So, I recently took a two hour trip down to the Kanagawa/Zushi area to grab a photo of Enoshima at sunset with Mount Fuji looming in the background. As you can see from the image below, Mount Fuji decided to take the day off, as it usually does when I travel long distances to photograph it. Seriously, I have the worst luck with weather, I've been here 5 years and I've only been lucky enough to photograph it on 3 different occasions. This was my second time trying to photograph the giant this month, and the second time I traveled over 2 hours just to get a picture, only to be met by a wall of clouds (despite 4 different weather sites/apps telling me it's not cloudy). This was quite frustrating, as I see Fuji every day on my way to work, but when I go out of my way to photograph it, I have no luck... I won't lie, I kicked a bush in frustration... I'm not proud of it, and I apologized to the bush, but I did kick a bush pretty hard.
Anyway, the first time I was met by the wall of clouds, I just went back home, as the photo simply wouldn't have worked without Fuji. However, this time I saw a break in the clouds along the horizon, so I decided to wait 3 hours to see if the clouds would catch. They didn't quite catch as I'd hoped, but the sun did streak across Enoshima and catch some of the clouds just above it.
While I am happy with the image, I'm not quite sure this is portfolio material, and I'll be returning to this spot every week in February until I get the shot I wanted. That being said, sometimes we have to make the best of a bad situation, and the consolation prize isn't always half bad.
As always, meaningful critiques are welcome, feel free to share any similar stories you have, and I'll never say no to a showering of praise... and chocolate. Oh, and don't kick bushes.
ISO 100
105mm
f/11
1/6 sec.
I love the colors, but as it is now I agree it's not the most interesting... Good luck with persisting!
This is cool, I like the repetitive nature of the island with the mountains, and the sky is great. Atmospheric perspective helps the shot quite a bit too.
Only thing I might do is clean up the left side of the island water, maybe clone out those rocks.
I normally remove distractions, but the rocks/cliffs are one of the defining features of Enoshima, so removing them would look strange to anyone who knows it. Also, I wanted them for balancing the left and right side. But, I can see why some people might find them distracting.
Yeah, i was being overly nitpicky haha. This shot does not bother me as is, I like it.
Tough break on the weather, but I do think you made the best of it! Great colors and sky, and I love the depth created by the haze on the hills in the background. The biggest downside for me is that the main island in the foreground is a little too soft for my taste. Obviously not looking for tack sharp given the atmospheric conditions, but it just feels a little too soft on your main subject. Not really much you can do about that, and I suppose you can't always have it both ways - with the foreground decently sharp and the hazy background. Not sure it should be in your portfolio, but a nice image nonetheless.
Best of luck with the continued efforts to shoot Mt. Fuji, and look forward to seeing the final image!
I think that maybe selective dehaze on the island may help on that...
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/my-camera-sunk-in-a-lake-and-i-need-a...
Yeah, think the softness was a mixture of the limitations of my gear, the atmosphere, and my bad focal length choice (I think that's the main one). I had what I would best describe as an "indecisive" focal length/composition because I had it set up for two possible scenarios, the clouds break to reveal Fuji or the clouds above absolutely blow up. When neither of those happened, I was force to crop way more than is flattering. Because of that, I was stuck with a choice, slightly soft atmospheric look, or sharp but noisy, and I went for the former. I also did some minor dehazing, but I didn't want to remove too much of the atmosphere.
When I go back to get the photo I'm planning for I'll actually be using the correct focal length for that particular situation, and I'll be focus stacking, so it will hopefully be sharper.
That being said, I did add a little extra sharpening and some haze removal around the island. I'm not sure how noticeable it is on this website, but this is what it looks like. (also I removed the distracting cloud on the top right). It's still not portfolio grade, but it does look a little more dynamic.
Makes sense, I like the (subtle) changes in the edit. A nice shot regardless, and, as I said, I'm looking forward to seeing the final image with the full impact of Mt. Fuji!
Hopefully I don’t mess it up! Haha.
I like the palette of gentle tones and composition in minimalism style. Lovely storytelling Jordan!
Hi Jordan, thanks for posting. I think it's quite admirable and telling that you are prepared to go to lengths to get the image you see in your mind, but even if you don't the mere fact that you're getting out there should be enjoyable (channeling my inner Thomas Heaton...)
I think the image you posted is fine - as others have pointed out it may not be the strongest subject and the color palette is pleasing but for me the image is made by the atmosphere., and I think the haze adds to this. If picky, the island may be a little soft but I think if sharpened it may detract from the overall mood.
I could see this as part of a series, featuring alongside your desired image.
Indeed, I do love getting out there, but unlike Thomas Heaton I don't have a lot of free time to get out there, so when things don't work out, it's a little extra frustrating. That being said, it's probably the best view I've seen around here, and it's always fun to have the obligatory conversation with an old dude about our cameras, haha.