camera and the Rokinon 18mm f/2 lens. He captured such a detailed image of a very vast landscape.
The combination of warm golden light from the low-hanging sun and the barren rocky landscape in the foreground gives quite an interesting effect. At a glance, it appears as if it’s a shot from some other planet. Then there are the snowy highlands in the midground that add to the beauty of this image. The way the light from the setting sun grazes these landscapes from the side has added a different dimension to the image. Then there’s the setting sun in the background along with its reflection on the Great Salt Lake. It’s the lighting from this setting sun that is the hero of this fantastic image.
The absolute contrast between the color temperature in the sky and the landscape is also worth to appreciating. While the landscape in the foreground gives a sensation of warmth, the clear sky beautifully complements it with its cool blue tones.
Would you dare to go on a hike all alone to witness such a beautiful landscape?
Interesting Photo of the Day: Ethereal Lake Matheson
Whenever one thinks of New Zealand, the stunning wide-angle scenes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy come to mind. But there is more to New Zealand than just that. This is exactly what photographer Humayun Qureshi proves with this breathtaking shot of Lake Matheson from the South Island:
One of the things Lake Matheson is known for is its near-perfect reflections of two of New Zealand’s highest mountains, Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. If you are lucky enough, the mist will intertwine with the morning rays of the sun and create all sorts of crazy colors for you to make a breathtaking photograph like this one.
Just for the record, Qureshi used a Canon 5D Mark II paired with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM set at 13 seconds, f/16, 50mm, and ISO 100 to capture the above shot. It’s a stunner, isn’t it?
Interesting Photo of the Day: Uncoordinated Dress Code
Do all photos need to tell a complete story? What do you think? Actually, it can be really interesting if your image leaves the viewers wondering about what’s going on in the image. This plays an important role in keeping viewers engaged. Photographer Anna Ulman took the following beautiful image that draws us in. Can you guess why that is?
Ulman shot the image on a Sony A7III with the Canon 135mm f/2.0 lens at f/2.0, 1/500-second exposure, and ISO 1000 using just the natural light.
It’s great how she has managed to find the perfect spot to photograph this image. The lighting is quite ideal here with the model being evenly illuminated while the other elements are in shadow. This helps in directing all the attention to the model while getting rid of distractions.
Although her stance is pretty and graceful, her choice of clothing may leave many viewers wondering. To be honest, the mix of ballet shoes, thigh-highs, a sweater, and a floppy hat doesn’t really make sense. But maybe, that’s the point. Maybe there was some purpose for the selection of this wardrobe. The fact that it’s slightly odd makes the photo more in our opinion. Apart from that, the way the color palette blends so well with the surroundings is equally pleasant and gives this image a certain charm.
Interesting Photo of the Day: Lone Tree on a Winter Night
We’ve seen a lot of stunning long exposures of the night sky in all its glory. But this one is out of the ordinary:
Kristoffer Ask Hansen is a photographer and a graphic designer. He captured this shot using a Sigma 18–35mm lens at f/1.8, ISO 800, and 30 seconds.
To create the final image, he took more than 60 frames and then merged them in Photoshop. He changed the blending mode of all the images above the bottom one to Lighten to create a long exposure effect with an array of relatively faster exposures.
Interesting Photo of the Day: Golden Rocket Trail
With the successful launches of various SpaceX rockets, we’re super excited for mankind’s take on space exploration. In November of 2020, a SpaceX rocket was launched that carried four astronauts to dock with the International Space Station. The successful flight was yet another milestone as it highlighted the maturation of the commercial industry. Photographer Dieter Unrath got lucky as he was able to observe and photograph this important event from Cocoa Beach in Florida:
Unrath took the image with a Canon 6D and a 50mm f/1.4 lens. The image is a composite of three different images. Two of the images are for the rocket trail that he shot at 50mm, f/14, ISO 100, and a 30-second exposure. For the background, he exposed for the stars for 30 seconds at 50mm, f/3.2, and ISO 800.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of color grading to this and a bit of overlaying in Photoshop.”
Without a doubt, the hero of this image is the rocket trail. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to draw much inference from the image. And although it’s not overdone, it gives a sci-fi feel to the image. If you’re writing a sci-fi book, you could definitely consider this image for the book cover.
Besides the trail, the people on the beach and the stars in the background also convey an important message. With all these advancements taking place, we can now dream that very soon mankind will be ready to explore space more conveniently and hopefully find a new home. It’s almost like the people are waiting in line for their turn to go there.
It’s amazing how the photographer was able to get this meaningful photo during his first time witnessing a rocket launch. He did a fantastic job – we love that the composition isn’t just of a rocket, but of a whole scene. What do you think?
All photos and description courtesy of Picture/Correct.
One more amazing photo:
