Advertisement
Advertisement
Read Next

Photo Of The Day By Patrick Campbell
Today’s Photo Of The Day is “Milky...
Photo Of The Day By James Woolcock
Today’s Photo Of The Day is “The...
Photo Of The Day By Nunzio Guerrera
Today’s Photo Of The Day is...
Layers In The Landscape Assignment Winner Harry Lichtman
Congratulations to Harry Lichtman for...Advertisement
Featured Articles

Read More
The Art of Luminosity, Part 1
Understanding light to improve your photography.

Read More
Does Camera Sensor Size Matter?
How important is sensor size for the quality of your photographs? We consider the pros and cons of each of the most common camera sensor formats.

Read More
Organizing Your Photos, Part 1: A Place For Everything
Use these tips to tame your photo library.

Read More
A Year Photographing The National Parks
Ten highlights from an epic tour photographing all of the U.S. national parks.

Read More
Trillium Lake
Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon.

Read More
Parks For The People
George Grant toiled in obscurity for nearly three decades as the first official photographer of the National Park Service. Ren and Helen Davis want to make sure his story isn’t lost to history.
Behind The Shot: “Seljalandsfoss—Under the Midnight Sun” By Harry Lichtman—Iceland
Photo By Harry Lichtman
Iceland boasts many waterfalls, many of which are easily accessible near major roads. This can be a good thing, but the downside is that these attractions have been photographed widely and original compositions can be difficult to come by. While many waterfalls were much larger, I was drawn to the more intimate feel of Seljalandsfoss. After walking around the falls, I decided on this vantage point. This profile angle took advantage of the setting sun (near midnight), included these vibrant grass-covered boulders and showcased the graceful flow of the water. My late arrival reduced the chances of having other visitors in the shot. I had taken some vertical exposures with my super-wide 16-35mm lens, but I was forced to move back from the foreground boulders in order to include the entire fall. This made the grass-covered rocks much less impressive. There was also some beautiful cloud action to the left of the falls, which would be eliminated with a single vertical shot.
In order to present the various elements the way I had envisioned, I decided on an unconventional approach to photograph the falls. For this image, I figured I could move very close to the boulders to make them prominent in the image by shooting horizontally and create a panorama moving upward. Staying dry was impossible, as the blowing mist was always traveling my way. Four horizontal images were taken, moving from ground level to the top of the falls, then stitched together in post processing. Lying on my back, I positioned my tripod/camera over my chest and uncovered the lens when the winds and mist subsided. A towel wipe down was required to get some spot-free sequences. In the end, I was able to capture the falls, the impressive sky and hopefully a little different perspective using this approach.
Nikon D810, 16-35mm f4, polarizing filter, ISO 40, all 4 shots at f16, 1/4 sec.
Harry Lichtman is a professional landscape photographer based in New Hampshire and recent recipient of the Smithsonian Windland Smith Rice International Award for Landscape Photography. His images are been published internationally in magazines, calendars, and travel guides as well as fine art prints to homes and businesses. More of Harry’s work can be found at www.HarryLichtman.com.