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ometimes it
pays to take a
step back from
the tripod and
just look. When
the wait for the
light is over and
the decisive
moment is nigh, I can be so
busy assessing histograms,
levelling the horizon,
rummaging for rings, or
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true serenity of the scene in
front of me passes almost
unnoticed. Rush, rush, rush: it’s
the story of our lives. If it weren’t
for the joy of photography it’s
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place; but taking the time to just
look and marvel at Mother Nature’s
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soul, and my craft.
On the banks of Buttermere,
with the early morning light
painting a scene of stunning
beauty, I paused to reappraise.
Was I making the most of this
wonderful opportunity? I stepped
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For just a moment my tranquillity
was complete: no reversing alarms,
beeping phones or rattling diesel
engines intruded. The only sound
was the tweeting of the birds and
the bahing of the sheep; why can’t
it always be like this?
There are few situations that are
more photographically appealing
than the perfect mirror-like
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possible with my geared tripod
head, I adjusted the framing in
the eyepiece with symmetrical
precision, so that the water-line
bisected the frame perfectly. I then
zoomed in to 105mm with my
70-200mm lens, so the strong
diagonal line of the rays just
clearing the ridge to the south east
slanted in precisely from the top
left corner, painting the iconic trees
at the head of the lake with strong,
low side-lighting. Beyond the rays,
the valley still deep in shadow
emphasized the diagonal, and the
trees stood out against the dark
background as if spot lit.
The result was an image in my
eyepiece of simple symmetrical
harmony, with the top half of the
frame mirrored exactly below.
I had to be precise with my
composition: symmetry that wasn’t
quite perfect would jar the senses
horribly, destroying the balance.
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barely a ripple broke this
symmetry; the image glowing on
the screen on the camera back
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one would have known.
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suggest harmony, serenity and
tranquillity. I don’t always strive
for harmony and balance in
compositions – my images would
all start looking boringly similar if I
did – but here in the Lake District Iinstinctively knew it was the way
to go. That’s the thing with this
composition game: ultimately it’s
a gut feeling, an instinct partly
intuitive, partly nurtured.
For such moments by still lakes,
a 0.6 neutral density graduated
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brightness of the top of the frame
is perfectly matched by the
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gradation laid along the shoreline.
A touch of lens vignetting was
apparent, with the edges of the
frame slightly darker than the
middle. This is an effect I oftenButtermere
David NotonVORZVGRZQDQGUHÁHFWV
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Lakes District, Cumbria, England. 08:53am. 24th September 2005.
Reflections on the shore of
Buttermere at dawn, Cumbria,
Lakes District, UK
Lens Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Exposure 1/100 sec, f/4, ISO100NEXT
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