LightningPaul

12 Jan 2009 • 689 views
 
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photoblog image Frozen Damse Vaart

Frozen Damse Vaart

This is the canal connecting Damme (near Brugge in Belgium) to Sluis (in Holland). Last week is was frozen again since a long time. The winter is now showing its most beautiful sight as you can see at the trees and plants. While driving to my work I pass this canal. This time I stopped to make this image.
Yesterday I have been able to walk and slide on it with my family and lots of other people :-)

It may look a bit surreal because the lighting looks hyper balanced, though my wife and I really love it. It could be part of a fairy tail.


TECH-INFO: using a tripod I took five JPG shots. Merged them into a HDR file and tone mapped it with Photomatrix, this was the most time consuming part. Initially I tried the exposure blending tool which gave a very similar result, though a bit looking more surreal.
Finally I boosted the contrast very slightly using curves and made the sky a little bit more blue with the selective color tool.


UPDATE: I passed today and the ice started melting and the tree brances lost their white snow layer.

Frozen Damse Vaart

This is the canal connecting Damme (near Brugge in Belgium) to Sluis (in Holland). Last week is was frozen again since a long time. The winter is now showing its most beautiful sight as you can see at the trees and plants. While driving to my work I pass this canal. This time I stopped to make this image.
Yesterday I have been able to walk and slide on it with my family and lots of other people :-)

It may look a bit surreal because the lighting looks hyper balanced, though my wife and I really love it. It could be part of a fairy tail.


TECH-INFO: using a tripod I took five JPG shots. Merged them into a HDR file and tone mapped it with Photomatrix, this was the most time consuming part. Initially I tried the exposure blending tool which gave a very similar result, though a bit looking more surreal.
Finally I boosted the contrast very slightly using curves and made the sky a little bit more blue with the selective color tool.


UPDATE: I passed today and the ice started melting and the tree brances lost their white snow layer.

comments (28)

  • vintage
  • Australia
  • 12 Jan 2009, 01:04
Great image,very good prosessing
LightningPaul: Thank you smile
  • Aussie
  • Brisbane
  • 12 Jan 2009, 02:13
Wonderful looking image Paul
LightningPaul: Thanks for visiting and commenting!
  • Simone
  • Italy
  • 12 Jan 2009, 07:37
If the Heaven has a frosted side, then, it must be this!
Wonderfull!
LightningPaul: It was smile Now it's melted again :-( Perhaps it will come in another 12 years (just like previous time).
Wonderful shot.
LightningPaul: Thanks!
  • Tero
  • Finland
  • 12 Jan 2009, 08:31
Wonderful winter landscape.
Very good job.
LightningPaul: Thank you Tero.
  • Chris Legg
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • 12 Jan 2009, 10:10
Wow - thats pretty stunning! I love frost and snow, they make everything look so clean and beautiful.
LightningPaul: Indeed. Now it's over. It was looking like paradise.
  • Tracy
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • 12 Jan 2009, 10:12
Winter wonderland. Awesome shot.
LightningPaul: Many thanks Tracy!
beautiful winter capture
LightningPaul: Thank you Chantal.
Beautiful, almost magical looking image. This is the kind of HDR work I think puts it to great use.
LightningPaul: I think the same about this kind of HDR work. It especially great when lighting is not perfect. You capture all details and enhance them afterwards.
It's a very magical sight.
LightningPaul: Thanks!
This picture is amazing. The perspective draws one into and through this image. A beautiful winter picture, excellent capture.
LightningPaul: Many thanks John, I appreciate it. I forgot to mention that I was standing on a bridge hence the perspective.
Very good HDR picture, nice converging lines.Well spotted.
LightningPaul: Many thanks for your comment and visit.
  • Rob
  • Thailand
  • 12 Jan 2009, 15:37
Nice cmposition. Gives one a true feeling for the place. The Blue sky fools us momentarily that it's warm. The snow on the ground and frost in the trees soon sorts that illusion out!!
Enjoyable!!
Rob
LightningPaul: Thanks for telling me about the warm/cold illusion. I like to read different opinions and views my images.
Worth all the work you put in to this, a wonderful Winter picture. I've had my first go at HDR this weekend, I will need a bit more practise before showing anything on SC.
LightningPaul: Great! If you use Photomatrix, spend lots of time experimenting with the controls (I did the same, in fact I'm still doing this), so that you understand them better. In the beginning it can be overwhelming. Good luck and lots of fun, I'm looking forward to your tone mapped images.
  • anniedog
  • United Kingdom
  • 12 Jan 2009, 18:23
Stunning composition and processing. HDR in your hands seems to produce excellent results - yes, it does look slightly surreal, but it doesn't have that heavily processed look that many HDR afficionados seem to love.
Ingrid
LightningPaul: Many thanks Ingrid! I'm happy you appreciate my HDR tone mapping a lot. I'm always pushing it while trying to keep it (very) real.
Superbly done Paul, it seems to go on forever
LightningPaul: Thank you Bill! I'm trying hard, so far everything OK smile
  • zed
  • Australia
  • 12 Jan 2009, 20:04
Coming from a subtropical region this is an alien world, glorious scene
LightningPaul: smile I can image this. Thanks for visiting!
stunning shot and treatment Paul, top notch fellasmile
LightningPaul: Thank you very much Tim! I'm very glad you like it a lot.
So cold and so warm at the same time. Great work
LightningPaul: Thanks for the warm comment!
  • 613photo
  • United States
  • 12 Jan 2009, 23:15
This is truly majestic. Love how those trees are arranged. The balanced light created by the HDR doesn't bother me at all. If I had one suggestion, it would be to make the whole thing maybe a little bit darker. A half stop at the very most.
LightningPaul: Thank you for commenting. A story about the tree arrangement: a colleague from the US visited us and asked him what he was thinking of our landscape in Northern Belgium. He said it is fine but it looks like Lego... everything is nicely placed and positioned :-D
The overall image might be indeed a bit darker except the snow would have to keep the same brightness.
Wow, very nice shot. I like perspective and colors: a magical mood!
LightningPaul: Many thanks Giorgio. I was standing on a bridge. It was very magical, now it is all melted :-(
  • Doum
  • Canada
  • 13 Jan 2009, 13:13
MAGNIFIQUE! It's the paradise view for the Eskimos!
LightningPaul: LOL smile You are right!
  • Ilan
  • Israel
  • 13 Jan 2009, 19:32
This is unreal... I can't believe there are such beautiful places on Earth. Totally blown away by this one. Wow!
LightningPaul: Thanks a lot. Unfortunately this place is gone, everything is melted.
  • SePp
  • Germany
  • 13 Jan 2009, 19:36
Great winter picture! Good stop on your way to work!! smile
LightningPaul: Every day when driving to work it is a beautiful view. But at that time it was exceptional. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Simply beautiful!
LightningPaul: Thank you!
  • Bop
  • Czech Republic
  • 25 Jan 2009, 18:15
Superb shot! Clean and simple! Really like it.
LightningPaul: Many thanks for your comment!
  • Hervé
  • France
  • 12 Feb 2009, 09:22
Great mood, good use of perspective, like a infrared photo!!
Regards
LightningPaul: Thanks! Indeed has the feel of an infrared image. Well seen!
  • liDa
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • 10 Mar 2009, 12:55
Stunning shot!
I must admit it, your portfolio is really imressive. Keep on posting!

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for this photo I'm in a any and all comments icon ShMood©
camera NIKON D200
exposure mode full manual
shutterspeed 1/50s
aperture f/11.0
sensitivity ISO100
focal length 12.0mm
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