PhotoChallenge 2017 Week 22: Silhouettes

Last year I discovered the online PhotoChallenge.org weekly photography challenges and it encouraged me to try a bunch of new techniques and subjects for my budding photography skills.  I've continued this into 2017, and this year promises to be a good one!  I have fallen behind in posting, but have done a few of the older challenges so here's some catch-up!  The idea is to actively take pictures each week but I may also post some older photos that fit the bill on some of these blog posts.

PhotoChallenge 2017 Week 22: Silhouettes

This week I was on the ball and actually got a few shots in time to post them!  The challenge was to get a silhouette shot of some type. The goal was the do this in camera with a minimum of change in post production.  I was up at the cabin of our friends Jim and Lori Stroner during this challenge so I had access to some great subject matter!  Jim is agreat photographer and taught me a lot this weekend--check out his photography HERE.

1) Pink Sunrise:  This one is my favorite shot for sure and probably the best landscape I've shot to date.  I did have to darken the shoreline a bit to cover up a few pops of white from some boats on the distant shore, but really didn't have to tweak this one much at all.  I woke up early on accident (or because of loud birds) and saw this rosy dawn outside, causing me to struggle into clothing, grab my tripod and go running out front while I could.  By the time I got everything set up I had only a few minutes to snap some photos before the sun was up and the lightshow over.  

2) Evening Blues:  This shot was taken looking the other direction out on the lake at nightfall.  Storm clouds had been present just before this and cleared for about 15 minutes prior to full dark.  I did minimal processing on this shot other than erasing one stray bouy from the foreground.  Loon calls echoed around the area while I set up for this shot and were haunting to say the least.

3) Reflections In Foliage:  This one was my attempt at being "arty" and getting the setting sun's reflection of the foliage in the pond.  I came close in what I was attempting but the color shot had a spot of birght green off in the distance where the sun was hitting some tall pines that ruined the silhouette effect.  Answer?  Take out the color!  I added a little split toning on this as well (red to the highlight and green to the shadow) to make it more interesting.