Morning Marsh, Mist, & Tree Photo

Photographer's Note

Morning Marsh, Mist, & Tree
Island Lake, North of Duluth Minnesota

This image was shot a bit after my last post. I drove a few minutes from the bridge I shot dawn from down into the lake margin (bog) on this small gravel road hoping to catch an early morning Loon, Heron, or something ( ... The heron in my my image For Marek - Like a Bird was shot from this small road.) ..

The scene that greeted me was beautiful .. The sun searing through the early morning mist on the bog. The sun is literally just off the left edge of the frame (just over the tree tops).

The biggest thing you are missing from my experience is the haunting cry of the loons (the state bird) .. that stayed away from my camera .. but they are an atmospheric part of morning in Northern Minnesota.

this links to whatbird.com - scroll down to play the loon call

feather, maglex, stego, jwmunro, Buin, Pentti, Cretense, bakes888, gunbud, danos, Cricri, paura, alainh, emjleclercq, cunejo200, dip, avene, plimrn, josepmarin, parbo, JCG has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

feather (51130) 2009-06-23 8:50

You may have noticed I have been inactive on TE for a while, but occasionally look to see what my 'favourites' have posted. I'm glad I didn't miss this one. It looks amazing and makes me realise what I miss by not getting up for the dawn (mainly as it is about 3:30am at the moment over here)You have done very well with the exposure, seeing as you were almost shooting into the sun. I love how the mist separates reality from the blurry reflection making it very atmospheric. I should have put the loon call on first to enjoy the full experience before I started to write. One of our neighbours has a duck I can hear quacking - Does that count? ;D I'll listen to the loon now.
Hope you are all keeping well over there
Kath

[3]

vad (342) 2009-06-23 8:57

Waouh!!!
Wonderful shot John...
Very nice!

maglex (1980) 2009-06-23 9:02

Hi John, its a beautiful atmosphere and the ambience is very well captured in a sepia like tone. Thanks for sharing...Alex

Morac (27725) 2009-06-23 10:08

Bonsoir John,

Que cette composition est réussie !
Que ces couleurs sont belles !
C'est un superbe travail.
Cordialement
Marc

stego (24132) 2009-06-23 10:08

Hi John,
Wonderful atmosphere, I can almost hear the birds. I like very much the layered compo, the light and the smooth, mostly monochrome tones.
Regards,
José

jwmunro (286) 2009-06-23 10:41

Hello John -

Still in that golden period I see. I would love to hear a loon on a quiet lake sometime - one of these days I will make it to Minn, Wisc, & Mich for the fall colors and maybe a loon at the same time. This is well composed, John, with the reflections, layers, and rising mist. Exposure, etc., etc., is spot on the money. Well done!

Thank you for sharing.

John

mesutilgim (0) 2009-06-23 10:56

Hi John,
Great artwork ! Every detail fits perfectly and overall impression is equal to a masterly chinese ink painting.
Cıngratulations
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

rigoletto (34279) 2009-06-23 11:17

Hi John!
Thank you especially for the loon call, it is great how you make us feel inside the photo. Just superb atmosphere, how i wish to be there now...
Kind regards,
Deniz

Buin (42580) 2009-06-23 12:42

Good evening (here ;-) John!
Again a most atmospheric scenery full of "begin". Reading your note one gets the feeling of "being there". A photo to marvel and to get calm ... wonderful. Thank you for the link! The loon's voice really is amazing - and a bit "eerie" ;-)
Greetings from at last warm and sunny Germany - after a lot of rain!
Frank

hay_kes (31439) 2009-06-23 14:14

Hi John,
Very impressive photo vith a peaceful atmosphere.TFS.
Cheers,

hAyAti

eversmile (11636) 2009-06-23 16:30

Hi John

That's the kind of shot that makes me quiver. What a magic athmosphere! Due to the mist but also to the reflection in the lake... and this color...! I know it's Minessota but I think to Tarkovski (russian film-maker). very beautiful and poetic;
Regards
Marine

danyy (0) 2009-06-23 23:45

Bonjour John,
j'adore ces photos qui nous plon,gent dans la nature et sous des lumières et des couleurs un peu, voire très inhabituelles.
Le choix du moment est aussi important que celui de l'endroit.
J'aime beaucoup le calme et sur le plan artistique, le cadrage et le choix du format vertical.
Amicalement.
Daniel.

Cretense (68709) 2009-06-24 0:58

Hello John! Everything ok here in Greece with family and friends, I hope it's the same with you and your loved ones!

This is a striking image, my dear friend, a trully outstanding, artistic and atmospheric photo! You took perfect advantage of the fog, to create a fairy-like work of art! Excellent composition and framing, fantastic reflection, amazing light managment and colours! Congratulations!

