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swans
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arngrimur


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Light On White (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Canon EOS-300D Rebel
Lens: Canon EF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 III
Location: Eyrabakki - Iceland
Date: Feb 27, 2005
Aperture: 10
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/250
Galleries: Animals, Water
Date Uploaded: Feb 27, 2005

 Big thanks everyone for the comments and the votes.

This was photographed on a Sunday drive in the country on the same day as my passing time
submission which by the way didn't include enough light. I guess I made up for that in this one ;-) I was not thinking of the challenge when photographing the swans. I was fascinated by the silver surface of the sea and I didn't realize that this shot was a potential entry until later.


About the location and exposure
Eyrabakki is a small village on the south coast of Iceland, it. There is a steep hill from the beach where the swans were swimming. I made the photograph on top of that hill, that explains the lack of horizon and the reflection of the sea. I used a Canon 75-300mm lens @250mm.

Post processing
A lot of you wanted information on how this was processed. In fact the post processing was one of the simplest I have made for a basic challenge. The shot was overexposed by 1,67 stops so the original is rather bright.

. Crop This is less than 1/4 of the original image.
. Brightness/Contrast +38 +17
. USM 100 1,1 5
. Resize
. Add border
. Save for web

Here is a link to the unedited version.

Exif info
...Model Canon EOS 300D DIGITAL
...Date/time original 27.02.2005 15:22:30
...Shutter speed value 1/250 s
...Aperture value f/10
...ISO speed ratings 200
...Exposure bias value 1.67 EV
...Metering mode Pattern
...Flash Flash did not fire.
...Focal length 250 mm
...White balance Auto white balance

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 431
Avg (all users): 7.4055
Avg (commenters): 8.7358
Avg (participants): 7.3855
Avg (non-participants): 7.4247
Views since voting: 14458
Views during voting: 651
Votes: 365
Comments: 102
Favorites: 80 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 04/29/2006 07:40:17 PM
Just a fantastic and wonderfully detailed high key image. Love the birds and the crop. Just terrific!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 02/10/2006 06:10:30 AM
Þetta er æðisleg mynd.
Var að velta því fyrir mér af hverju það væri ekki "Print available" en las þá að þú hafðir skorið hana mikið niður. Þá er væntanlega ekki nægileg upplausn til að geta selt hana á DPPrint.
 10/20/2005 09:29:03 AM
wow! this was so deserving of the blue ribbon!!! a fabulous shot~!!! goin in to mes favorites :-D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 06/11/2005 08:27:38 PM
What a breathtaking photo. So peaceful - I could look at it for hours.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/21/2005 10:22:59 PM
Congratulations; Awesome image.. All i could say is WOW!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/15/2005 07:37:33 AM
Congratulations on a wonderful image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/15/2005 06:18:19 AM
The depth of vision here is excellent. Its serenity is so calming.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/11/2005 02:23:11 AM
What an absolutely fabulous photo - I am in awe!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/10/2005 12:52:58 PM
Mjög flott! Til hamingju.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/10/2005 10:04:16 AM
Til hamingju með bláa borðann :)

  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/10/2005 06:21:22 AM
Congrats on the bluey, nice work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 09:01:21 PM
Congratulations on a worthy winner. It never fails to surprise me (and you would think I should have learnt by now) that quite often the simplest of ideas wins. This is not an attempt to take the glory from this image by the way.

On occasions one sees fantastic images, with a vast amount of preparation before the shot is taken, then a fair amount of post editing, which is all the result of vivid imagination and thought. I admire the work produced by these people.

Then one of these hits you, so simple, so beautiful, and you think to yourself "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT" Well done arngrimur.

