This is a series of Photographs taken over the last few days at Mount Arapiles in Victoria Australia. These shots were taken from Mitre Lake [now just a salt plain] in the grip of twelve years of drought with the smoke from the Melbourne King Lake/Marysville and Horsham fires in the sky. Taken at Sunrise.
The photographs have had very little post processing. The unusual light is a result of the fires and smoke in the air.
This was also my first time out with the new Canon 24mm F1.4L MKII - and it has proved a winner. It is VASTLY superior in sharpness, contrast and chromatic aberation to the 16-35mm F2.8L. One of the other biggest differences is the 24mm is considerably sharper in the corners.
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Canon EOS1DS MK3 w/ Canon 24mm F1.4L MK II F14 1.6 Seconds ISO100 w/ 3 Stop Soft ND Grad. Post Process LR 2.2
This photograph taken only 20 metres from the above shot - also at sunrise.
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Canon EOS1DS MK3 w/ Canon 24mm F1.4L MK II F14 4 Seconds ISO100 w/ 3 Stop Soft ND Grad. Post Process LR 2.2
Broken and Abandoned
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Canon EOS1DS MK3 w/ Canon 24mm F1.4L MK II F10 30 Seconds ISO100 w/ 3 Stop Soft ND Grad. Post Process LR 2.2
Last of the morning Color
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Canon EOS1DS MK3 w/ Canon 24mm F1.4L MK II F11 1/20 Seconds ISO100 w/ 1 Stop Hard ND Grad. Post Process LR 2.2
Comments welcome - which do you prefer?
Hello Josh, wanted to comment on these when you posted them but I've been a bit busy.
My picks are 2 & 4.
Personal taste really - No. 3 feels a bit busy with the fence in foreground - doesn't suit the feel of the landscape for me. No. 4 has the best light.
This scene for me calls for a more panoramic composition - having used the MK2 you could probably get away with some cropping. That's just the way I'd approach it, not a criticism.
I was actually over there but on the east side in late 2006 just before we had our turn with the fires. We travelled through the Little Desert, which coincidentally had just had a fire go through large areas.
It seems like bushfires are going to be the norm in the future. I hate the fires, but paradoxically I love the light they produce. If only we could have smoke from time to time without the fire?!
These remind me some of Murray Frederick's Salt work
, well worth a visit to Arc One gallery in Flinders Lane, (if you haven't already been).
Look forward to more images from you.
Bob.