Hercules

bakes888 (18499) 2009-06-24 1:08

Hi John. We are missing the sounds.. and smells. Unfortunately the internet is not perfect yet ;-). Magnificent colours and serene atmosphere. Well composed and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

jemaflor (147104) 2009-06-24 11:14

Hi John,
A nice atmosphere on your shot with this fog and reflections on water, well taken.

jonathan_hart (21276) 2009-06-24 11:39

the mist and the light are just perfect, this golden is great,
maybe the icing on the cake would be no riples on the water for a perfect reflection
jc

barni (15751) 2009-06-24 13:49

Hello John
Superbe ambiance.
La brume et le traitement sur le jaune me plaisent bien.
Regards
Christophe

gunbud (34066) 2009-06-24 19:07

Hi John,
This one is a realy beauty with that lovely tranquil moring mist to go with the golden morning light and stunning reflections.
I really like how the vertical format works here and your are right there is no sound in nature more compelling than the lonely cry of the loon.
Regards, Tom

fserajian (2299) 2009-06-24 22:02

Hi John,

Lovely shot, you have captured the atmosphere so well overall an excellent composition specially the the reflection in the water. :-)

Regards

Fara

Graal (103040) 2009-06-24 23:54

Hi John,
beautiful misty morning. Very nice vertical composition. Nice place near by nature. Fine pp, good idea. I like it a lot.
Gr., Aleksander

kpav (5031) 2009-06-25 5:32

Hello John, this is amazing, stunning warm tones superb composition, a masterpiece! Thanks for sharing,
Kostas.

danos (110407) 2009-06-25 8:00

Hi John,
one more superb misty morning with the reflection of the tree to be shaped on the surface of the lake like a painter's stroke.A great atmospheric photo that electrify the fantasy.Well done.

Regards,Danos

Cricri (176) 2009-06-25 11:33

Hi John
Très belle teintes des couleurs un peu particulière ou viens s'ajouter le côté mystére que donne la brume, un ensemblent au combien agréable a regarder, trés réussi
Good evening for you
cricri

paura (25802) 2009-06-25 13:14

John,
Yhis is really an art production. Supperb photo job, lighting and colours.

Regards

Paulo

blueaquan (34) 2009-06-26 11:16

Absolutely true to what you said about the call of the Loons, it's really haunting! The picture looks almost magical, indeed Nature's best shows are screened early morning and all the trouble we take to get ourselves out of the bed is worth a moment like this...

Simply, great job!

Cheers
Blue

darek1978 (13361) 2009-06-26 17:18

Hi John,
This light is fabulous and I especially like the fog coming from the background. I also like the tranquil and calmly environment and magical, morning mood. Well done!
Have a nice weekend,
Regards,
Darek

alainh (33209) 2009-06-26 23:13

hello John
you success here a splendid capture ! the foggy atmosphere is fabulous. softness and silence caraterise your picture. the yellow colours is a must here.
take care, John
friendly
alain

buscape (6219) 2009-06-27 9:56

Hello John,
after listening to the loon call I was even more impressed with your atmospheric landscape shot. It was a good idea to get up early in the morning and capture this magical scenery. Thanks for this lovely view and the appertaining loon call.
Best wishes,
Helmut

emjleclercq (15778) 2009-06-27 13:11

A beautifull one, for both the mist effect and the yellow color. Great shot, John.

All the best,

Emmanuel

anesugur (18789) 2009-06-27 13:14

Hi John,
Very nice scenery.
The light, reflections and colors are excellent.
Very well done.
Best regards. Uğur

cunejo200 (7281) 2009-06-28 1:10

This is superb John. I am glad you woke up early for this. I have no complains, just admiration. regards.
Danilo

dip (21408) 2009-06-28 13:14

Hi John,
excellent capture of the morning atmosphere,
the mist makes the picture more beautiful and mysterious,
well framed and composed as well,
Greetings,
Dimitris.

giorgimer (35017) 2009-06-28 14:03

Hi John,

very nice image, extraordinary atmosphere, good reflection.

TFS

Gio

avene (12675) 2009-06-28 14:05

hi John,
love the light and colour here, the golden tones together with the mist create a fascinating dream-like quality. this must've been a tricky exposure with such a contrast between light and dark areas, but you have managed it very well. excellent work, my compliments.

best,
Kristine

plimrn (21344) 2009-06-29 12:40

Hi John,
I love the way the tree floats in the mist; it does look like a place where one would find birds.