Now I will go away and sulk.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 07:58:14 PM
sweet i knew this photo was a winner it is beutiful with nice lighting lol. the swans are perfect for this challenge. nice job congrats on the blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 03:59:13 PM
Congratulations on your Blue! A Beautiful image wonderfully composed!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 02:05:49 PM
Congrats! Swans was my top pick!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 01:41:20 PM
Simply elegant, job well done. Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 12:40:07 PM
Congrats man!! You deserve this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 07:54:26 AM
Is iceland a land of opportunity for pics or what??
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 07:53:12 AM
You were my first choice :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 04:34:53 AM
congrats!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 04:31:02 AM
Congratulations on the blue for this marvelous image. Your detailed description of how you achieved your result and a link to the original is appeciated by all.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 03:44:38 AM
Congratulations on the blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 03:07:28 AM
Iceland strikes again ... great job
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 02:51:13 AM
til higganimu mi fuko su petta giasura!

or, as I say in my native tongue... "right on!"
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 02:48:48 AM
Congratulations on a beautiful image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 02:42:05 AM
Congrats on the blue - I knew I had picked the winner!

Thanks for the info on the post-processing and the link to the original - great inspiration!

Message edited by author 2005-03-09 07:42:44.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 02:09:19 AM
wow! Great image. Congrats on the blue ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/09/2005 12:05:08 AM
Til hamingju. Geggjuð mynd.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 11:24:00 PM
Congrats on a well deserved ribbon !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 11:13:20 PM
Congratulations on your blue ribbon!!! :o)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 09:59:59 PM
Congratulations! Beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 09:12:08 PM
Vá, til hamingju með þetta!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 08:52:31 PM
One of the most beautiful and stunning shots I've ever seen!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:38:52 PM
This is just so sweet and pretty. All this sheer beauty delivered with such impeccable technique. Congratulations on your BLUE.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:17:50 PM
Beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:16:11 PM
Congrats! Simply beautiful :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:16:05 PM
This is one sweet shot! Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:09:47 PM
Congratulations, Arngrimur. Excellent photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:06:12 PM
Hey great job ! I knew this was going to win, I gave you a 9 and basically predicted it. Congrats and keep it up
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:05:30 PM
This one was one of my highest in the challenge, I'm glad you got in there. Superb capture, congrads.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:04:05 PM
Absolute CLASS... how anyone could give this a 1 or a 2 is beyond my ability to think.. congrats well deserved.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:03:34 PM
Stunning shot! Congrats! Well deserved Blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:00:59 PM
congrats on your win!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
03/08/2005 05:26:54 PM
I like the way the swans and there reflections melt into the solid white background, it gives a very dramatic feel.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 03:46:40 PM
nice, tranquil, pm me on how u did this! amazing shot! 8!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 03:34:21 PM
I am going back and re-evaluating all my scores that were high on B & W shots; I almost thought yours was until I noticed the delicate yellow of the bills. Quite possibly one of the ribboners!!!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 12:01:16 PM
Lovely and simple composition, I like the inclusion of the reflections.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 07:25:47 AM
This is a very appealing photo for me. If it were mine, I would probably crop it down a little bit to make the birds a bit larger but I do like the large white background and wouldn̢۪t want to make them too large. It might just be my monitor but the contrast seems a tad high for my taste but it is still an excellent picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 06:41:22 AM
wow. Exquisit framing and a wonderful expression of this challenge. Such elegance! Great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 01:59:04 AM
WOW, just WOW. I don't hand out 10s willy-nilly, but this one got one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/08/2005 01:50:54 AM
beautifully done. Well positioned, elegant and attractive. One of the top pictures in this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/07/2005 03:50:14 PM
Absolutely gorgeous - 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/07/2005 12:25:50 PM
Very good use of over expose. Perfect for the theme. Should make it in top 5.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/07/2005 11:00:17 AM
perfect. 10 all the way..
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/07/2005 09:31:53 AM
to much white. but pretty.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/07/2005 01:33:26 AM
interesting effect
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2005 10:57:10 PM
This is just stunning!!!. I would love to know how you pulled this off!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2005 05:54:04 PM
A bit too heavy a hand with the doging, but a lovely image, should contend. some bit of backround would have helped IMHO.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2005 12:48:30 PM
This is beautiful. You get a 10 from me. Good choice of blowing everything out and leaving the swans.

I am thoroughly impressed. The original of this image looks as good if not better than the blown-out version. Again, great photo.

