One of the great things about shooting landscapes is knowing that behind you could be the better image. While I was out this past weekend at the marsh, which happened to be next to the Gallatin River, I stopped on a bridge and shot a little bit while the sun was just about down. Now the way the clouds were that evening, the great reds were never going to appear where I was up but further out west. That didn’t mean thought that there still wasn’t light. Even without the direct light there was enough definition in the clouds to bring out some of the contrast in the light and dark areas. What fascinates me is the difference between looking east and looking west.
The great thing about working with bodeis of water is that they reflect light and that reflection can be almost graphic in nature. While looking out west where there was just a slight hint of red on the horizon, the rest of the sky showed almost no coloration. While the scenario is technically backlit the overall tone is that of a black and white. This is a result of no clouds, no moisture, the temperature seems more neutral then cold as a result.
Looking out east where the last bit of light was hitting the clouds are cold but there is enough light to make out the rest of the scene. Both images were shot with the D4 and 18mm and neither one of them saw much time in ACR but it amazes me how different the landscape can look when looking 180 degrees the other way. The physics of light in that regard are pretty amazing.