Fall Colors - Rowboat Bow and Shadows - (Using the Patience Filter)

Early morning light during the "golden hour" - Lakeside details. I was initially drawn to the fantastic warm light and reflections on the water. Then I thought it would be interesting to include one of the nearby boats, so I started to work out a composition that I felt worked. Then I noticed the shadow which I quickly began trying to incorporate into my composition as well.

The "fun" part was, the boat was in a slow constant motion that was driving me completely insane. Slowly drifting towards me, then wiggling as the rope tightened at full extension, then slowly retreating away from me. All this motion put the boat where I needed it for only a few seconds and the boat still remained in motion for those precious few seconds.

I responded in frustration with a loud uggh! that echoed off of the nearby cliffs and I'm sure startled at least a few of the local critters robbing them of the last of this morning's sleep.

I now knew and had become emotionally attached to the composition I had laid out in my mind and I felt that for this composition to work it was imperative to include the bow eye-hook and its shadow. Without them the entire scene felt weak and seemed to fall apart.

I worked out my basic composition with my camera off tripod. Then framed it up on the tripod. There were distractions to the left and bottom of the frame that I needed to eliminate which dictated camera position and focal length and resulted in a very tight window of opportunity. I also bumped up my ISO to give me a faster shutter to counteract the movement of the boat. Feeling better and more in control I simply waited for the boat to drift into position and fired off a couple of shots. Then I patiently waited for the boat to once again drift back into position and repeated the process while adjusting focus manually on the fly.

In order for me to get this shot I ended up having to use one of the most important tools in a photographers kit - The Patience Filter. That and a little anticipation helped bring this composition to life and for that I am grateful.

Lesson Learned:

Sometimes it's cold, wet and the conditions are a little challenging. You may find yourself getting frustrated and trying to force things. DON'T! Relax, slow down, look for the beauty, reevaluate your approach. What other tools do you have that might improve your situation or solve your problem? What could you do differently? Change positions or maybe come back later. These were some of the things that ran through my mind on this day.

Looking back, the light was perfect - I couldn't leave. I had to work with what I had and use all the tools at my disposal in order to create my desired image. In this case the most important tool I put into use was my Patience Filter. The Patience Filter is a unique tool and not found in any camera store or eCommerce photography site. It does not manipulate light, cause distortion or alter perspective. It is not installed in front of the camera, it most often comes into play behind the camera. Best of all it's free! Using my Patience Filter slowed me down, which in turn solved the boat motion problem and put me in the right frame of mind to wait for the boat to move into position. Don't forget to use your Patience Filter it can solve a wide range of problems.

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