Nice to hear from you again, sounds and looks like you're settling in comfortably now. How is Andrew doing? My last six months have been pretty chaotic but seem to be smoothing out now.
HLJ, Pat

Angshu (56760) 2009-06-29 20:41

Dear John
This is amazing! Looks straight out of an artists palette...of course I do consider a photographer to be a painter as well! The loon call begins in the most haunting manner & I actually played it first to get 'immersed' into the picture. What catches my eye most is the mist acting as a divider between the reflection & reality...and the pastel hues of the ambient light is out of this world. Superb!
Take Care
Best Regards
Angshu

Herquin (7789) 2009-06-30 11:10

Hi John,
very lovely picture . This marsh is mysterious on the fog but i like it.Cheers.

Sorry if my language is bad .

Have a good evening .
Christian .

bernardec (2241) 2009-06-30 13:09

John,

Fantastic shot
and very impressive reflexions
bravo
Bernard

delkoo (68) 2009-06-30 23:20

hi john,
You captured fantastic light in a really good composition. I am impressed by the details and colours of your photo.
really good one
didier

Waylim (25436) 2009-07-01 18:06

Hi John,
This is quite a wonderful shot, I like the successive layers of elements here, I do love the mist rising from the lake. It feels more like a sunset than a morning image due to the warmer light. Vertical format really works well here, it creat much depth and layers to this composition. I enjoyed it very much.
Way

josepmarin (59385) 2009-07-02 12:52

Hi John,
An impressive image!
The graphical effect of this swampy landscape hidden in the mist, and the silhouettes of the trees and the vegetation, is strong and very attractive. I like the luminosity and the golden hues of the photo, that seems to be monochromatic.
A great work.
Best regards,
Josep

foozi (7101) 2009-07-03 7:01

Hi John,
such a classical shot. with the dreamy effect of the reflection. the nice pestel colors of the sky is really fascinating. Excellent presentation of this wonderful landscape.
well done.

regards,
Foozi

travelm8 (366) 2009-07-03 16:56

Hi John
this is a wondeful image, the colours are great and if you look at it long enough the mist starts moving!

You have a stunning gallery of shots, if you and your son get to go half of these places together you are sharing an amazing journey. As they say it's not the time in your life, but the life in your time that makes the journey worthwhile.

good luck to you both, happy hiking.

cheers

John

ryno (6869) 2009-07-05 6:33

Hi John, I like the way you captured the mood here. Very brooding and somewhat mysterious, with the golden glow and subtle reflections. A very attractive nature shot. Well done!
Ryno

PixelTerror (0) 2009-07-06 3:37

Hi John
Nice misty image, I feel cold looking at it, I'd be temptated to remove the foreground reflected part to concentrate on the misty area
Have a nice day JY

parbo (11092) 2009-07-07 13:16

Hello John,

This is another fantastic one. I saw that you are also fun of sunrise and its magics my friend. The reflections and dark silhouettes are just magnificent here. Congratulations.

Friendly Regards,

Ertugrul

JCG (35153) 2009-07-08 0:14

Hello John,

Marvellous atmosphere in this photograph, the morning is the moment that I prefer for the photograph, nature wakes up and with it the beautiful colors and the light. This light fog brings much softness to the image and sunrise it of the reflection gilded of any beauty. A success this image, thank you John.

With all my friendships and with soon,

Jean-Charles

marcdemoulin (1870) 2009-07-11 7:50

Outstanding tonalities for this misty and moody shot John. Well done.
Best RGDS
Marc

NotArt (11) 2009-07-17 19:49

This is one of the best pictures I've seen on this website - or, in fact, ever! Thanks - it is a true joy.

BilboCA (734) 2009-08-03 21:52

Hi, John,

Magically evocative scene; expertly captured.

The color is sublime.

The mist ephemeral.

The layered textures of silhouetted trees invite our eyes to look again and again to drink in the richness.

Thanks!
- William

batalay (41261) 2010-02-21 14:56

Hello John,

I was perusing your last few shots when I clicked on "this is the same location as..." Well, how can one get past this magical shot, a genuine masterpiece, with layer upon layer of dark, well resolved turf alternating with amorphous fog. Absolutely miraculous. It is a pleasure to get this image from 99 points to 101. (I believe, one person inadvertently gave it a single point.)

Warm regards,

Bulent

svefay (810) 2010-06-23 23:40

hi,
like a beautiful paint!...
effect of reflection with yellowish colour and mist is perfect...

(full point)

livermore (1631) 2012-10-27 2:34

Bonjour John,
Tu as su rendre sur cette photo une très belle atmosphère, les couleurs sont superbes.
Excellente composition.
Bonne journée
Vincent