Message edited by author 2005-03-09 22:47:26.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2005 08:14:48 AM
My favorite of the challenge 10!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/06/2005 07:44:57 AM
very nice, beautiful composition. 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/05/2005 11:08:34 AM
one of the most simple, yet fantastic images i have seen in my time here...should be a ribbon for you on this one...top notch 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/04/2005 04:38:16 PM
Love the white space and the peacefulness of this shot. Composition works well for me, exposed nicely. Great capture!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/04/2005 01:21:03 PM
This is lovely and my fav for a ribbon..well done and good luck..10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/04/2005 12:58:53 PM
Awesome. I've just had to vote on 20% so that my 10 will count.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/04/2005 10:51:28 AM
Yeeeeeeees!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/04/2005 07:35:11 AM
nice pic
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/04/2005 04:02:48 AM
Fantastic shot
10
good luck
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2005 08:58:57 PM
like the square framing and the whitewashed water leaving only a touch to be seen near your subjects.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2005 05:14:04 PM
Beautifully poised. Just the right amount of everything. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2005 09:51:28 AM
This is visual poetry. Absolutely gorgeous. Deserves a ribbon IMO. Try it in grey scale - it takes out the slight yellowishness and ads elegance. But even in this version it is still so very beautiful. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2005 05:56:02 AM
Great pic. I really like this a lot! 10!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2005 05:35:01 AM
very classic
nice shadows !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2005 04:35:50 AM
This is a very nice shot. You caught the swans looking so elegant and beautiful which also reminds you of light colors. I love how you caught the detail in the water near the swans as well. You caught so much white in your background too which really adds to your image. This is my favorite picture I 've seen in this challenge so far. Nice work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/03/2005 04:25:27 AM
I love this shot, it is so pretty and peacful. I love the way you intertwined the idea of light on white with the swans in the water. What a great idea..i also like the ripples of the water coming off of the swans.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 11:56:45 PM
Classic image
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 06:04:16 PM
Nice use of light and shadows. Would love to hear the specifics of this shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 06:01:34 PM
Knockout picture, I would love to find out the details on this. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 06:01:23 PM
Great picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 05:48:51 PM
Very nice, simple and elegant
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 04:32:12 PM
Beautiful. Could be a greeting card!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 04:17:09 PM
An extrodinarly beautiful photograph!! I like the way my eye leads me right to your subject and with the reflection off the water is an added bonus. Simply stunning work!! Good luck in this weeks challenge! 10:)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 03:51:19 PM
Effective..intense white!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 03:24:11 PM
I like your composition. I could imagine any number of greeting card or motivational messages to punctuate the image. Hope you do well. A favorite
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 02:37:04 PM
even though there is soo much extar white bit on the top,... i like the picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 02:15:12 PM
Nice photo. I would have cropped a little closer.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 11:23:25 AM
wow, I don't know how you did this without major editing so please tell! - 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 08:04:59 AM
Very beautiful and serene!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 07:55:33 AM
It's a sweet image but I feel like a hint of "horizon" or soemthign is needed, additional surface texture, I don't know... 8
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 07:53:47 AM
It's great, but I think there is not enough of the subject, if this was cropped I would have given it a 10. 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 07:18:55 AM
Exquisite.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 06:45:03 AM
This is gorgeous. It looks like a greeting card.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 06:40:35 AM
superb editing, i really like it. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 05:06:15 AM
would have worked better for me if it hadn't been lightened so much (trying to meet challenge i guess). I like what I see, just wish I could see more.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 03:12:56 AM
excellent shot I dont know how you accomplished this but I sure would like to know how this is done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 03:03:02 AM
Real nice... wonder how you got such white background.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/02/2005 01:15:46 AM
Just awesome ... congrats!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2005 09:52:22 PM
Well ,Yes! I think you have it! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2005 08:48:09 PM
I love this, the border is really nice and I like how everything but the swans and their reflections is completely white. 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2005 08:44:23 PM
I really like this.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2005 08:04:11 PM
beautiful! definitely one of the best in this challenge
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 03/01/2005 07:37:01 PM
Very nice one. However i feel u should have cropped a little on the top. 8!
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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