Wow! Snapshot Places 8th in Competition!

I was pleasantly surprised this image did so well. Not because I don't think it's a good shot but because of how easy it was to come by.

Here's what I mean.

My normal routine for shooting landscapes, like most photographers, includes a few steps: select wide angle lens, polarizing filter, setup tripod, frame the shot, set exposure, bracket... yes, it takes a while. This approach allows me to get good results with proper exposure, composition and with some level of creativity.

This shot was different.

On Location
I took this shot on one day after a doctor's appointment one morning. I was on my way back to work when I passed by this pond in a neighboring community. Something about it caught my eye. I backed-up the car, jumped out, grabbed my camera bag and headed to the side of the small pond. I had a 50mm/1.8 lens on the camera.

Taking the Shot
When shooting lakes and ponds, etc. I like to make sure that there is a good strong reflection of the other side. I also like to shoot along the shoreline in a way that allows the viewer to follow the water out to the horizon. In this shot, I included a nearby tree to partially frame the shot. In my haste, I neglected to pick an appropriately small aperture. I wound up at f/3.5 and a shutter speed was 1/125s.

Post Processing
I had to crop the image slightly to make the shoreline level on the other side. I added good dose of contrast, sharpened the image and I was done.

Finale
It just goes to show that one needs to be ready to shoot at any time. Furthermore, these snapshots can be some of the more meaningful ones that have the greatest impact.