Two days, one location!

It makes sense that the weather has a big influence on your photo, but sometimes the difference is so great that it looks like the photo was taken at a completely different place, moment, or even in a different season. Between these two photos is only 1 day, with almost the same composition and both are taken around sunrise. Yet there is a world of difference between the two images.

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Wet snow and rain

The first shot was taken during a passing wet snow shower. At first the sky was flat, gray and dull, but because the storm was not very big, the sky cracked open at the horizon. This turned out to be essential for the photo. Thanks to the small amount of backlight that arose, the precipitation is clearly visible. The photo mainly consists of blue, white and gray tones. Due to the different colors of the houses, plus the leading line in the foreground and sky, your eyes are automatically drawn to them.

When you see a shower like this coming towards you, you know you’re going to get wet, there’s no escaping that. It didn’t take long before I was standing in the pouring rain. And even though the weather sealing of this camera and lens is very good, after a while it doesn’t feel good to let it get so wet.

 

Because the light was still quite bright, and to reduce glare on the water, I used a gray gradient filter and a polarizing filter. This meant an extra large surface for raindrops to accumulate 😀 Fortunately, there was not a lot of wind and I was able to take a cloth over the whole fairly easily, before taking the picture.

A beautiful ending

Two days later, it was a completely different story! I had already packed my bags to fly back to the Netherlands when I saw that the sky started to turn pink. Of course, I could not resist, so I quickly unpacked my bag to get the tripod and filters (which were already safely packed in my luggage). With the camera bag on my back I ran uphill ,and then down through knee-deep snow and rocks, to get to the waterline. I knew it was going to be a close call because the sky was getting more and more beautiful, so I dared to take the risk, it was the last day …

In terms of composition it was simple, I wanted the same shot as two days earlier. However, there was a problem, I had forgotten my filter holder. Fortunately, I only needed a polarization filter and with the 45 mm lens it was no problem to gently hold the filter against it.
I was right on time because the beautiful color disappeared about as quickly as it had appeared.

When we look at the results, this image evokes a completely different feeling. The color radiates warmth and the landscape looks inviting. What is also striking is that the houses do not attract attention now, but rather the light on Mount Olestind and its reflection. This creates a completely different kind of photo of the same subject.

For this reason alone, it is nice to visit a location several times, both with good and “bad” weather. You will see that you come home with different images every time!

Thanks for reading

If you like my photography, please follow me on Instagram @harmenpiekema and Facebook. Check out my YouTube channel to see behind the scene vlogs, learn how to use certain gear and follow me on my adventures. If you want you can check out my webshop. Your support means a lot!



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